Worldwide protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people: Jan. 1-5, 2009
The following is a
summary of actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza,
concentrating on those that took place between Jan. 1 and Jan. 4, 2009. By Jan.
4 this included some emergency protests of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza
strip.
Africa and Asia, Oceania
On Jan. 2 the Palestine Solidarity Committee of South Africa and
others mobilized 1,500 people outside the U.S. Consulate on the streets of
Johannesburg, calling on the South African government to recall the Israeli
ambassador and to immediately implement a boycott, divestment and sanction
program against Israel. Present at the march was the Congress of South African
Trade Unions (COSATU), the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and
community organizations from around the city. There was also a rally in Kano
City in Nigeria.
Perhaps the largest protest in response to the land invasion took place in
Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 4, where reportedly hundreds of thousands of
people came into the streets in this country connecting Asia to Europe. The
Turkish government, which has held joint military operations with the Israelis
in the past, was forced to criticize Israel for invading Gaza.
In Jordan, Many demonstrations, donation drives, marches and sit-ins
are occurring daily across the entire country. On Jan. 2, riot police attacked
a march to the Israeli embassy in Amman after midday prayer, firing tear gas at
the marchers. But demonstrators chanted louder and moved towards the police,
some protesters throwing stones. Police then attacked, forcing the crowd back,
and this back-and-forth lasted hours. Other protestors on a week-long vigil
demanded cutting all ties to Israel.
In Egypt, mass demonstrations were called jointly and almost
spontaneously by all opposition organizations anti-imperialist organizations,
including the Egyptian Labor Party, Muslim Brotherhood, Tagamu` Party of the
left, Kifaya. Police arrested hundreds of protesters throughout the week. Many
protests denounced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for his collusion with
Israel in maintaining the siege and refusing to open the Rafah border crossing.
In Beirut, Lebanon, many tens of thousands protested both before and
after the Israeli troop invasion of Gaza. Hezbollah leaders have spoken out in
solidarity with the Palestinians and warned Lebanese to prepare to defend
against a possible Israeli attack. Protesters burned Israeli and U.S. flags in
many Arab cities and demanded their governments react to Israeli aggression,
some of the largest in Rabat, Morocco, in Khartoum, Sudan, and in
Yemen, where the last demonstration in Sanaa, the capital, was said to
gather more than one million people. Earlier at a rally in front of the
Egyptian Embassy, people burned the Israeli flag and tried to assault the
embassy, which has now been cordoned off. The Yemen government has criticized
Israel and called for peace, and has promised to provide health care to 500
Palestinians. The people have demanded more and asked permission to go to Gaza.
There were large demonstrations throughout the West Bank and in the
majority Palestinian Arab towns within the 1967 Israeli borders. In Tel
Aviv, a protest of 15,000 took place, where both Jews and Arabs participated,
called by the Peace Now and left organizations.
In Iran, thousands have rallied throughout the week. Iranian youth
have offered to volunteer to fight in defense of the Palestinians, much as
youth of the 1930s from all over the world offered to defend the Spanish
republic against the fascists in the international brigades. Even in Jalalabad,
Afghanistan, some 400 people marched against the Israeli aggression. In India,
in the capital, New Delhi, Muslim Indians protests Jan. 2 after prayer. There
were demonstrations in Kolkata (Calcutta) and a number of other Indian cities.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh organized a Jan. 1
protest march. Thousands of demonstrators in Indonesia denounced Israel
as a "terrorist" force and called on the government to send troops to
fight Israeli forces. In Tokyo, Japan, there were a series of
demonstrations in front of Israeli Embassy in Tokyo in the end of 2008 and
beginning of 2009, also in Sapporo on Jan. 4. In Seoul, South Korea,
people demonstrated, in front of the Israeli embassy on Dec. 30, with
protestors demanding that Israel stop its massacre of Palestinians and end its
siege of the Palestine.
Ten thousand demonstrated in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 4, with
others protesting in Melbourne, and other protests planned for the capital,
Canberra. A protest has been called also in Auckland, New Zealand, for
Jan. 10.
Latin America
In Sao Paolo, Brazil, on Jan. 2, hundreds gathered in a main street
to protest Israeli crimes and to call upon the Brazilian president Lula and the
international community to intervene immediately to end the massacre. The
government party (PT) has issued a statement condemning Israeli crimes on Gaza
and calling all its members to join any further demonstrations to stop the
massacre.
In Argentina, a vigil of hundreds was held at the Israeli Embassy in
Buenos Aires after a march on Dec. 29, called by different Argentine-Arab
organizations to show solidarity with Palestine; another is scheduled for Jan.
6. In Puerto Rico, the Socialist Workers Movement held a mobilization in
solidarity with the Palestinian people and to reject and condemn the crimes of
the Israeli state, gathering at the Federal building in San Juan.
People have been protesting in front of the Israeli Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela,
in the second day of protests there. The Communist Party of Venezuela and other
social organizations were present. There have been demonstrations in Mexico
both in Mexico City before the Israeli Embassy and in Oaxaca on Jan. 3, where
police arrested 20 demonstrators marching toward the U.S. Consulate. There was
also a protest in Colón, Costa Rica, on Dec. 30 at the Israeli Embassy.
In Bogota, Colombia, there were protests Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. There was a
nighttime protest in Lima, Peru, where an Israeli flag was burned.
In addition to these popular actions, statements from the governments of Cuba,
Venezuela and Bolivia condemned the Israeli killing of Palestinians.
Europe
In Belgium, there have been local protest rallies in Ghent, Louvain,
Brussels and Antwerp in the days following the first attack, with a national
protest rally on Dec. 31 of 10,000. It was a joint effort of solidarity
committees, non-governmental organizations, the Workers Party of Belgium and
Arab organizations.
In Greece, Almost 10.000 marched from Propylaia to
Parliament-Egyptian embassy-USA embassy and arrived at Israel embassy where the
police attacked them. Arab people, women with children in the first line,
workers and students joined the call.
In England, Scotland and Wales, protests were held Jan. 3 at 18
locations including Portsmouth, Manchester, Hull, Cardiff, Nottingham and
Southampton, Kent, Glasgow and London, where tens of thousands gathered and
hundreds threw their shoes at Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Another protest was
held Jan. 4 in London against the land invasion.
In Lisbon, Portugal, various organizations concerned about the
massacre in Gaza, including mass unions and women's and anti-war organizations
met Dec. 30 and decided to call a unified demonstration for Jan. 8, with the
place and time to be announced later.
In the Spanish state, there were demonstrations in every region and
in dozens of cities. In Gijon (Cantabria), where 400 people gathered, one of
the organizations (CEOSI) is trying to create a regional platform to to gather
trade unions, civil organizations and political parties for united actions
against Israel. There were also rallies in Burgos at Plaza del Cid, where
hundreds of people came organized only by text messages. Some 2,000 people went
before the Valencia City Council, then spontaneously marched to the U.S. Consulate
where they first denounced the complicity of U.S. in supporting Israeli
aggression and then held a minute of silence in memory of the victims. In
Madrid, 3,000 rallied at Puerta del Sol. There also people have initiated a
campaign of international solidarity with the Palestinian people by hanging
Palestinian flags and scarves from windows and balconies. Civil organizations
are calling for a boycott of Israeli goods.
In France, on Jan. 3 in Paris, 25,000 marched together to support the
people of Gaza and to protest the Israeli military attack. Other protests of
some thousands in each city have been held in Angers, Annecy, Besançon,
Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nîmes, Quimper, Rennes, Roubaix, Rouen,
St. Etienne, St. Girons, Thionville and Toulouse.
In Italy, a Rome demonstration on Jan. 3 drew thousands. Jan. 2 in
Treviso and on Jan. 3 in Vicenza at 2 p.m. before the Central Train Station.
There were also protests in Florence and Genoa and in Cagliari in Sardinia. In Germany,
on Jan. 3 nearly 10,000 demonstrated in Berlin. Other thousands protested in
Dusseldorf. In Austria the Jan. 2 Vienna protest drew 8,000 people. The
Gaza Must Live group has called for further protests, the next on Jan. 5. In Switzerland
there were protests in Basel and Geneva. In Ireland, there have been
demonstrations in Dublin, Limerick, Derry, Belfast and Dublin.
In Denmark, The biggest protest in Denmark in so far was held in
Copenhagen on Jan. 3, marching from the Town Hall Square to the Parliament
immediately before the land invasion. It drew around 4,000 protesters. On Jan.
4, some 800 came to the Israeli Embassy, and Annisette from The Savage Rose
sang. Police arrested 35 youth after the demonstration ended. On Jan. 2 a
demonstration was held in Aarhus. In Sweden, there were demonstrations
Göteborg Jan. 3 of more than 2,000, in Malmö, more than a thousand and in
Uppsala more than 1,200. More demonstrations have taken place in Stockholm,
Umeâ, Jönköping, Karlskrona, Växjö and other cities. In Oslo, Norway,
about 2,000 people demonstrated in front of the Israeli embassy, chanting
"Close Down the Embassy!"
In Amsterdam, Netherlands, 5,000 people joined a
protest carrying banners calling for a boycott of Israeli products. The
protestors condemned the Israeli attacks as well as the Dutch government that
has still not condemned the massacre.
North
America
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Jan. 3,
some 700 people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery, including (to name a
few) speakers from Canadian Islamic Congress, BC Labor Against War, Jews for a
Just Peace and Solidarity with Palestinian Human Rights - University of British
Columbia. In Toronto, Ontario, at least 10,000 people came out in support of
Gaza on Jan. 3, stopping traffic along one of the city's most central areas.
Chanting "Free, Free Palestine" and "From Iraq to Palestine, Occupation is a
Crime," protestors marched to the Israeli and U.S. consulates, moving strongly
despite the efforts of police on horseback and on bicycles to control the
crowd. Demonstrators called on the Canadian government to condemn Israel's
latest aggression and to cut all political, economic and military ties with
Israel until it complies with international law. In Ottawa, about 2,000 people
braved the negative 25 degree temperature to come out and express their outrage
at the massacres and show their solidarity with Gaza. The march began outside
the national parliament, and then moved to the Israeli and U.S. Embassies.
Speeches from students, civil society organizations and trade unions were
heard, as the protestors chanted "Down with Israeli Apartheid" and "Free, Free
Gaza." Other demonstrations were scheduled for Montreal, Windsor, and Winnipeg.
Besides those who contributed last time, we thank Paloma
Valverde in Spain, Barbara Fuchs in Germany, Max Watts in Australia, Sandrine
in France, Segyn Meder in Sweden, Klaus Riis in Denmark, the Socialist Party of
Bangladesh, Akira Maeda in Japan and some anonymous others for their help
gathering this report, compiled by John Catalinotto
United States
It may have been a holiday week with U.S. schools out of
session, organizations and workplaces closed, with attention turned away from
news of the world - but even so, the outraged demonstrations to stop the
U.S./Israeli bombing of Gaza flared in every major U.S. metropolitan area -
more than once and in some cases, daily. When U.S.-made tanks rolled into Gaza,
the escalation into a full military ground invasion swelled the Jan.
3 mass march that snarled traffic in New York City and brought out
demonstrators again on Jan. 4 in Houston, San Francisco,
Anaheim, Calif., San Diego and Portland, Ore. At Israeli Embassies, offices of
U.S. senators and representatives or busy street corners, with just a handful
or tens of thousands, Palestinian and Arab organizations are being joined and
supported by anti-zionist Jewish organizations, anti-war organizations,
African-American and Latino and labor. In Minneapolis, Minn.
40 protestors occupied Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office on Dec.
30 for two hours until she met with them.
Filled with anguish and anger, 25,000 to 30,000 people
rallied in Times Square in New York City on Jan.
3 to protest Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. It was
one of the largest protests held around the world against Israel. The crowd
stretched down 7th Ave. from 42nd to 36th
Street. It swelled in size as people arrived from throughout the region,
including busloads from Brooklyn and elsewhere.
People marched through midtown Manhattan to the Israeli
Mission to the United Nations where the five-hour demonstration ended with
another rally. There were a huge number of children in the protest. One boy
about four years old sat on his father’s shoulders rousing the crowd as
he shouted over and over “Free, free Palestine” and “End the
Occupation.”
The rally at Times Square was chaired by Raja Abdulhaq, of
the General Union of Palestine Students; Lamis Deek, of Al-Awda; Wael Mousfar,
president of the Arab Muslim American Federation; and Sara Flounders, of the
International Action Center. Speakers denounced the U.S. for its role in the
massacre and the billions of dollars in aid it sends to the terrorist state of
Israel every year. And they criticized President-elect Barak Obama for failing
to speak out against Israel. Samia Halaby, a long-time Palestinian activist and
artist, told the crowd that it is time to up the ante and ask the international
community to disarm Israel or “the whole world will go into Intifada and
disarm Israel.”
People around the world are organizing to stop
Israel’s bombing and invasion of Gaza. Actions are being held throughout
the country in the coming week. Another rally and march will
be held in Times Square on January 11 at 1 pm.
In New York, some 5,000 people gathered
in front of Rockefeller Center on 5th Avenue on a very busy shopping day
Dec. 28. The demonstration was largely Palestinian, young and
very militant, chanting, "From the river to the sea: Palestine will be
free." It marched a mile to the Israeli Consulate. Mosques in New Jersey
towns sent five busloads of people on 24-hours' notice. There were other
protests on Dec. 29 and 30.
Texans Protest Israeli Attacks
Both Austin and
Houston have had almost daily demonstrations in support of the
people of Gaza.
In Houston, over a thousand came out
to the Israeli consulate on Jan. 2, mostly from the
Palestinian and Arab community, but also others from the progressive community,
including African Americans, Latinos and whites, attended. Palestinian
youth led the chants and large extended families participated. Each
demonstration has seen carloads of Palestinian youth, in pickup trucks as well
as hanging out of car windows and standing in moon roofs, flying large
Palestinian flags and cheering the crowds as they drove up and down the
streets.
The newly formed Houston Coalition for
Justice and Peace in Palestine has called the demonstrations. At their
meeting on Jan. 4, coalition leaders agreed to involve all sectors of the
diverse Houston community and to participate in Houston’s Martin Luther
King parade. Ester King, a representative of the Black Heritage Society
which is organizing its 31st annual MLK parade, participated in the
demonstration on Jan. 4 and told the leaders of the
Palestinian community that “not only could they be in the parade for Dr.
King but they should lead the parade. If Dr. King were alive today, he
would be standing out here on the street with us supporting the people in
Gaza. We welcome you to our parade and the Black Heritage Society will be
a member of the Houston Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine and be at
the next meeting,” King said.
Hundreds of people have protested at the Texas capitol
in Austin almost every day for a week demanding an end to the
Israeli attacks. Austin Muslim organizations have organized actions
as well as the Palestine Solidarity Committee and anti-war groups.
In San Antonio there have been two
demonstrations, one at the federal building and another in front of the
Alamo. According to longtime activist Johnny Martinez, over a hundred
people gathered at the Alamo when ground troops entered Gaza on Jan.
3. Many Palestinian families attended, some in traditional
Palestinian clothing. Organized by the Esperanza Center, the San Antonio
Free Speech Coalition, the International Women's Day Committee and others,
speakers included Tom Keene with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty and John Stanford, a Communist Party organizer for over 40 years.
More actions are being planned.
Over a thousand gathered at the federal building in
Dallas on Jan. 2 where they expressed their
outrage at the attacks on Gaza. They then marched to Ferris Plaza where
they prayed for peace. The Council on American-Islamic
Relations and several mosques organized Friday's rally, and say more will
be planned in Dallas.
On Dec. 30 in
Dallas hundreds gathered at Dealy Plaza.
Organized by the Muslim Legal Fund of America and the local chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations the protest targeted Israel as the
terrorists in the Middle East. Members of the Dallas Peace Center
participated in both Dallas protests.
The Palestinian community in
Houston had a huge demonstration Dec. 28 on
all four corners of the busiest intersection in town, maybe 750 people
Immediate responses came from Arizona on Dec.
30 when 100 gathered in Tucson, Ariz. and and 80 in
Phoenix demanded a cease-fire.
In outrage at the Israeli ground invasion an emergency
action hit the streets of Anaheim, Calif., just south of Los
Angeles, on Jan. 4. It followed large demonstrations at the
Los Angeles Israeli Consulate on Jan. 2 and
Dec. 30 that caused police to close busy Wilshire Ave. More
than 1,500 people participated on Dec. 29 in
Anaheim. A coalition made up of Al-Awda, Muslim student
organizations and many others, including the IAC, and ANSWER are mobilizing.
The next round of demonstrations are Jan. 6 at the Israeli Consulate and Jan.
10 at the Westwood Federal Bldg. both in Los Angeles.
On Dec. 30, several thousand Palestinians
and supporters held a loud and militant march through downtown San
Francisco. According to ABC news, the chants could be heard by the
Israeli Consulate several floors above. On Jan. 4
In San Diego on Jan. 4,
500 demonstrators responded to the Israeli land invasion of Gaza. The strong
and angry demonstration marched through Balboa Park and out chanted 50 Zionist
provocateurs who were forced to retreat. On Jan. 2 and
Dec. 30 large demonstrations targeted the Federal
Building.
Cleveland Solidarity with Gaza
On Dec. 29, with less than 48 hours notice, 250 people came
out to a demonstration in downtown Cleveland called by the Middle East Peace
Forum. At that action leaders of the Arab and Muslim communities asked the
crowd if, after Friday prayers in the mosques, they would come to another
demonstration. Everyone raised their hand. That protest Jan. 2
drew, according to organizers, over 1000 people. Sponsors include Beit Hanina
Social Club, Arab-American Community Center for Economic and Social Service,
MEPF, Peace Action, Committee on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Center of
Cleveland, Cleveland Council of Mosques, Inter-faith Council for Peace in the
Middle East, Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, and the Task Force
for Community Mobilization. Muslim, Jewish, and Christian activists
addressed the rally. Keynote Speakers included Nour Samash, the head of
AACCESS-Ohio, and Alison Weir, Executive Director of If Americans Knew. A march
followed, with “we give our blood and our soul for Palestine” among
the slogans chanted in Arabic.
In Dayton, Ohio, on Jan.
2 about 120 people organized by the Al-Awda found the most positive
response came from African Americans.
In Chicago, about 5,000 Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims of
all ages, joined by supporters from other progressives and communities and
movements, packed into Pioneer Plaza in front of the Chicago Tribune building
on Friday, Jan. 2 in solidarity with the struggling people of Gaza.
Hit hard by U.S. state terror, deportations and frame-up trials since 2001, the
Arab and Muslim participants were in an enthusiastic mood despite the bitter
cold. Activists called it the largest outpouring from Chicago's Palestinian
community in 20 years.
Hemmed in by police lines, the tightly packed crowd heard from community
speakers and supporters, and then poured across the Michigan Avenue bridge to
continue their protest in front of the Israeli consulate.
This was the fifth action in support of Gaza in a week.
A contingent of 70 left from the Milwaukee, Wisc. Islamic
Center to join the Chicago demonstration. "We are asking people to call
the White House switchboard, the Obama We're asking them
to . . . transition team, their elected officials call
the Egyptian consulate and ask them to open the border," said Milwaukee
attorney Munjed Ahmad, who helped organize the local initiatives but was in
Washington, D.C., on Friday preparing for rallies there. "We're trying
to educate ordinary Americans who really don't know what's going on
there," he said. "People need to know that this is an occupation, and
what's going on in Gaza is a symptom of that." (www.jsonline.com)
A rally was held against the genocidal Zionist bombing of
Palestinian civilians in Gaza in Chicago on Sunday,
Dec. 28th. More than 500 people attended the peaceful
but militant mobilization at the Water Tower Park in the posh North Michigan
Ave. shopping area. Palestinian and Arab-American youth proudly displayed
Palestinian flags as they denounced U.S.-backed Zionist aggression. One
person raised the flag of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, an act
that was well received by the crowd. Another person brought an Israeli
flag attached to a broom with a pair of shoes tied to it, an obvious reference
to Muntader Al-Zaidi's heroic act of resistance to the U.S. occupation of
Iraq. Many Palestinian and Arab-American and Muslim grassroots and
community organizations attended the rally, including Al-Awda.
Progressive and revolutionary organizations such as AFSC, IAC, FRSO, ANSWER,
ISO, RCP and SA showed their solidarity along with individuals from the
Teamsters and SEIU.
On Jan. 3 in Buffalo,
N.Y., over 150 demonstrators faced down single-digit cold weather and
the police to protest the most recent Israeli bombing of Gaza and assault on
Palestinian self-determination. The University of Buffalo Organization of Arab
Students, Lackawanna Discussion Group Commission on Rights, Buffalo/WNY
International Action Center, Western NY Peace Center, and UB Progressive
Alliance called the rally to "oppose U.S.-Israeli crimes in Gaza" and
"resolutely defend Palestinian rights." The crowd, predominantly
members of local Arab communities, included strong participation by young
people. Pushing out into the street from both sides of a busy intersection at
Elmwood Ave. and Bidwell Parkway, people shouted in English, "Stop U.S.
aid to Israel," and in Arabic, "With our determination and our blood,
Gaza, we defend you!" Throughout the 2 1/2 hour demonstration, car horns
blared almost constantly, as passing drivers made known their support for
Palestine and many stopped to take leaflets. Toward the end of the rally as
night was falling, police lined the street with their cars and attempted but
failed to intimidate the crowd. On Dec. 30, some 200 mostly
Palestinian, Yemeni and other Arab youth demonstrated.
The escalated violence in the Middle East prompted more
than 100 people to protest in front of the Federal Building on State Street in
Rochester, N.Y. on Jan. 2. At the rally,
shouts of "Long Live Palestine" overrode the sounds of rush-hour
traffic. It was the second rally in front of that Federal
Building this week.
Jan 3 -In Boston, about
1500 people took to the streets to protest the US/Israeli Genocide in Gaza.
Chanting "Free, Free Palestine", "From the River to the Sea,
Palestine will Free", "We Support the Resistance" the
demonstrators marched through main shopping area of downtown Boston, stopping
at the US Military Recruiters and the Israeli Consulate for mini rallies. The
demonstration, called by an ad-hoc coalition formed to protest the US/Israeli
massacres in Gaza, was led by a militant contingent of Palestinian youth.
The demonstration was co-chaired by long-time Palestinian activist and
IAC member Ahmad Kawash and Kathy [researching her last name and id - also
Palestinian]. Kawash called for solidarity and support of the
resistance in Palestine. Representatives of local mosques spoke. Stevan
Kirschbaum of USW 8751 and the IAC and a main organizer of the event spoke as a
Jewish trade unionist and said unionists know that when it comes to a strike,
there are only two sides and you have to know which side you are on..
supporting the people of Gaza and their struggle means supporting their
organizations and leaders conducting that struggle -- the Hamas-led resistance.
Representatives of the Palestine Cultural Center for Peace, Iraq Veterans
Against the War, the Somerville Divestment Project, the A.F.S.C., Dorchester
People for Peace, the Hampshire College Divestment Project and U. Mass. Boston
Anti-War Coaltion also spoke. Miya Campbell of F.I.S.T. spoke in front of the
military recruiters and raised Cynthia McKinney's struggle from the Dignity
attempting to bring material support to Gaza and being attacked by the Israeli
patrol boat and saluted Hamas and the resistance.
Earlier in Boston, there was a march of
120 people on Dec. 28 from Park Street to Copley Square with
strong Palestinian participation, rush hour distributions on Dec.
29 and a demonstration Dec. 30 at the Israeli
Consulate.
Jan 3 Around 1,000 people stretched
across the steps in front of Philadelphia's City Hall for
a rally targeting U.S. funding for the Israeli war against the Palestinian
people in Gaza. The crowd predominantly Palestinians, youthful, and
militant.
Chants targeted the terrorist nature of Israel's bombing in Gaza.
Speakers linked budget cuts in Philadelphia that will close 11 libraries to
U.S. funding of Israeli bombs being dropped on elementary schools.
Passing motorists honked in support.
Behind a lead banner that read "War is Terrorism with a Bigger Budget -
Stop U.S.-Israeli War on Palestinians" demonstrators marched through the
Center City shopping area to the Federal Building and FOX News, stopping for
occasional mini-rallies to explain what the protest was about to people who
gathered to listen along the way.
The rally ended at FOX news where a 10 foot banner with enlarged photos
graphically illustrating the carnage from Israel's bombs was presented to
FOX camera crews filming the rally since these images are rarely shown by this
or other U.S. media outlets.
The demonstration was initiated by the Philadelphia International Action
Center, with strong support from local Arab, Muslim and Palestinian groups and
peace and justice organizations.
More than 100 people came out for a protest outside the
Israeli consulate in Philadelphia Dec. 28, called with less
than 24-hours' notice and again on Dec. 30.
In Baltimore on Dec. 30
some 80 mostly young people attended an emergency demonstration at the War
Memorial Plaza.
In Washington, D.C. on Jan. 2, several
thousand people rallied at the Israeli Consulate and marched to the Egyptian
Consulate where protestors began beating on the plastic road barriers set up in
front. There was a long stand off between the protestors and the police Many of
the chants called Egyptian President Mubarak a Zionist and denounced his
refusal to let in medical supplies and demanding the tearing down of the wall.
Three mothers from the Atlantic Life Community, Heidi Schloegel, Ellen Grady,
and Clare Grady, were arrested outside the Israeli embassy. Their organization
has been petitioning embassy officials for an end to Israeli air strikes on
Gaza. The three approached the embassy gate singing “Peace, Salaam,
Shalom” and holding signs which read, “Peace. Stop the
killing,” and “Stop the war on the children.” They were
held in DC jails over night and finally released the following day. There was
also a group of Irish-Americans carrying Irish flags comparing the struggles
against British colonialism in Ireland to the ongoing occupation of
Palestine.
Organizers included Muslim America Society Freedom Foundation, ANSWER, Arab
American Free Palestine Alliance, National Council of Arab Americans, Al-Awda-
the International Palestine Right to Return Coalition. The crowd was
overwhelmingly Arab and very militant in their chants and demands, Over 50
people, mostly Arab youth, caravanned up from Raleigh, NC organized by Khalilah
Sabra of Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. Earlier, on Dec.
30, ANSWER held a demonstration at the State Department.
On Sat., Jan. 3 over 200 people gathered in downtown
Durham, N.C. to express outrage at the
Israeli massacre currently under way in Gaza. The event was organized by
sisters in UBUNTU, a women of color, survivor-lead organization based in Durham
that was formed in response to the Duke Lacrosse rape case. Many
organizations and people throughout the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill area helped
to build for the rally including Raleigh FIST, Black Workers for Justice,
Al-Awda NC and others.
Speakers included Manju Rajendran, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Dannette Sharpley and
Beth Brunch from UBUNTU, Rev. Carl Kenney founder of Compassion Ministries
in Durham, Ajamu Dillahunt from Black Workers for Justice and Feras Abdelquader
a Palestinian youth at NC State University organizing for a rally in Raleigh on
Monday, January 5th.
Chants included " Free,Free Palestine...End the Occupation" and
"1, we are the people, 2, a little bit louder, 3, we want justice FOUR all
Gaza."
Jan 3 - In Charlotte, N.C. 500 rallied and
marched for Gaza, Palestine, taking over downtown Charlotte with a sea of
Palestinian flags and energetic chants. The cops didn't even attempt to
stop us using bullhorns during the march (like they normally would, except at
our 'permitted' places). Palestinian and Muslim youth led the march. On
Jan. 1 a vigil received overwhelming public support. Demanded
Ceasefire now in Gaza! Open the borders and let humanitrian relief in. Speakers
on Jan. 3 included: Rafat Khader, Muslim American Society of Charlotte
President; Mohammed El-Nawawy, Published Communications Professor and Media
Scholar; Edith Garwood, Amnesty International USA Country
Specialist, Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Palestinian
Authority; Khalid Hijazi Coordinator - Charlotte Al-Awda - Palestine
Right To Return Coalition; Jibril Hough; President - Islamic Center Of
Charlotte; Ibrahim Khader, Student of Local University; David Dixon,
Coordinator - Action Center For Justice. Sponsored by: Muslim American
Society Charlotte, Al-Awda - Palestine Right To Return Coalition - Charlotte,
Islamic Political Party Of America, Action Center For Justice, Masjid
Ash-Shaheed, MAS-Freedom, Islamic Society Of Greater Charlotte, Muslim Women Of
The Carolinas, Islamic Center Of Charlotte, ICC - South, CODEPINK Women For
Peace - Charlotte
Jan 3 in Atlanta, more
than 500 people massed in front of CNN, took to the streets in a spirited march
and rallied at Woodruff Park 2 black caskets draped with Palestinian flags, and
more than 100 signs with the names of people who have died in the assault.
Then, the protesters, determined to have their message
heard, again filled Marietta St and returned to the CNN building to continue
the demonstration for another half hour. This action was preceded by protests
at the Israeli Consulate on Sunday, Dec. 28 and Tuesday,
Dec.30.
On Jan. 2, more than 60 people
turned out in Richmond, Va., today in Virginia's capital
city to protest the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people
of the Gaza Strip. The spirited protest, held during rush hour in front of
Richmond City Hall, was initiated by longtime Richmond African-American
activist Umar Kenyatta and sponsored by the newly formed Coalition of
Conscientious Organizations. The majority of the protesters were from the
area's Islamic, Arab-American and African-American communities. Supporting
organizations included Richmond Food Not Bombs, RVA4Peace, Richmond Code Pink,
the Gabriel House and the Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality.
Chants of "1-2-3-4, Stop Funding Israel's War!" and
"Free, Free Palestine!" rang out as passing drivers honked their
horns in support. Many people carried Palestinian flags, or printed signs
provided by the Virginia Anti-War Network (VAWN) that read
"Self-determination for the Palestinian and Lebanese People - Stop U.S.
Funding for Israel!" Several speakers addressed the crowd, including Mr.
Kenyatta; local Palestinian-American spokesman Jameel Abed; community activist
Fatah Muhammad; retired Dr. Ali Hossaini; former Richmond City Councilman
Sa'ad El-Amin; and Phil Wilayto, representing VAWN.
Other protests have taken place this week in the Virginia cities of
Norfolk and Blacksburg, as well as in many
major cities around the country.
On Jan. 3 nearly a thousand chanting
pro-Palestinian demonstrators lined a busy intersection at Orchard Lake and
Maple Roads in Bloomfield Hills, in suburban Detroit. The day
before, Jan. 2, nearly a thousand who represented varying
ethnic and religious backgrounds gathered in Dearborn, Mich.
braving frigid temperatures and high winds to show solidarity with the
Palestinians at a candle light vigil at the Dearborn City Hall. They chanted
along to rallying cries of "1,2,3,4, stop the killing, stop the war!"
and "5,6,7,8, Israel is the terrorist state!" They waved Palestinian
flags as local television news reporters interviewed leaders from the Congress
of Arab American Organizations (CAAO), which organized the protest, the second
in four days. At the earlier demonstration on Dec. 30, 5,000
people lined an Arab community shopping district along Warren Ave.
Candles blew out multiple times and the cold was difficult to bear,
especially for the children, but most stayed until the end to hear what
speakers had to say about the attacks.
"People in Gaza are suffering with no food, no water, and no
medicine," said Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News and
spokesperson for CAAO.
Jewish activists in opposition to the attacks on Gaza were also highly visible
at the rally, including Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice
(MECAWI) activist Jerry Goldberg, who addressed the crowd. "These attacks
are not in the interest of any people," Goldberg said. "Jews and
Arabs lived in peace for 5,000 years until the creation of the Zionist movement
and the discovery of oil in the Middle East." Goldberg placed the blame
for unrest in the region "squarely on the U.S. government. Every bomb
being dropped on Gaza is paid for by the U.S. government," Goldberg
said."As a Jew, I stand here today in solidarity with Palestine."
Members of the group Jewish Voice for Peace were also in attendance, holding
up signs including one that read "We refuse to be enemies."
Siblani also challenged the viewpoint projected by mainstream media that
Hamas is the cause of the cause of the attacks.
"The source of the problem is the occupation of Gaza," he said.
"They are defending themselves from 60 years of brutal
occupation."
The crowd was encouraged to write representatives in Congress, to write
letters to the local press and to attend two more planned rallies within the
next week.
Another rally to protest the war called by MECAWI is planned for Thursday,
Jan. 8 at 4:30 p.m. at the McNamara Federal Building on Michigan and Cass
Avenues in downtown Detroit.
A small group of placard-waving pro-Palestinian
demonstrators gathered near U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's vacation
retreat in Hawaii on Dec. 30 to protest
against the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Also on Dec. 30 Miami,
and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Seattle, Bellingham and Tacoma, Wash.
In St. Louis, protests began with a vigil
on Dec. 28 continued daily including Dec. 31
and Jan. 1 with bannering at busy shopping areas and the
offices of Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Rus Carnahan.
In Portland, Ore., on Jan. 2, 200 people
braved the cold and sleet to voice their opposition to the Israeli attacks in
Gaza, and to call on Senator Ron Wyden to change his position on the issue from
unquestioning support for Israel to a position that supports equal rights for
the Palestinian people. Sen. Wyden reportedly cancelled a town hall meeting
protestors announced they would attend. Other Portland protests were held on
Dec. 28 and Dec. 29.
In Denver, demonstrations were held at
the state Capitol Bldg. on Dec. 30 and Jan. 3
and Dec. 31, New Year's Eve in Salt Lake
City.
