Around the country, communities are demanding the mass release of people from prisons, jails, and detention centers to protect the health and human rights of people in this pandemic. Carceral facilities are always unsafe, because incarceration is unhealthy for everyone. But right now, these institutions—with no possibility of social distancing in close quarters and a lack of access to adequate health care of personal protective equipment—have become hotspots for spreading the virus.    

On June 1, 2018, 21-year-old Razan al-Najjar was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper while working as a volunteer paramedic with the Great March of Return in Gaza, providing care and assistance to people injured during protests. Razan was wearing a white medical vest and, according to witnesses, had her arms raised above her head when she was killed. Nobody has been held accountable for her killing.