Tuesday, 4 June 2013 / GMJ – The Global March to Jerusalem (GMJ) is proud to announce our preliminary program for marches around the world on Friday, 7th June 2013, to mark the forty-sixth anniversary of the occupation of the eastern part of the holy city of Jerusalem, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other sacred sites. The aim of this year’s GMJ is to raise global awareness about the continuing crimes against Palestinians in Jerusalem and the increasing violations against the holy city’s religious sites, both Christian and Muslim. This Friday, the GMJ will hold peaceful mass demonstrations in Palestine and the neighboring countries, heading towards Jerusalem or the nearest possible point, as well as in major cities around the world.
The first question we wish to address is, “why do we march?”
Over the last year in Jerusalem, we have witnessed the Occupation authorities:
- Announcing and constructing more illegal settlements
- Issuing and executing more demolitions of Palestinian homes and buildings
- Carrying out more mass arrests of Palestinians, including women and children, many of whom are being held in indefinite detention without charge
- Inciting more religious conflict by conducting regular raids of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, as well as the Haram Al-Sharif Compound
- Issuing provocative statements threatening the sovereignty of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, as well as the Haram Sharif Compound
- Continuing the construction of a separation wall that annexes Palestinian land, divides Palestinian communities and disrupts Jerusalem’s economy
- We have also witnessed extremist Zionist settlers committing more hate crimes against Palestinians, including the horrific “price tag” attacks that deface Muslim and Christian religious sites, destroy Palestinian property, and raze the livelihoods of Palestinians.
At the same time, we have also witnessed Palestinians’ continued nonviolent resistance, including: a mass prisoner hunger strike; the erection of tent villages to protest against the building of more settlements; weekly demonstrations against the separation wall; and public campaigns demanding the right of return, an end to occupation, the boycott, divestment and sanction of apartheid institutions, and the liberation of Palestine.
Building on this Palestinian movement of nonviolent resistance, our peaceful march will send a strong message to the Zionist Occupation to confirm the following: that we have not, and nor will we ever, forget Jerusalem and its holy sites; that we will not be silent witnesses to the brutal crimes perpetuated by the Zionist Occupation against Jerusalem and its people, which threaten the holy city’s Arab identity and its Muslim and Christian holy sites; that we are coming; and that the free people of the world are with us.
On Friday, 7th June, the Global March to Jerusalem will hold peaceful demonstrations in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. Tens of thousands will mobilize in the Gaza Strip, heading towards the northern border near Beit Hanoun. Mass rallies will assemble in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania and Malaysia. Large protests will be held in Istanbul, Ankara and London, and people will gather in New York City and Vancouver.
More demonstrations in support of the GMJ will be announced in the coming days, and we urge all freedom loving people of the world to join us to demand an end to the Zionist occupation of Jerusalem and Palestine, to protest against the apartheid policies of the Zionist state, and to call for the liberation of Jerusalem and all of Palestine.
The International Media Committee for the Global March to Jerusalem
Our Call to action: http://gm2j.com/main/call-for-action/
Official web site (Arabic and English): http://gm2j.com
Main Facebook page (Arabic): https://www.facebook.com/GMJ2013
Main Facebook page (English): https://www.facebook.com/TheGlobalMarchToJerusalemEnglish
I would like to know how members of my human rights organization can become involved? We have members stationed in the Middle East.
Dear Siraj,
Fantastic. Please e-mail us at gm2j.media.english@gmail.com.
Bests,
GMJ