Peace rally includes Palestinians in Peoria

PEORIA, IL -- More than 30 people attended an almost spontaneous rally for peace focused on advocacy for Palestinian issues, from 2 - 3 p.m.  on July 12 at the corner of Main and University streets.

Here are some terrific photos of the rally, on the Facebook page created for it.  Read the whole page, it's fascinating.

Activist Michael Perillo said the event began organizing on July 9. "We decided to put it together because of what was happening on the West Bank and Gaza," he said. 

That situation includes the military air strikes and occupation, beatings and other human rights violations against the Palestinians, he said.

The rally attracted Peoria's muslim community as well as veteran peace activists who are part of the Peoria Peace Network, such as Jack Ryan and Paul Appell.

Appell said he has friends who have been to Palestine and stood in solidarity with people there. He's a member of Veterans for Peace, which includes a group of Israelis and Palestinians who want peace, not war, he said.

He wore a small wooden dove, that he said was made from the wood of an olive tree bulldozed by the Israelis.

Too bad a thousand people were not at that rally, as the Mideast situation is truly horrifying.  A cease fire needs to be negotiated immediately, then peace talks should begin that would settle issues there before it turns into World War III.

  -- Elaine Hopkins

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Comments

[vonster]

Truly horrifying. Hamas rockets. You're on the wrong side.

[vonster]

The Palestinian Authority's envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has said the PA has no hope of pressing charges against Israel in international courts - because Palestinian terrorist groups are far worse violators of international law themselves.

Since peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority fell apart after the PA applied for membership in international agencies, many Palestinian factions and advocates have pushed for the PA to sign the Rome Statute and press charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court at the Hague (ICC).

But contrasting Israel's conduct during Operation Protective Edge to stop rocket fire from Gaza - in which Israeli forces always warn civilians before launching airstrikes - to the actions of Hamas and other armed groups, Ibrahim Khreisheh said any such move would surely backfire.

Noting concerns that Israel could launch legal offensives of its own against the PA should it sign up to the ICC, the presenter asked whether such a move would be realistic. The response was unequivocal.

"The missiles that are now being launched against Israel - each and every missile constitutes a crime against humanity, whether it hits or misses, because it is directed at civilian targets," said Khreisheh.

[vonster]

Why no mention of Hamas instigating this with their rocket attacks???