Campus visits for Bristol2Gaza Convoy
PRESS RELEASE – locals
Tuesday 24th November 2009
The Bristol2Gaza Convoy will be touring College and University Campus sites over the next week. There will be displays and talks for students to awareness about Gaza. Fund-raising events will take place to support the convoy. Staff and Students will have the chance to see the 44 ton truck and other vehicles which will be travelling 5,000 miles taking humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Campus Visits
THURSDAY 26th
12AM – 2 PM. UNIVERSITY OF WEST OF ENGLAND BOWER ASHTON CAMPUS:
Outside the Bar/restaurant area
FRIDAY 27th
11AM – 3 PM UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND FRENCHAY CAMPUS:
At the main bus interchange
In true Bristol tradition, the sides of the truck have been painted with impressive murals. One side shows the people of Bristol people loading aid into the truck and in the distance the people of Gaza eagerly awaiting its arrival. The back of the truck is painted with the cartoon character Handala – the icon of the Palestinian struggle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naji_al-Ali). On the other side of the truck is a representation of the Palestinian flag mixed with Bristol graffiti street art.
Getting Ready to Roll
Nick Park, of Bristol-based Aardman Animations, has recently given permission for the much-loved characters Wallace & Gromit to be included on the vehicles. This coincides with the 20year celebration of these characters who are strongly associated with Bristol and the local Children’s Hospital.
Banksy has visited Palestine twice and painted political graffiti on the Separation Wall in the West Bank. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier) A selection of these Banksy’s pictures have been included on the truck.
TV coverage see http://www.itv.com/westcountry-east/fullprogramme/ (at around 4.11mins)
Also included are drivers & skilled professionals. The team travelling in the Bristol Convoy includes:-
Sakir Yildirim, HGV driver and a veteran of last February’s Viva Palestina convoy, will drive the truck and lead the contingent
Siamak Alimi, driver and IT coordinator from UWE
Monica Margaret Jones, translator and experienced Middle East traveller
Tony Gratrex, driver and engineer.
Sahida Uddin, a mental-health social-worker.
Cliff Hanley, artist with a specialism on Palestine
A documentary film-maker will travel with the team.
They will be travelling in the truck and an accompanying mini-bus & van. It is planned that they will be joined at the Egyptian border by Mohammed Elhaddad; the second Bristol representative of last February’s convoy and the whole team will cross into Gaza through the notorious Rafah crossing.
The group has been collecting medical aid for some weeks now including:-
Equipment – crutches, walking-sticks, commodes, and wheel-chairs
Medicines – several pallets of medicines donated by local hospitals and organisations
Health products –pallets of toothpaste and other hygiene products
A dental chair and suite of dental equipment
Further medical supplies are needed:-
Renal and Ophthalmic medicines plus Burns-Unit equipment.
Maternity products plus Mother & Baby post-natal supplies
The group also has a list of badly needed general pharmaceuticals from a hospital in Gaza.
More donations still needed include:-
Large quantities of stationary, exercise books, biros, and children’s crayons (for hospital and school use),
Clear plastic sheeting to mend windows and walls,
and Blankets.
More public events are planned for the Bristol2Gaza Convoy:-
SATURDAY 28th November
There will be an information stall in Broadmead outside Tesco-Metro store on Union Street.
From 11-4 the convoy vehicles will drive slowly around the main circuit of Broadmead
accompanied by musicians and street performers and supporters.
MONDAY 30th 12-2pm City Of Bristol College (Ashley Down Campus)
A lunchtime visit to Bristol University Campus is also being planned for next week
Local school children are being encouraged to write “post-cards-to-Gaza” that will be delivered to
a school Gaza and the most colourful can also be glued to the sides of the vehicles.
FRIDAY 4th December
Plans are being drawn up for a major event when the convoy leaves Bristol
Convoy departure 10-11 College Green
Speakers:- MPs Cllrs Choir Multi-faith Trade Union speakers
11-12 March/parade across town
The organisers would like to acknowledge the following donors to the Convoy:-
VOLVO Truck & Bus at Avonmouth who carried out the MOT on the truck at cost price
BIG YELLOW who have been supplying warehouse faculties at their depot in St Phillips
ALL Hospitals and medical personnel who have been involved in collecting, supplying and organising the urgently required aid
The citizens of Bristol who have contributed money and well needed items.
A spokesperson for the Bristol Gaza Link says:-
“Many people throughout Bristol were shocked by the brutal attacks on Gaza last winter. Yet incredibly, even after all that suffering, Gaza is still under a state of siege. The shattered homes and other building can not be repaired because basic building materials aren’t allowed in. Even medicines and other essentials of life are in desperately short supply. Bristol-Gaza Link aims to build people-to-people links between our cities. This convoy is our way of breaking the siege and we want to say a big thank-you to all the people of Bristol for supporting us.”
Tony Benn (former Bristol Labour MP) says:-
“I would like to express my full support for the Viva Palestina convoy which leaves in December. The ongoing siege of Gaza is a crime against humanity, as was the Israeli attack last year. British support for the relief efforts is a contribution to the solution of a human problem. I wish the convoy all success.”
