West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

West Belfast fundraising drive for Palestine to continue this weekend

Published: 21 January, 2009

Sinn Fein activists will be on the streets in big numbers again this weekend to raise money for the 'Irish Medical Aid for Palestine' charity.

Last Saturday, 17 January, Republicans were out all over the west on the main roads, at junctions and at shopping centres to collect for the charity, and received an overwhelmingly positive response from the west Belfast public.

This week, they will be aiming to increase further the amount of money raised so far by reaching as many people as possible.

The money donated by the people of west Belfast will be going to pay for vital resources for the hospitals in Palestine which have been running out of medicine, bandages and important equipment needed to treat the thousands upon thousands of injured men, women and children in the Gaza strip.

West Belfast Sinn Fein MLA Jennifer McCann said:

''If you see a collection bucket over the next couple of days, please think about those suffering in the Gaza strip and give a little to help the injured of Palestine.

''Irish Medical Aid for Palestine is a registered charity (co CHY17857) that is being supported by Sinn Fein, and the charity workers have expressed their heartfelt thanks for the amounts collected so far.

''The money that you give will help to save the lives of innocent people who have been targeted by the Israelis in their onslaught on Gaza.

''We are having another push at fund raising this weekend to give people the opportunity to play their part in helping the oppressed citizens of Palestine.

''So far, we have taken part in the march and rally in Belfast city centre, we have held white line pickets, we have protested on the steps of Stormont, we have launched a billboard campaign in support of the people of Gaza, we have joined the protest outside the European Commission office and we have held collections at a whole host of venues across the west.

''So, this weekend lets do our best to raise as much as possible for the people of Palestine. They deserve our help and support.''