Stand For Palestine on Nakba, Picket Caterpillar

Marking the 62nd anniversary of Nakba, "The Catastrophe" for Palestinian-Americans, a local coalition will picket Ohio Caterpiller offices for their part in sustaining the Israeli military occupation of Palestine and siege of Gaza. On Saturday, May 15, activists will hold their third protest at Ohio CAT as part of an international boycott and divestment campaign of Caterpillar and Israel. In this spirit demonstrators highlight the critical role Caterpillar plays in arming the Occupation Forces in their brutal and illegal occupation of Palestinians.

Caterpillar armored bulldozers play a vital role in the construction of the Apartheid Wall, part of Israel's project to annex 46% of the West Bank to ensure Israel’s continuous expansion. In the last 4 and a half years Caterpillar bulldozers have razed over one million olive trees, destroyed more than 7000 homes and murdered dozens of people trying to defend their lands and homes. Others were simply killed in their homes by Caterpillar machinery involved in house demolitions which occurred without any warning. The Occupation Forces were armed in these exercises of destruction with Caterpillar machinery, purchased from the USA, such as the D-9 model, weighing around 64 tons and armed with killer blades.

The sponsoring coalition will leaflet area homes explaining their picket, and plans a program on the Israel-Palestine conflict with Jewish and Palestinian speakers, at Brecksville Library on June 3.

Sponsored by the Middle East Peace Forum, AACCESS Ohio ( the Arab-American community center) and Al-Awda, the Right to Return Coaltition, and the Free Gaza Coalition