Students for a Democratic Society Condemns Massacre of the Freedom Flotilla

Students for a Democratic Society condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s massacre and kidnapping of the activists of the Freedom Flotilla on May 31 that was bringing humanitarian aid in solidarity with the people in Gaza. This terroristic act of piracy on the high seas by the Israeli military resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and the wounding of many more. The surviving activists say that they were beaten and tortured with electricity before being abducted from international waters into Israeli territory, where they were jailed on the absurd charge of illegally entering Israel.

Meanwhile, as the whole world responds to these events with shock and outrage, the US government hasn’t skipped a beat in providing the usual diplomatic, political and financial support for Israel’s war crimes. This has played a critical role in enabling Israel to conduct business as usual, as can be seen by the boarding and kidnapping of another aid ship headed for Gaza, the MV Rachel Corrie only days after the massacre.

SDS is mobilizing across the country to protest Israel’s criminal aggression against the Freedom Flotilla as well as its occupation and oppression of Palestine in general:

On June 1 and June 4, the UW-Milwaukee and UW-Waukesha SDS chapters, alongside MEChA, the Arab-American and Jewish communities brought out hundreds to protest at the Milwaukee Federal Building.
Chicago SDSers joined with a picket of more than 3000 at the Israeli consulate in Chicago on June 1.
On June 3, UNC-Chapel Hill SDS mobilized for a rally in Durham, North Carolina.
UNC-Asheville SDS called for an emergency protest on June 7.
SDS calls on students everywhere to join us in protest of Israel’s war crimes and the United States government’s complicity in them. We are calling for the following:

Release the activists with the MV Rachel Corrie
Lift the siege of Gaza
Dismantle the Jewish settlements in the West Bank
End all US aid to Israel
Campus divestment from businesses profiting from Israeli apartheid
For more information about Students for a Democratic Society, visit http://www.newsds.org