Berlin: 100 bikers against the war in Gaza

On July 14th 100 bikers responded to the call for a "Bike Demo in Solidarity with Palestine" by Palestine
Network Berlin (PNB), the BDS group Berlin, the International Women's Peace Service (IWPS) and the
Palestinian Students Association.
After a warm-up concert by the rapper Kaveh (https://www.facebook.com/kavehtracks) the tour started in the
direction of Oranienplatz where refugees have been protesting for their rights for two years.
Refugee activists received the bikers with a welcoming speech and leading a singing of "Bella Ciao". The bikers
expressed their solidarity and respect for the struggle of the refugees and underlined that the Palestinian
people have also experienced a long history of repeated persecution and flight since the establishment of the
Israeli state in 1948.
What refugees also share in common with Palestinians is that their dangerous path to Europe is monitored and
controlled by the same drones that are used in Gaza to carry out Israeli military offensives. One such drone is
called the Heron and is built by Israel Aerospace Industries.
Hightech military buildup to enforce a "Fortress Europe" is a cynical reaction to the continuing humanitarian
crisis in which thousands of refugees have died on their way to Europe.
In Gaza around 825 Palestinians were killed between 2006 and 2011 through coordination and direct strikes by
drones.
With slogans such "Free Palestine, Free Gaza" and "German arms, German money: murdering around the
world" and songs by Shadya Mansour and DAM, the bike demonstration continued to the Axel-Springer
publishing house where the infamous Bild Zeitung is published.
There, speakers criticized the one-sided and racist media coverage by Axel-Springer and other mainstream
media outlets which values Israeli lives high above those of Palestinians and rationalizes and defends the Israeli
military offensive as mere self-defense".
Next, the bike demonstration stopped in front of the offices of Thales and ThyssenKrupp where activists
performed a die-In".
Thales is a french arms company which builds Watchkeeper drones together with the Israeli company Elbit.
The new Watchkeeper drone being developed for the UK military is based on a model that Israel has field
tested in attacks on Gaza which left many Palestinians dead, including children
(http://www.waronwant.org/news/press-releases/18040-new-uk-drone-field-tested-on-palestinians).
ThyssenKrupp built 6 of the submarines that were sold to the Israeli marine on a national friendship discount".
Only two weeks ago, while the Israeli offensive was already in full swing, one such submarine was transferred
to the Israeli Navy without public attendance following a high-security protocol.
The bike demo then moved on to the German Ministry for foreign Affairs where Haidar Eid's text
"Gaza: Signposts on the road to liberation" (http://electronicintifada.net/content/gaza-signposts-road-
liberation/13554) was read out loud so that voices from Gaza could be heard.
Then the demonstration continued to the Aroma Espresso Bar in the Friedrichstrae 200 and spread the
message of the BDS call (www.bdsmovement.net).
This Cafe chain also operates in the illegal settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in Westbank, as highlighted in "Who
Profits -Exposing the Israeli Occupation Industry" (http://www.whoprofits.org/company/aroma-espresso-bar).
The last stop was at the Mariannenplatz. Here, Majed, a Palestinian activist from Gaza told us about the current
situation of his family that lives in Gaza and has been attacked with two injured. He called everybody to
protest, to stay informed and to stand up against the war in Gaza.
The demonstration ended with an invitation to join together at a dinner organized to mobilize for the "War
starts here camp" taking place in August in Eastern Germany, warstartsherecamp.org.