­

On March 16, 2003, the Israeli army killed U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie with a Caterpillar D-9 bulldozer in a refugee camp in Rafah, in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip. Rachel was killed while she non-violently tried to prevent the demolition by Israel of a Palestinian family’s home. Three days later, on March 19, 2003, the United States launched what former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan deemed an “illegal” war on Iraq. Rachel Corrie’s all too brief life was dedicated to promoting justice, the dignity of all human beings, and a world free of want and war.

"I look forward to more moments like February 15 [2003] when civil society wakes up en masse and issues massive and resonant evidence of it’s conscience, it’s unwillingness to be repressed, and it’s compassion for the suffering of others.” -Rachel Corrie, February 28, 2003

On the tragic 5th anniversary of her death and our country’s ongoing war on and occupation of Iraq, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation asks all of its member organizations and individual supporters to recommit themselves to the ideals for which Rachel Corrie stood and to take action to realize the goals for which she struggled.

TAKE ACTION 1. Hold a vigil to commemorate Rachel Corrie on March 16. To download a vigil guide, click here. To view events and/or add your vigil to our calendar, click here. When adding a vigil, please select “Rachel Corrie National Day of Action” as the category. If you are planning an event, please email details of it as well to info@rachelcorriefoundation.org 2. Hold corporations accountable for profiteering from war and human rights abuses. The US Campaign is running corporate accountability campaigns against Caterpillar and Motorola, two U.S. corporations that profiteer from war and human rights abuses both in both Iraq and Palestine. To get involved with these campaigns, contact Suha Dabbouseh, National Organizer, at organize@endtheoccupation.org or 202-332-0994. 3. Protest U.S. arms transfers to Israel. Israel misuses U.S. weapons paid for by U.S. taxpayers to enforce an illegal military occupation and to commit human rights abuses against Palestinians in violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts. To get involved with our campaign to challenge U.S. arms transfer to Israel, click here. 4. Watch the Winter Soldier hearings. From March 13-16, Iraq Veterans against the War will hold a series of hearings in Washington, DC featuring veterans who have participated in the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. To learn more about Winter Solider and how you can view the hearings, click here. 5. Participate in an action in DC or locally on March 19. The US Campaign has endorsed United for Peace and Justice’s (UFPJ) “5 Years Too Many” campaign. Join UFPJ in Washington, DC for creative, nonviolent action and civil disobedience, or join one of more than 465 local actions around the country. For more details, click here.