West Bank street named after Rachel Corrie

Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah have named a street after Rachel Corrie, an activist from the United States who was killed in 2003 while protesting against house demolitions in Gaza.

The dedication ceremony was held March 16 on the seventh anniversary of Corrie’s death at age 23.

Corrie’s mother, Cindy, said her daughter stood for many other foreign activists who have come to the West Bank and Gaza in recent years to serve as a buffer between Palestinians and Israeli troops.

“I just wanted you to know ... that you do not stand alone,” she told a small group of Palestinians, including the mayor and governor of Ramallah. “People are stepping up. They will not be silent.”

Corrie’s parents have brought a civil suit against the Israeli government, which is now being heard by a Haifa court.

Corrie’s story, investigated in the documentary “Rachel,” has become a rallying cry for pro-Palestinian activists. Based on her diary and e-mails to her parents, the story was turned into a stage play, “My Name Is Rachel Corrie.” — ap