Please come today, July 2, 2009, 9am, Federal Building, 501 I Street, Sacramento to send off Sacramentans that are joining the 4th of July Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza headed by British Prime Minister George Galloway and Vietnam War Veteran Ron Kovic.

We will also deliver letters to Representative Doris Matsui asking her to condemn Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza and its June 30 attack on and seizure of the free-Gaza boat and its passengers, including former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Please bring a letter or sign the one we will have. (See below for an update on the boat.)

The Sacramento group plans to bring medical supplies, including two ambulances purchased with Sacramento-raised donations. They will join thousands of other international human rights activists who are trying to break the Israeli and Egyptian blockade against Gaza’s million and a half residents, eighty percent of whom are refugees and half of whom are under 18.

Funding for the ambulances was raised in Sacramento in conjunction with British Parliament member George Galloway’s address to over a thousand people at the Radisson Hotel in May. Galloway had recently supported a successful Viva Palestina convoy which took over 100 vehicles to Gaza from Britain.

Here's the press release for the event, followed by an update on the Israeli kidnapping of Cynthia McKinney and other passengers from the Spirit of Humanity:

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Contact: 916-456-1420 916-425-4111

ATTN: Daybook/Assignment Desk


Sacramentans to announce plans Thursday
to risk jail to travel to Gaza Strip; Israel arrests
other Americans, including presidential candidate

SACRAMENTO - Even as Israeli gunboats are seizing Americans and others
trying to help desperate civilians in the Gaza Strip, three Sacramentans
will announce Thursday they are heading to the area with medical supplies
-- and two ambulances.

A news conference to provide details will be held THURSDAY, July 2, at 9:30
a.m. at the Federal Courthouse (5th & I St.).

Also present will be two other Sacramentans who just returned from the area
after an eight-month stay.

Sacramentans Edwina White, Mohammed Armiti, and Mary Brassell, will leave
this week for Egypt and hope to cross into Palestine's Gaza Strip on July 4
with medical supplies, including two ambulances purchased with
Sacramento-raised donations.

They will join thousands of other international human rights activists who
are trying to break the Israeli and Egyptian blockade against Gaza's
million and a half residents, 80 percent of whom are refugees and half of
whom are under 18.

Funding for the ambulances was raised in Sacramento in conjunction with
British Parliament member George Galloway's address to over a thousand
people at the Radisson in May. Galloway had recently supported a
successful Viva Palestina convoy which took over 100 vehicles to Gaza from
Britain.

The delegation will attempt to enter Gaza less than a week after Israel
seized a boat en route to Gaza through international waters with 21 human
rights workers from 11 countries on board. Passengers included Noble
laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney,
2008 Green Party presidential candidate.

Sacramentan Maggie Coulter visited Gaza earlier this month with a Code Pink
Delegation. She and her partner have just returned from 8 months in the
Middle East, six of those in living in Palestine.

-30-

QUOTE from Twitter: Is it normal for the US to stay silent when a rogue state kidnaps a former member of Congress in international waters?

http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/56-news/978-press-conference-today-journalist-house-nicosia-1700-1730
UPDATE: Wednesday, 01 July 2009 11:29
by Free Gaza Team
Update on kidnapped passengers, impounded boat, and the right for EVERYONE to see an attorney

Journalists' House
12 CyBC (RIK) Avenue
Aglantzia, Nicosia 2120, Cyprus
Greta Berlin (English)
tel: +357 99 28 41 02/ friends [at] freegaza.org
Ramzi Kysia (English)
Tel: + 357 99 08 17 67 rrkysia [at] yahoo.com
Caoimhe Butterly (Arabic/English/Spanish):
tel: +357 99 80 96 37 / sahara78 [at] hotmail.co.uk
http://www.FreeGaza.org

(Larnaca, 1 July 2009) Yesterday, the Israeli Navy boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, SPIRIT OF HUMANITY and kidnapped the 21 human rights activists, humanitarian workers and activists on their way to Gaza. As of today, none of them have had the right to see an attorney even though they came to the detention center to see them.

The Free Gaza Movement is calling for their release and the release of our boat, seized in international waters off the coast of Gaza as our SPOT locator clearly shows.

But more importantly, twenty-one internationals can get headlines. What about the 11,000 Palestinians who languish in jail, many of them tortured. We will update you on the status of our kidnapped passengers and our impounded boat, but who will do the same for the Palestinians and their boats?

We will insist that Israel stop interfering with our voyages to Gaza, since they do not have the right; legal or moral, to enforce a siege that collectively punishes 1.5 million Palestinians.

Our demand is that our passengers re-board the boat and continue on to the port in Gaza, so we can deliver the building supplies and the humanitarian supplies that we loaded and inspected by the Cypriot authorities.

Kidnapped Passengers from the Spirit of Humanity include

Khalad Abdelkader, Bahrain
Khalad is an engineer representing the Islamic Charitable Association of Bahrain.

Othman Abufalah, Jordan
Othman is a world-renowned journalist with al-Jazeera TV.

Khaled Al-Shenoo, Bahrain
Khaled is a lecturer with the University of Bahrain.

Mansour Al-Abi, Yemen
Mansour is a cameraman with Al-Jazeera TV.

Fatima Al-Attawi, Bahrain
Fatima is a relief worker and community activist from Bahrain.

Juhaina Alqaed, Bahrain
Juhaina is a journalist & human rights activist.

Huwaida Arraf, US
Huwaida is the Chair of the Free Gaza Movement and delegation co-coordinator for this voyage.

Ishmahil Blagrove, UK
Ishmahil is a Jamaican-born journalist, documentary film maker and founder of the Rice & Peas film production company. His documentaries focus on international struggles for social justice.

Kaltham Ghloom, Bahrain
Kaltham is a community activist.

Derek Graham, Ireland
Derek Graham is an electrician, Free Gaza organizer, and first mate aboard the Spirit of Humanity.

Alex Harrison, UK
Alex is a solidarity worker from Britain. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Denis Healey, UK
Denis is Captain of the Spirit of Humanity. This will be his fifth voyage to Gaza.

Fathi Jaouadi, UK
Fathi is a British journalist, Free Gaza organizer, and delegation co-coordinator for this voyage.

Mairead Maguire, Ireland
Mairead is a Nobel laureate and renowned peace activist.

Lubna Masarwa, Palestine/Israel
Lubna is a Palestinian human rights activist and Free Gaza organizer.

Theresa McDermott, Scotland
Theresa is a solidarity worker from Scotland. She is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Cynthia McKinney, US
Cynthia McKinney is an outspoken advocate for human rights and social justice issues, as well as a former U.S. congressperson and presidential candidate.

Adnan Mormesh, UK
Adnan is a solidarity worker from Britain. He is traveling to Gaza to do long-term human rights monitoring.

Adam Qvist, Denmark
Adam is a solidarity worker from Denmark. He is traveling to Gaza to do human rights monitoring.

Adam Shapiro, US
Adam is an American documentary film maker and human rights activist.

Kathy Sheetz, US
Kathy is a nurse and film maker, traveling to Gaza to do human rights monitoring.