May 15, 2010 marks the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe), the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist forces before and during the creation of Israel. The year 1948 brought the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and their land, the indiscriminate massacre of thousands of civilians and the systematic destruction of more than 450 Palestinian villages. Ethnic cleansing in Palestine continues today. The Apartheid Wall, settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the siege of Gaza, now reduced to an open-air prison, the demolition of Palestinian homes, expulsions from the West Bank (two new Israeli military ordinances, 1649 and 1650, which entered into force April 13, 2010, are accelerating the process), the detention of thousands of prisoners including women and children, the ongoing repression and denial of right of return for refugees are all acts directed toward a single objective: to conquer territory and expel the Palestinian population, erasing their identity.

The Rome Palestinian Solidarity Network invites everyone who stands for Palestine and a just peace in the Middle East to join in commemorating the Nakba, Saturday, May 15, from 6-10pm at Piazza dell'Immacolata (San Lorenzo), with music, street theater, storytelling, videos and eye witness accounts from Palestine. Information will be provided on concrete actions to stop the colonial policies of Israel, including the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign (BDS) and the Freedom Flotilla, which will depart in late May to break the siege of Gaza by sea. Standing against the occupiers. Standing together with those who resist. Active solidarity with PALESTINE.