Visit Palestine : Screening of documentary on human rights activist, Caoimhe Butterly

galway | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Thursday May 14, 2009 21:45 by TD - Free Palestine Campaign

Galway Social Space, 24 Middle Street at 8 PM, Free Admission, Discussion Afterwards

Ken Loach : 'Katie Barlow’s film Visit Palestine is both a devastating account of daily life for Palestinians and a fine portrait of a brave and selfless Irish woman who lives with them. No-one talks politics yet it is a deeply political film. You are left with a burning anger on behalf of those who bear the occupation of their land and appalling military oppression with such fortitude. Israel, the U.S. and their apologists stand indicted and, on this evidence, convicted'

The Guardian : '...a passionate indictment of the Israeli military in the Jenin refugee camp...this is raw, urgent movie-making'

In this documentary, Caoimhe Butterly describes witnessing the aftermath of the Israeli barbaric attack on Jenin in April 2002. The film follows her work, the main emphasis being “the accompaniment of communities at risk”. Despite being threatened, shot in the thigh by an Israeli soldier on November 22, 2002 whilst trying to lead a group of Palestinian children to safety and deported later that year, she is determined to go back ... and she does.

Caoimhe Butterly has worked with Aids victims in Zimbabwe, the homeless in New York, the Zapatistas in Mexico and Palestinians in the Hell on Earth that is Gaza.

Now Free Gaza Movement co-ordinator, as part on a nationwide speaking tour, Caoimhe will be speaking at a public meeting in the Galway Rowing Club on 22-5-2009 at the provisional time of 7.30 PM (once the time is firmed up there will be a seperate Event posting)

In 2001 she spent 10 days fasting in front of the offices of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, in protest at the Irish government's decision to allow US warplanes to refuel at Shannon Airport on their way to Afghanistan. She was arrested while trying to block the runway. She was on board the SS Dignity, an 18m yacht carrying three doctors, three tonnes of medical aid and peace activists from Cyprus to embattled Gaza when it was rammed by an Israeli warship, on 30-12-2008, in international waters about 90 nautical miles from the Gaza coast. Speaking from Lebanon to Irish Times reporter, Michael Jansen, she said the Israeli naval vessels had been tailing the Dignity for some time when one, without lights, rammed the yacht three times, damaging the hull on the port side and smashing the wheelhouse. “We had not been expecting this so far out,” she said.
“We were not prepared, some of us were not wearing life vests.“They gave no radio warning, we were not asked to identify ourselves. [The attack] was very sudden, very aggressive. “After they rammed us they fired flares, spoke on the radio and threatened to shoot if we did not return to Larnaca. They said we were engaged in terrorist activity. We were afraid the boat would sink,” (Related Link).

Caoimhe Butterly, who originally travelled to Gaza on the second siege breaking Free Gaza boat has been working closely with partners on the ground in Gaza over the last few months and will be speaking, as an eye witness, about Israeli war crimes and working with paramedics, journalists and farmers under fire in Gaza before, during and after the 2009 war.

During the recent Israeli attack on Gaza, Caoimhe was in densely populated areas when they were shelled with white phosphorous, bombed by F16s and subjected to missile attack from Israeli drone aircraft. The key message that she will be bringing is that people in Gaza want pressure for political change - particularly through the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign. The message is that aid work must be accompanied by campaigning to bring about justice and freedom from occupation. She will be mainly focussed on speaking to people about what she has witnessed in Gaza, and acting as a bridge to bring the messages from Palestinians inside Gaza to the outside world. She has developed close links with a number of developing grassroots projects in Gaza and has ideas about links which groups in Europe and elsewhere may want to develop.

Wood Quay/Headford Road