Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Rachel Corrie anniversary memorial at Caterpillar, Solihull: report and pics

Indy Brum Volunteer | 17.03.2005 18:12 | Anti-militarism | Social Struggles | Birmingham

Yesterday, a small Westmidlands PSC delegation went to lay a wreath outside the Caterpillar European Financial Headquarters in Hockley Heath/Solihull in memory of Rachel Corrie who was killed by an Israeli Caterpillar bulldozer in Rafah, 2 years ago today.





We had asked the Caterpillar management to discuss their involvement in Israel's activities in Palestine, but they declined to see us.

Willem Meijs

Indy Brum Volunteer

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Remembering Rachel Corrie

17.03.2005 18:21

Previously a letter was sent out written by Willem Meijis and Sue Blackwell, to the Manager which conveyed more.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306652.html

By laying this wreath outside the gate we hoped that pedestrians passing by, would notice Rachel Corrie's picture among the bright red roses with a few candles laid in front of it.

About 3 faces from the office window opposite could see us after we had met their security man outside. Dignity was preserved throughout and we observed a 2 minute silence.

I am very thankful to all to be part of this small delegation which conveyed the solemnity of this sad occasion which marked her untimely reckless death caused by one of Caterpillar's bulldozers.

For Justice and Peace,

Zarina Bhatia

Indy Brum Volunteer


Commemoration at Solihull's Caterpillar Branch

17.03.2005 18:27

Our members weren't overwhelming, yet, the task before us very much mattered. We were marking the painfully tragic death of an American student, who's mangled body testified, to the world, that all was far from well in
occupied Palestinian territories.

Rachel Corrie was not criminally disposed, but one who lived, and died, with her ideals, about a better existence for many of her fellow human beings.

We gathered, on 16th March, near the Financial Division of Caterpillar, Solihull. Most of you will know, that, for callous, commercial reasons, Caterpillar has been an "excellent" customer of the Israeli government. It's
meticulously designed bulldozers are nothing if not highly efficient in destroying homes, orchards, factories etc. and, occasionally, people. Such as non-violent resisters against ruthless & wanton destruction of Palestinian homes.

In a simple ceremony we placed a small wreath, in contrast, by the Company sign. Although probably not very obvious to passing traffic, nevertheless the combination of dark red roses with white daisy-like flowers was quite
lovely. Did this have any significance to Caterpillar management? Their answer, in refusing to meet us blared out in thunderous silence. Why should they, I ask you, worry about blood on their hands? After all, there's plenty of greenback dollars to be made!

Even by those who consider conscience, in business dealings, to be a superfluous luxury, may the life of Rachel Corrie, and those values she, so honourably cherished, long be remembered.

BG.

Indy Brum Volunteer


Too much ?

17.03.2005 18:59

Well you're milking this tragedy for all its worth.

L


Tragedy indeed

17.03.2005 20:54

"17.03.2005 18:59
Well you're milking this tragedy for all its worth.

L"

Anyone reading your comment might believe that justice had been achieved, and that the matter had been resolved to some extent. Sadly, this is not the case.

No-one has yet been held accountable for the killing of Rachel, nor for the brutal destruction of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Dr. Samir and his family (whose house Rachel was defending when she was murdered by a Caterpillar D9 driving Israeli soldier) have had their home demolished, and have had to move 6 times since then, and remain inadequately housed - a hardship shared by thousands of people in Rafah.

Despite all of this, Caterpillar continues to sell bulldozers to Israel, despite the fact that they have enough to enable to them to have sold 14 to the US army for the wa\r crime that was "Operatrion Enduring Freedom".

Even Israeli Arabs are not safe from the destruction of their homes by Caterpillar bulldozers.

Why don't you and your narcoleptic zionist mates set up your own zionist website, where you can discuss what interests you to your hearts content?

I promise to never go there when you do, because, quite honestly, nothing you have to say is of even the remotest interest to me.



ftp


caterpillar solihull

17.03.2005 21:20

individuals concerned about caterpillar's sales policy can contact the company from details posted here:

 http://www.cat.com/cda/servlet/cat.vce.servlet.SearchServlet?m=8703&x=7&searchField=solihull

- -


Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech