[HCCN] FW: Demand the release of The Audacity of Hope

[Judith Robbins]

6 women still onboard the small, imprisoned US ship to protect it. Please
read and make calls.


------ Forwarded Message
From: Lawrence Reichard <lreichard at gmail.com>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact: Ann Wright, 0030 694 165 7310
Regina Carey: 0030 694 203 6296
 
Athens, July 12, 2011,  At 10 am today, the shore electricity was cut off to
the Audacity of Hope, the US Boat to Gaza, leaving us with no power. The
boat has been imprisoned at the US Embassy/Greek Coast Guard dock, near
Piraeus, Greece, just outside of Athens since we tried to sail to Gaza on
July 1 when the Greek Coast Guard intercepted our small boat and hauled us
into this compound.
 
Its over 100 degrees inside the boat, and a Russian ship loading grain is
spewing grain and dust over the entire area. In addition, the off-loading
noise the ship is making is above environmentally acceptable limit, sounding
like a bad rock concert playing at the back of the boat! Six women are
staying on board to protect the boat, since two boats heading to Gaza were
already sabotaged in an attempt to prevent us from sailing to Gaza. Four of
us are over 60. The Greek naval facility is co-located with a US Embassy
compound which has one warehouse exclusively for the U.S. government, as
well as a ramp for loading vehicles onto a ship.  It also has a parking area
for the wrecked cars of Americans who have been involved in traffic
accidents plus a secure warehouse compound behind the ubiquitous high fence
topped with razor wire and signs printed in both English and Greek in the US
government block style lettering
 
The Greek Coast Guard is probably caught in the middle and may be ready to
release us, but government politics seems to wants to keep us in port to
appease the Israeli government, since the occupation of Palestine has been
outsourced to the Greeks.
 
Call the Greek Embassy in Washington and .the Greek consulates around the
Country and demand that they release the Audacity of Hope
  

Embassy of Greece
2217 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
Tel. 202.939.1300 <tel:202.939.1300>
Fax. 202.939.1324 <tel:202.939.1324>

You can also call Kim Richter at the State Department or write a text
message to her at                                              202-647-8308 
<tel:202-647-8308> , insisting that the US release this boat and the six
women on board who are making sure she remains safe. Our conversation with
Kate Brandeis this morning, acting Consul General for the United States bore
no fruit after we told her what was happening on board this boat.
 
 



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