Nelson Peace Group media release

16 April 2002

On Saturday 20th April in Nelson there will be a Walk for Peace in the Middle East as part of the International Day of Action to Stop Racism and End War. On a national level, events are also being held in Whangarei, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The Nelson event has been organised by the Nelson Peace Group and will leave the Cathedral steps at 11am walking through the city and the market.

The focus for this event is to end the violence in the Middle East and to stop any new war on Iraq. The 'war on terrorism' is fuelling the cycle of bloodshed and violence in the Middle East with appalling brutality in Palestine and Israel. The US government is planning a new war on the people of Iraq, who are already dying in their thousands every month from punitive economic sanctions and ongoing bombing by US and British warplanes, while civilian deaths and injuries continue in Afghanistan.

From this International Day of Action, the Nelson Peace Group and supporters will be sending a letter to Helen Clark asking her to make a clear but peaceful stand. We ask her to call on the Israeli government to withdraw their Ambassador from New Zealand until there is a full withdrawal from the occupied territories by the Israelis according to UN Resolution 242.

We further ask Helen Clark to use her influence with the US administration in support of the recent Saudi initiative by which the Arab states would grant full recognition to the State of Israel in return for full and permanent withdrawal from the occupied territories.

For further information, contact Anne FitzSimon 021 1123 890 or anne.f@clear.net.nz

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