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Press Conference for the Canadian Boat to Gaza

WHERE: Friends House – 60 Lowther Ave., Toronto (2 blocks north of Bloor, one block west of Avenue Road).

WHEN: Thursday May 26, 10 a.m.

WHAT: In last third of June, a Canadian boat will set sail in the Mediterranean as part of the Freedom Flotilla II, joining at least 10 boats with representatives from nations around the world, to show the Palestinians of Gaza that they have not been forgotten. The Israeli government has made it clear that does not want the boats to reach the shores of Gaza, and the Canadian government as usual supports them unconditionally.

“As Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker puts it, the Freedom Flotilla is the Freedom Ride of our era, and we will not be deterred by intimidation,” says David Heap of the Canadian Boat to Gaza steering committee. Prominent Canadians join with international voices calling for safe passage of the Canadian Boat to Gaza to challenge the blockade.

WHO: We will hear brief statements from:

John Greyson, Film-maker and delegate aboard the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

David Heap, Canadian Boat to Gaza steering committee.

James Loney, Christian Peacemaker Teams member, former hostage in Baghdad (2005) and author of the recent book Captivity.

Michael Mandel, Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School & Specialist in International Law.

Suzanne Weiss, Holocaust survivor & human rights activist, Independent Jewish Voices & Not In Our Name.

With the support of over a hundred civil society organizations and thousands of individuals, the Canadian Boat to Gaza campaign (www.tahrir.ca) has raised more than $300 000 towards the purchase and equipping of a boat as part of the Freedom Flotilla II (www.freedomflotilla.eu).

With additional statements from: Ursula Franklin, Anton Kuerti, Lyn Adamson. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of participants and about the Canadian Boat to Gaza.