NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION: CAT shareholder meeting in Chicago, June 14th

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION: CAT shareholder meeting in Chicago, June 14th

The Michigan Peace Team and Palestine Office Michigan urge you to join with the national campaign at the Catepillar Stockholders meeting to call for stopping CAT sales to Israel.

In response to CAT's flagrant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law, political and legal advocates have mounted a campaign to hold CAT accountable. On June 14th, activists nationwide will be either be protesting in their communities or in front of the Northern Trust Bank in Chicago, IL where the shareholders will be meeting.

Since 1967, Israel has used Catepillar bulldozers to cement its militaryoccupation in the West Bank, the GazaStrip, and East Jerusalem. Since the advent of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, which began on September 29th, 2000, the Israeli Army has used Catepillar bulldozers to demolish more than 4,000 homes, uproot more than 1.6 million olive trees, built the Annexation Wall in contravention of the July 2004 International Court of Justice ruling which declared its illegality and demanded its destruction, and even murder civilians like 23-year old American activist Rachel Corrie, and 37-year old Palestinian paraplegic Jamal Fayyad.

Four representatives from Michigan will be going to the shareholders meeting to talk with the Board of Directors and shareholders and demand an end of sales of bulldozers to Israel. PLEASE join us to help CAT be convinced it is in their best interest to stop sales to Israel. If you can't go, please consider giving a donation to help those who will struggle coming up with the $20.

A van leaves Detroit at 8:00 am sharp on Wednesday June 14th, from the Amtrak Station parking lot in Dearborn (16121 Michigan Ave. near the Civic Center) and will pick up addittional passengers from Ann Arbor, Jackson, and Kalamazoo (locations to be announced). The van will leave Chicago at 4:30 pm and get everyone home in the evening.

To reserve a seat, please contact the Palestine Office at: 313-945-9660. A donation towards the costs is appreciated.

For more information on how to participate in Chicago, Write to Matt Gaines of the Stop CAT Coalition at: mattgaines@ameritech.net