This article was written by Kristi L. Nelson and first appeared on June 5 in Knoxnews.com. The complete article can be found here.
Israel’s May 31 raid on an aid ship trying to breach the blockade on Gaza has spurred international outrage, with protests Friday in Syria, Greece, Bahrain, Malaysia, Norway – and Market Square.
About two dozen East Tennesseans of varying religions and backgrounds gathered for a “vigil” protesting the 3-year-old blockade and demanding accountability for Monday’s action, during which eight Turks and an American of Turkish descent were killed and hundreds of others on the ship were arrested.
Peace advocates joined Christian clergy and members of a local mosque along Union Avenue, where they held signs and distributed fliers from the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation before walking to the John J. Duncan Federal Building on Locust Street. Hand-lettered cardboard signs urged Israel to end the occupation of Gaza and lift the blockade and the U.S. government to cease military and monetary support to Israel. “America’s silence is deafening,” read one sign. “Pray and work for justice,” read another.
“We don’t think that this latest crisis is getting enough attention,” said Barbara Hickey, spokeswoman for the local Episcopal Peace Fellowship. “We feel that this is one of the most serious problems going on in the world – and that’s saying a lot.”
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