Student support demonstrations were held daily. Food and water was smuggled under the police's noses. One of the crane sitters ordered pizza, but the police stopped him from accepting it. A member of parliament, Dedy Zuker, climbed up, brought the sitters food and promised to talk to the mayor of Tel Aviv. Only after several members of the city council visited the site, and parliament member Yosi Sarid promised to promote legislation to prevent building close to the beach, did the protestors agree to come down.
The coastline in Israel is slowly being covered with concrete monsters that get permits as hotels to "promote tourism" but are actually sold as apartments for the rich.
As a result of the action, the mayor of Tel Aviv, Rony Milo (who has investments in the project), established a committee to re-evaluate coastal construction. Green Course has received a great deal of support from the local and national press, professors, and politicians and has managed to dramatically raise awareness of the development.
After the occupation and the large media coverage, Milo decided to freeze the construction plans on the coast of Tel Aviv.
The bigger fight, however, will be against the Trans-Israel Highway. Construction is supposed to begin in September. Any graffiti or other actions at places around the globe against Hughes, Canadian Highways Inc. or the French bank, Soceite Generale, are welcome.
For more information, contact the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel at 4 Hashfela St., Tel Aviv; 03-6388653; fax 03-5374302; spni@actcom.co.il
The five activists joined thousands of visitors at an air show organized by the Pentagon. They brought banners, bottles of their own blood, hammers and leaflets. As hundreds of onlookers observed, they proceeded to throw blood on and hammer the inside of the bomb bay doors of a B-52 bomber. As one activist, Sister Ardeth, was stopped by security officials, others hammered on the outside of the bomber, unfurled a banner, prayed and then explained to those assembled the meaning of their action. They poured their blood as a sign of their willingness to lay down their lives rather than take the lives of others.
Eventually, military and civilian police placed the five peaceful activists face down on the tarmac, handcuffed them and took them into custody.
For more information, contact Lynn Fredriksson, East Timor Action Network, 110 Maryland Avenue NE #30, Washington, DC 20002; (202) 544-6911, fax 546-5103; etandc@igc.org; http//:www.etan.org.