Popular Struggle Christmas Tree: Decorated with Teargas Grenades, Missile Leftovers and Pictures of Injured or Martyred Children Popular Struggle Coordination Committee today in the Hall of Nativity, Bethlehem, lightened Christmas tree that was decorated with teargas grenades and sound bombs, pictures of injured or martyred children, and the missile leftovers used by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. The tree aimed to deliver the message that the Holy Land of Palestine still suffers Israeli occupation even in the midst of joyous celebrations. Member of Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, Mazen Al-Azzeh said that the tree was dedicated to (about) 50 Palestinian martyrs which engaged in popular non-violent resistance and were killed by Israeli forces this year alone, in addition to over 2000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, killed in Gaza over the summer.Al-Azzeh added that the tree was a symbol of popular struggle on the occasion of the birth of Jesus Christ, to convey the message that despite the celebrations, Palestine was still under occupation, siege and suffers land seizure and checkpoints. Juma reiterated that the message of it was to remind the world that Palestinians are deprived from the full-hearted celebratory spirits, because of the ongoing occupation of land and oppression of the people. In addition, the tree serves as a memoir for Minister Ziad Abu Ein, Head of the Committee against the Wall and Settlements, who was attacked by Israeli soldiers and killed after suffocated by teargas. Abu Ein was killed while leading peaceful demonstration to plant olive trees on Palestinian land threatened by Israeli confiscation in Turmusayya village North Ramallah West Bank. Popular struggle activist, Abdullah Abu Rahma, said that Minister Abu Ein, previously planned on setting Popular Struggle symbolic Christmas tree in the Hall of Nativity in Bethlehem, decorated with the grenades with which Palestinians are killed. And so, the tree was decorated in devotion to his will. Committee added that the tree contributes a challenge to Israeli apartheid policies and propaganda that has deceived the world for decades. Salah Khawaja, coordinator in Bilin, said that the tree displayed the daily violations of Israeli occupation in Palestine, and aimed to send message to the pilgrims, tourists and visitors to the church of nativity where Jesus Christ was born, that peace cannot be under an occupation. The tree was a loud cry of longing for an occupation-free, peaceful life in the Holy land of Palestine.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 23:53:03 +0000