Grazie Vik Arrigoni: Italy Buries Gaza Peace Activist With Great Honor

They say he really isn't gone; that a person of his status does not simply go away, instead Vik remains in countless ways.

(SALEM / ROME) - Thousands gathered to say goodbye today, to one of the most powerful and successful peace activists in history. Vittorio 'Vik' Arrigoni is responsible for bringing the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) back to Gaza to document and reveal Israel's constant human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

All who knew Vik loved him. His death, which allegedly came at the hands of terrorists in Palestine, is one that makes no sense for anyone who knows anything about Gaza.

Vik, along with Ken O'Keefe and others who express their words on our pages, was part of the first flotilla to reach Gaza in over 40 years.

From that day forward Gaza came to know this man who gave all and affected great change that will have a lasting impact for peace.

The video below from an Italian television station, shows even those who don't comprehend Vik's native language, how much he will be missed.

They say he really isn't gone; that a person of his status does not simply go away, instead Vik remains in countless ways.

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines. Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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Fatima Radjaie April 24, 2011 4:42 pm (Pacific time)

Shahid Vittorio will always stay alive in our hearts, all our thoughts and actions and inspire us not to rest until Gaza and the entire Palestine will be free. With his tireless struggle and efforts for freedom and his dedication to the rightless people in Palestine he really has deserved, now to be in the best and highest of the heavens, and it remains our duty and legacy, to take on the struggle, where he left and carry on the actions he did for a life in justice and dignity of all people in Palestine. Ciao Vittorio, you wonderful angel, you will always be with us!

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