Cynthia McKinney, 2008 Green Party presidential candidate and former U.S. congresswoman from Georgia discusses her trips to Gaza, South Africa and Berkley,California. In 2009, she traveled as a part of the Free Gaza Movement and Viva Palestina, the international movement to end the Israeli siege of Gaza on the anniversary of the Israeli invasion, “Operation Cast Lead” that targeted civilians and focussed on destroying homes and civilian infrastructure. She also speaks about two earlier efforts to travel to Gaza. One, during which her small boat almost sunk after it was rammed by the Israeli Navy. The other when she was imprisoned in an Israeli jail following her seizure and kidnaping by the Israeli Navy
in International waters off the coast of Gaza.
Her talk ties together the struggle for Human Rights in apartheid South Africa, the United States and occupied Palestine in the context of the murder of Oscar Grant by BART police in Berkley, California, the murder of over 1000 Palestinian women, children and elderly during the Israeli invasion of Gaza last year and the struggle that brought down the racist apartheid regime in South Africa.
She introduced the musical group Desert Rose and their banned in South Africa song “Who is your God”. There was a technical problem with the sound system resulting in poor sound quality for the song which can be heard at the following URLs :
Desert Rose “Who is your God”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H99mzLiBenw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H99mzLiBenw&feature=related
She ended her talk with a video, "Operation Small Axe", about the murder of Oscar Grant in Berkley, the following riots and later murder of four policeman. It compared the riots following the murder with the Palestinian intifada. The documentary offers an analysis of Levell Mixon that frames his shooting of four Berkley cops in the context of police repression, similar to Israeli military repression in occupied Palestine, and the desperation that moves a person to become a suicide bomber.
Videos of the Oscar Grant murder can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJukcFzEX4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0egoZCTXLGY&feature=related
Dale Lehman - WZRD Chicago - 88.3
Students for Justice in Palestine - University of Chicago
