With little chance for advance preparation, we settled for leafletting those attending with useful grassroots news sources and ideas for action. We were taken aback by the large turnout, having only produced a few hundred leaflets; these went quickly.

We reproduce it below in the hope of inspiring further action:

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News From Gaza

"The life in Gaza is very difficult. Actually we can’t describe everything. We can’t sleep, we can’t go to school and study. We feel a lot of feelings, sometimes we feel afraid and worry because the planes and the ships, they hit 24 hours. Sometimes we feel bored because there is no electricity during the day, and in the night, it is coming just four hours and when it comes we are watching the news on TV. And we see kids and women who are injured and dead. So we live in the siege and war."
-Suzanne, 15, from Gaza (via the blog of an international activist)

more at:  http://talestotell.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/from-the-kabariti-kids

Some useful sources of information and eyewitness reports:

 http://talestotell.wordpress.com/
 http://activestills.org/
 http://www.palestinechronicle.com/
 http://livefromoccupiedpalestine.blogspot.com/

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Ideas for action

1. Target your local weapons manufacturer. Companies like BAe, EDO, and others supply Israel with the aircraft, tanks and components they need to carry out these murderous attacks - and have offices and factories right here in the UK:

Brimar (make components for Apache attack helicopters)
Greenside Way, Middleton, Manchester, M24 1SN

BAe (supply F16s to Israel)
MBDA, Station Road, Bolton, BL6 4BR
Shared Services, Brisance House, Euxton Lane, Chorley, PR7 6AQ
Military Air Solutions, Woodford Aerodrome, Chester Road, Woodford, SK7 1QR
Land Systems UK, Leeds Valley Park, Leeds, LS10 1AB
more at:  http://www.baesystems.com/WorldwideLocations/UnitedKingdom/Locations/

Or get involved in an existing campaign...
...against Heckler & Koch, Nottingham:  http://nottsantimilitarism.wordpress.com/
...against EDO, Brighton:  http://smashedo.org.uk/

See:
 http://www.stoparmingisrael.org/info/companies.php
for more ideas and:
 http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/israel.php
for more background.


2. Donate to grassroots groups taking action in Palestine:

 http://www.freegaza.org Free Gaza Campaign organises ships to break Israel's siege of Gaza, taking humanitarian supplies, doctors and activists in by sea, and need donations to continue these missions.

 http://www.awalls.org Anarchists Against the Wall (AATW) is a direct action Israeli group working in cooperation with Palestinians in a joint popular struggle against the occupation. All of AATW's work in Palestine is coordinated through villages' local popular committees and is essentially Palestinian led. They are appealing for donations to cover legal costs.


3. Get involved in local groups:

Anti-war -  http://www.mancsagainsttanks.co.uk
Palestine solidarity -  http://www.psc-manchester.org.uk

...or if those groups aren't doing what you think needs to be done, get some like-minded people together and organise your own!

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