PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Carnegie Mellon Students express Palestinian Solidarity
by zucchini Thursday, Sep. 25, 2003 at 10:40 AM

On the night of 9-21-2001, a group of Carnegie Mellon students came together and painted a message of Palestinian solidarity on the fence, a tradition used by Carnegie Mellon students and groups to send messages to the entire campus.

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The idea hit some of us last spring working with Zi. We organized along very rough lines, in an organization of little structure. Some of us were members of the Progressive Student Alliance, others were the Arab Student Organization or Muslim Students Association. We headed out and took the fence.

The reaction to the fence has been bittersweet. Some have criticized us, others have engaged us in debate. We highlighted Palestinian suffering because in the country that sponsors it, few know about it. Marking the anniversary of Sabra & Shatila, calling for human rights for Palestinians including an end to the occupation, and calling for the recognition of Sharon as a war criminal were the messages on the fence. We hope that the issue of Palestinian suffering will remain on the agenda until the problems are resolved.

The text reads "HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE FOR PALESTINANS / END THE OCCUPATION" on the side visible from the street and "BRING SHARON TO JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF SABRA AND SHATILA" on the other.

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Working on the fence
by zucchini Thursday, Sep. 25, 2003 at 10:40 AM

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