Bristol group unveils truck for Gaza Convoy

bristol | peace | news report Monday November 23, 2009 09:18 by Ed Hill

Media Report

On Sunday 22nd November a Bristol-based group unveiled a 44 ton articulated truck for a convoy to Gaza this winter. This truck has been decorated with Banksy-style murals and the much-loved Bristol characters - Wallace & Gromit. The convoy will travel 5,000 miles across Europe carrying badly needed medical and humanitarian aid. Also included are drivers & skilled professionals.

In true Bristol tradition, the sides of the truck have been painted with impressive murals. One side shows the people of Bristol people loading their 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.

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.

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
Maternity plus Mother & Baby post-natal supplies
The group also has a list of badly needed general pharmaceuticals from a hospital in Gaza.

More donations are 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.

A number of public events are planned for the Bristol2Gaza Convoy:-
These include visits to the various local universities and college campuses.
A parade and street collection in Broadmead shopping centres all day on Saturday 28th November
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.
Plans are being drawn up for a major event when the convoy leaves Bristol on Friday 4th December.

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.”

The convoy leaves Bristol on Friday 4th December joining the main UK convoy of some 250 vehicles in London. This convoy, the VIVA PALESTINA convoy will leave London on Saturday 5th December. It will travel across Europe and the Middle East, arriving at the Rafah crossing into Gaza on 27th December – this is the one year anniversary of the start of the attack on Gaza. FFI on UK Viva Palestina see www.vivapalestina.org/

The Bristol truck will be the biggest vehicle on the Viva Palestina convoy and will attract a great deal of attention.

Money to buy the vehicles, fuel, cargo and to pay for the trip are been raised by local faith and campaign groups. However the group still has a long way to go to reach its target of £25,000. People can help the Bristol2Gaza convoy with donations in various ways:-

Post cheques payable to Bristol-Gaza-Link (Viva Palestina Convoy) to
BRISTOL-GAZA-LINK Box 3, c/o 82 Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5BB UK

By Bank transfer to Coop Bank Account name Bristol Gaza Link
Account number 65360523 and Sort Code 08 92 99

Donate on-line at www.BristolGazaLink.org and http://bglink.ning.com

Donate £3 from your mobile phone now - text “VIVA” to 84424
(Terms and conditions available on our website)

The Bristol-to-Gaza convoy is a practical humanitarian project of the BRISTOL-GAZA-LINK Association. See info below:-

Last winter, people from across Bristol took part in large numbers in protests, vigils, demonstrations, meetings and occupations to show their support for the people of Gaza during Israel's attacks. Two Bristol drivers, Sakir Yildirim and Mohamed Elhaddad joined the 100-vehicle Viva Palestina! Convoy which drove to Gaza with aid collected in Britain. On their return they gave eyewitness reports of conditions in Gaza.

Out of this grew the idea of building links between Bristol & Gaza City.

The Bristol-Gaza-Link Association was launched, with all-party support on Monday 28th September at the Council House. Its aims and objectives will be to build humanitarian, cultural, educational and social links. These links will be with similar groups and organisations primarily in Gaza City. However links with Palestinian populations both in the West Bank and the Diaspora are also possible.

Historically, Bristol has had a large number of connections with Palestine, both Gaza and the West Bank. These have ranged from faith groups to peace campaigners, from medics to footballers to circus-performers. Even Bristol’s own graffiti artist Banksy has visited Palestine! Bristol-Gaza-Link aims to build on these foundations and is working with a growing number of groups and organizations to explore links with Gaza.

Information about Bristol-Gaza Link is available at www.BristolGazaLink.org
and
an innovative “social-networking” website http://bglink.ning.com enables people in Bristol to link up directly with their counterparts in Gaza or Palestine.

Bristol-Gaza-Link has produced a video of the convoy to Gaza last winter which is available on YouTube (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RjAfuluos4 - 3 parts).

Information and pictures at www.BristolGazaLink.org and http://bglink.ning.com
UK Viva Palestina Convoy see www.vivapalestina.org/

ENDS