Hawaii rally protesting Israeli commando raid
Reported by: Marisa Yamane
Email: myamane@khon2.com
Last Update: 6/01 10:13 pm
A Honolulu woman was among seven hundred activists taken into Israeli custody after soldiers raided a flotilla carrying relief supplies to Gaza.
The deadly raid also sparked protests across the US today, including here in Hawaii.
Hawaii residents outraged by the deadly Israeli commando raid staged a protest outside of the federal building in Downtown Honolulu Tuesday afternoon.
Sunday, Israeli soldiers stormed a Turkish ship that was leading a six-ship flotilla bringing 10,000 tons of supplies and aid to Gaza.
The Israeli Government said its soldiers boarded the ship to make sure there were no weapons being smuggled in for the terror group Hamas, and that its soldiers opened fire only after they came under assault.
At least nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.
Hundreds of other activists were taken into Israeli detention, including Honolulu resident Ann Wright.
“I’m glad she’s alive it looked like she was walking and not suffering severe injury she was obviously defiant because her hand was up and she was doing the peace sign. I’m also concerned because she has physical problems in her legs,” said friend Carolyn Hadfield.
Wright is a retired US Army Colonel, and a former State Department official who publicly resigned in protest of the US invasion of Iraq.
This is video of Wright in 2007, protesting the Iraqi War, in front of the White House.
“We are the people that are saying stop this war and stop it now,” said Wright in 2007.
More recently, Wright turned her efforts towards Gaza.
“She said the main reason she became involved in this particular issue because it was so clear the US taxpayers were funding a genocidal regime in Gaza and those were her words,” said Hadfield.
Hadfield helped organize this protest Tuesday afternoon — to not only get the message out, but also in honor of her friend.
“I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of her courage,” said Hadfield.
The Israeli Government said tonight it’ll deport almost all of the activists within the next two days, but will still detain about fifty of them for their investigation.
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