The world protests against Israel offensive in the Gaza Strip

by Amy Judd | January 3, 2009 at 02:29 pm

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People across the world protested today against Israel's airstrikes in Gaza, calling for an immediate end to the violence as Israeli troops have entered the Palestinian region.

About 21,000 people rallied in Paris, and about 10,000 hit the streets of London. There were also rallies in Madrid, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Athens.

In London protesters threw their shoes at the gates of Downing Street, and they carried flags chanting 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Israel terrorists'.

Brown issued a statement saying he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a phone call to agree to an "immediate ceasefire."

Meanwhile, Israeli ground troops entered the Gaza Strip, an army spokesman said, a week after the Jewish state launched its massive offensive on Hamas targets in the enclave.

The London march, which organisers Stop the War Coalition claimed had attracted 50,000 people, was led by singer Annie Lennox and veteran left-wing politician Tony Benn.

Smaller protests took part in Manchester and Edinburgh, while in Paris people chanted 'We are all Palestinians'. A few people set cars alight in Paris and some windows were smashed, while protestors also made their view heard in Marseille, Lyon, Nice and Mulhouse.
About 5,000 people protested in Milan, most of them supposedly immigrants.
Athens, which as seen protests over many days now, today protested against the invasion, and some scuffles broke out in front of the Israeli embassy in the capital. Salzburg also saw some protests as about 2,300 people hit the streets.

Canadian cities also held protests today as people waving Palestinian flags denounced the Israeli offensive in Gaza, with demonstrations starting in Ottawa near Parliament Hill, with other protests springing up in Toronto.

The noisy but peaceful gathering on Parliament Hill erupted with cries of "shame" when a speaker delivered the news Israel had begun its ground assault.

"Regardless what they say in this building (House of Commons), regardless what they say in Washington or the Hague, these are war crimes," shouted Robert Assaly, an Anglican priest from Montreal who was a speaker at the rally.

Events have been scheduled for Montreal and Vancouver as Palestinian-Canadians want to have their voices heard.
Israel has said that they are acting in self-defence, but the protesters do not seem to buy this answer.
There was almost a clash between Palestinian protesters and those waving Israeli flags, but horse mounted police had to form a barrier between the two.

Other NowPublic coverage on Gaza.
Israeli ground forces enter Gaza in escalation of War
Israeli ground force enters Gaza
Gaza war political rally in Times Square, NYC
Ground op underway; IDF troops enter Gaza
Hamas: Gaza will become graveyard for Israeli troops

Day 8; Israeli war on Gaza

Our Gaza channel here as well.

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poor oligarch (not verified)

at 15:10 on January 3rd, 2009

Earlier this evening BBC was reporting that about 2000 demonstrators had attempted to move off from the Trafalgar Square rally to take their protest to the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, but that police had prevented them.

Later this evening they are now reporting that around 5000 demonstators had been cleared from around the Embassy with riot police and police horses. The BBC London website traffic webcam showing Kensington High St went offline, and traffic reports gave info that From Hyde Park Corner to Knesington High Street was closed.

from the later report:

"When they reached Whitehall about a thousand shoes were thrown at the gates of Downing Street, echoing the protest of an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W Bush.

"The Metropolitan Police put the total number of demonstrators in London at between 10,000 and 12,000, but organisers claimed the figure was as high as 75,000.

"Later, a group of protesters broke off from the main group and headed for the Israeli embassy"

Amy Judd

at 15:13 on January 3rd, 2009

I have only seen a few pictures of the demonstrations in London, and most of them were of the shoes that were thrown. It's clear that lots of people came out and that the Met Police were quite concerned - they had most of Whitehall closed and tons of barriers set up so there must have been a large number of people.

Thanks for the updates.

Iffy (not verified)

at 15:21 on January 3rd, 2009

It really is a shame that such coordinated demonstrations and such belief in peace could not have happened in response to the months and months of rocket attacks on Israel by Palestinians. Raining rockets down on civilians is also an act of war and terror. Don't be surprised if they eventually fight back.

Shiley Martin (not verified)

at 00:49 on January 6th, 2009

I strongly oppose what that person who i think doesn't have common sense to support Israel.

Imagine if you were there in Palestine and if your mother or your whole family become victims of Israel..will you say same words?... if you were human i think you would not have said these things..you are not human who doesn't feel the pain of other humans..Fuck you..

158

at 16:16 on January 3rd, 2009

Very good report.

Protests will make little difference short term but if the war drags on then they will put huge pressure on Israel.

macurata

at 16:16 on January 3rd, 2009

Thousands of protestors joined the demonstration in London on 3 January 2009 called by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative and many others under the slogans, Stop Gaza Massacre; Hands Off Gaza: Stop the Bombing: Free Palestine.

macurata has contributed a photo to this story.

Liz Clutterbuck

at 16:42 on January 3rd, 2009

To clarify, when the protestors gathered at Trafalgar Square this afternoon, the Police told organisers that they estimated the number of people at 50,000 - a fact that none of the media seem to have picked up. I was there & heard it with my own ears! Police estimates are usually below the actual number too. The organisers put the figure at 100,000 - which may be an over estimation.

The protest was peaceful and a show of unity between so many different groups. It's a shame that media channels like the BBC have yet again focused on the very small number of protestors who caused trouble at the Israeli Embassy.

Amy Judd

at 16:45 on January 3rd, 2009

Thanks for this first person clarification - that is why we can't always listen to what the main media outlets are saying.

macurata

at 05:04 on January 4th, 2009

Liz, i was there too and heard the same report from the organisers so i was a bit shocked with the figures that the BBC gave during the evening on its news programmes. Thanks for your clarification.

makisraf

at 19:07 on January 3rd, 2009

Thousands of people mostly palestinian immigrants along with leftists groops joined today and made a protest outside the US and the Israely embassy. The Greek police
for once again, used a lot of tear-gas, newly imported by Israely contractors, because during the Christmass riots used all the previous stock, around 4,5 tons and had to order newly made.

The over jealous of high authority to show that they can take over the situation, found easy targets on the unarmed protestors, which among them where little children and elderly people.

makisraf has contributed a photo to this story.

Mido

at 19:08 on January 3rd, 2009

For more photos of protests around the world for Gaza go to http://flickr.com/groups/protest4gaza

Mido has contributed a photo to this story.

SOLARLIFE

at 03:53 on January 4th, 2009

Also protests "Stop au Genocide" Jan-3 southern france

mohammed habib (not verified)

at 06:43 on January 4th, 2009

Hamas is a terrorist group and must be stopped prior to peace talks.

geobent

at 14:31 on January 4th, 2009

About 1500 people from different organizations including, The Palestinian Solidarity Movement, Jewish Voice For Peace, International ANSWER and The revolutionary Communist Party rallied in Seattle Washington to protest Israels acts of self defense.

geobent has contributed a photo to this story.

xochipilli (not verified)

at 12:30 on January 5th, 2009

the world has gone mad

-to burn israeli flags, the flag of a people on which a holocaust was perpetrated while the whole wold sat looking

-to praise hamas in demonstrations, which is a renowned terrorist group

this is outrageous

everybody is against the killing of innocent civilians

but the sad fact is that if gaza s leaders really cared for their suffering they would immediately stop the rocktes on israel

the fact that they haven t should be a wake up call for those who believe that gazeans are being killed by israel

it s hamas who keeps its population in hostage

Lboyd (not verified)

at 08:15 on January 9th, 2009

Convenient how the holocaust pops up everytime Israel is criticised. Is this a weapon of mass sympathy seeking?

Let us not forget that Hamas is a democratically elected party

disgusted (not verified)

at 16:30 on January 16th, 2009

you obviosly agree when america was attacked the response was justified therefore when your land has been has been stolen your people terrorised and demonised brutalised and daily murdered by forign european jews who were supposed victims who celebrate the holocaust by occuping palestine (this being the ultimate terrorist victory)by people who were brutalised by hitler for 6years.celebrations have been going on for 60 years the joy by israel celebrated year in year out by murder occupation and brutalisation of palastinians whose land this is.oh i forgot palastinian people are not human but occupying jews are. you are proof of injustice and inhumanity practised by the immigrant jews and seconded by you. i grew up with a healthy contempt for hitler but now i wonder if he was aware of what threat there really was to the wider world.and shame on all those muslims who throughout history protected these same inhumane jews from persecution.

disgusted beyond belief

andrew green (not verified)

at 13:54 on January 5th, 2009

I heard that Hamas had actually kept the six month cease-fire, and that it was after Israel had bombed one of their tunnels that the rocket attacks resumed. Remember that Israel had via its blockade of Gaza been driving down the living conditions of the Palestinian people for a long time now, and the world never does anything substantial about it. If we were treated like this for such a long time would we not have the desire to fight back? And yet Hamas actually kept to the cease-fire, while Israel continued its cruel and inhuman blockade. I don't like Hamas personally, but then again there are lots of other democratically elected governments I don't like too...Israel Govt is sacrificing civilians, women and children just before a major election, and their popularity ratings are improving, what does that say about mainstream Israelis?

Shiley Martin (not verified)

at 00:35 on January 6th, 2009

Its very shameful that everyone just watching as spectators with the massacre in Palestine by Israel....Israel stands as a mark of terrrorism killings innocent people who doesn't involve in these crimes..what children did to Israel?..bombing and killing people, many women become widowed many children become orphans..y this hell lilke situation going on..don't they have right to live in tranquility?..and of course Israel is provoking palestine to do such acts so as to get reason to attack gaza...I urge all of us who love peace and justice to stand up and take steps to prevent this war..this is not the solution for humanity..this persuades hatred and killings of innocent people but not peace or solution for mankind..

aku (not verified)

at 16:10 on January 10th, 2009

“I am here to stand up for the victims of Palestine who are being brutally slaughtered by the Israeli terrorist state,” said protester Ali Mallah as he waved a Palestinian flag.

“If there was no occupation, there would be no rockets. Occupation is the worst form of terrorism. People have the right to resist their occupier by any means necessary.”

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/20091416255233877.html

"Blocking access to people who are suffering and dying is also a breach of humanitarian law," Louis Michel, EU's humanitarian aid commissioner, said in a statement.

"I call on the Israeli authorities to respect their international obligations and ensure a 'humanitarian space' for the delivery of vital relief," he said.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/20091416255233877.html