Thousands Join March to Protest Against Israeli Action

Published on Sunday, January 4, 2009 by The Observer/UK

Thousands Join March to Protest Against Israeli Action

by Tracy McVeigh and Ben Quinn

Protests against the Israeli offensive in Gaza became heated last night when up to 5,000 people gathered outside the country's London embassy.

Singer Annie Lennox, left and activist Bianca Jagger march along Whitehall, London, amidst a crowd of thousands to demonstrate against Israel's bombing of Gaza Saturday Jan. 3, 2009. Several thousand people, many carrying Palestinian flags, marched past British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street residence to a rally in Trafalgar Square in London. Outside Downing Street, hundreds of protesters stopped and threw shoes at the tall iron gates blocking entry to the narrow road. (AP Photo/Fiona Hanson/PA Wire)

A crowd dominated by young British Muslims cheered as Israeli flags were burned and some protesters hurled missiles, including a firework, at police.

Officers sealed off roads around Kensington High Street and armed themselves with riot shields as a small number of angry protesters tried to break down barriers protecting the building.

Older members of the crowd were seen trying to calm the atmosphere, which became increasingly charged as darkness fell and news of the ground invasion began to spread.

The group had broken away from a much larger demonstration earlier in the day when thousands marched through the streets of central London and gathered at a rally in Trafalgar Square.

Police said that 12,000 people had taken part in the protest, but the Stop The War Coalition, organisers of the demonstration, said the real figure was six times that at more than 60,000.

Organisers were preparing to make an official complaint to Scotland Yard after claiming that riot police charged into protesters.

Eyewitnesses claimed a number of people, including children, were thrown to the ground during a clash in an underpass at Hyde Park at the end of the demonstration.

Chris Nineham, an official of STWC who has organised dozens of national demonstrations, said: "I have never seen policing as irresponsible as this. People were being crushed inside that tunnel and they were being batoned. It was absolute pandemonium and people were falling over from the force of the police attacks.

"There were people trying to pull their children back and prevent them from being crushed. If anyone had fallen over then it would have been a very, very different story."

Stephen Hodgkins, 38, a community worker from Battersea, said people were petrified inside the tunnel. "We tried sitting down but that didn't seem to work. It was complete panic."

The mood had been more optimistic earlier in the day when speakers addressed the crowds in Trafalgar Square.

"Look at them, it warms my heart," said Tony Benn, president of the STWC, indicating the mass of demonstrators.

Earlier, protesters had thrown more than 1,000 pairs of shoes at the heavily-policed entrance to Downing Street in a mark of solidarity with the Iraqi journalist jailed for making a similar demonstration against US President George W Bush at a press conference.

The London protest was one of 18 that took place across the UK yesterday. There were also rallies in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Athens and several Asian cities.

The protest march at the Israeli embassy in Athens turned violent as demonstrators threw stones and fire bombs at riot police, and officers retaliated with tear gas and stun grenades.

Hundreds of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, with up to 10,000, largely Israeli Arabs, taking to the streets in the northern town of Sakhnin.

In London too, the crowds kept pouring in, a mix of ages, colours, and creeds.

Even a group of Orthodox Jews had braved possible hostility and broken the Sabbath to join the protest alongside anti-war campaigners, Muslim groups and ordinary citizens.

Housing officer Derek Perry, 60, and his sculptor friend Maria Smith, 47, from West Norwood, were nursing cups of coffee in cold hands. "I just wanted to be here," said Perry. "You have to make a stand," said Smith.

A group of young men from Leicester were selling copies of Palestinian football strips. "We're nearly sold out and we brought a good 100 or more - it's all for charity," said a delighted Irshad Patel, 23, bartering furiously.

The podium around Nelson's Column had been barricaded off and speakers lined up to make an address. Peace campaigner Bianca Jagger looked down towards Parliament. "I made my speech too soon; I should have waited for them to arrive," she said.

Singer Annie Lennox was there too. Formerly married to an Israeli, she told the Observer: "This is not about political sides any more, this is a sincere and earnest yearning for peace. One and a half million people are trapped inside Gaza; what will the outcome be of a ground war? The world will never be safe again."

Others found the protest upsetting. Rabbi Dr Sidney Brichto, senior vice-president of Liberal Judaism, a federation of liberal synagogues, said: "The demonstration was easy to organise because most of the demonstrators want more than a ceasefire.

"Most of these people want the end of Israel. Hamas are able to plug into latent anti-semitism in the West. It breaks my heart."

See video [1]

© Guardian News and Media Limited 2009 Saturday 03/01/09

http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/events/1231029668

MASSIVE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE WAR

At the same time as Ehud Barak was ordering the army to start the bloody ground offensive against Gaza, some ten thousand protesters from all over Israel marched in Tel-Aviv in a massive demonstration against the war. All four lanes of Ibn Gvirol St., one of the city's main throughfares, were packed full of demonstrators who marched the two kiolometres from the Rabin Square to the Cinemateque, chanting and waving banners all the way.

“One does not build an election campaign over the dead bodies of children!” shouted the protesters in Hebrew rhymes. “Orphans and widows are not election propaganda!”, “Olmert, Livni and Barak – war is no game!”’ “All cabinet ministers are war criminals!!” Barak, Barak, don’t worry – we shall meet you in The Hague!”, “Enough, enough – speak with Hamas!”

The written posters were similar. Some of them paraphrased Barak’s election slogans: “Barak is not friendly, he is a murderer!” (The original Barak slogan says: “Barak is not friendly, he is a leader!”) Also: “No to the Election War, 2009!” and “The six-Knesset-seat war!” – an allusion to the polls which showed that in the first days of the war Barak’s Labor Party has gained six prospective seats.

The demonstration took place after a fight with the police, which tried to prevent or at least limit it, arguing that they would not be able to stop right-wing rioters from attacking it. Among other things, the police demanded that the organizers undertake to prevent the hoisting of Palestinian flags. The organizers petitioned the High Court of Justice, which decided that the Palestinian flag is legal and ordered the police to protect the demonstration from rioters,

The demonstration was decided upon by Gush Shalom and 20 other peace organizations, including the Women’s Coalition for Peace, Anarchists Against the Wall, Hadash, the Alternative Information Center and New Profile. Meretz and Peace Now did not participate officially, but many of their members showed up. Some thousand Arab citizens from the north arrived in 20 buses straight from the big demonstration of the Arab public which had taken place in Sakhnin.

The organizers themselves were surprised by the large number of protesters. “A week after the start of Lebanon War II, we succeeded in mobilizing only 1000 demonstrators against it. The fact that today there came 10,000 proves that the opposition to the war is much stronger this time. If Barak goes on with his plans, public opinion may completely turn against the war in a few days.”

The giant Gush Shalom banner said in Hebrew, Arabic and English: “Stop Killing! Stop the Siege! Stop the occupation!” The slogan of the demonstration called for the end of the blockade and an immediate cease-fire.

On the day of the protest, the extreme Right mobilized their forces in order to break up the demonstration by force. The police made a great effort to prevent riots, and the one-mile march from Rabin Square to Cinematheque Square proceeded relatively quietly. However, when the protesters started to disperse, in accordance with the agreement with the police, a large crowd of rightists started to attack them. The police, which till then had been keeping the two camps apart, disappeared from the scene. The rioters then encircled the last of the protesters, harassing them, pushing them about and at a certain point started to besiege the Cinematheque building, where some of the last protesters had found refuge. They tried to break into the building, threatening to “finish off” the protesters, but at the last moment some police arrived and protected the entrance. The rioters stayed around for a long time.

Circumstances made it impossible to hold the planned public rally at the end of the march. No speeches were made. Here is a translation of the speech Uri Avnery was about to make on behalf of Gush Shalom:

They tell us We are traitors.

They tell us We are destroyers of Israel.

They tell us We are criminals.

But we tell them: The criminals are those Who started this Criminal and unnecessary war!

An unnecessary war Because it was possible To stop the Qassams By the government stopping the blockade On the million and a half Inhabitants of Gaza.

A criminal war Because, on top of everything else It is openly and shamelessly Part of Ehud Barak’s and Tzipi Livni’s Election campaign

I accuse Ehud Barak Of exploiting the IDF soldiers In order to get more Knesset seats.

I accuse Tzipi Livni Of advocating mutual slaughter In order to become Prime Minister.

I accuse Ehud Olmert Of trying to cover up Rot and corruption With a disastrous war.

I call upon them From this tribune, On behalf of this Courageous and decent audience: Stop the war at once! Stop shedding the blood of Our soldiers and civilians for nothing! Stop shedding the blood Of the inhabitants of Gaza!

The ground invasion Will cause An additional disaster, A mutual massacre And even more Terrible war crimes!

At the end of this war No general Will be able to set foot On European soil Without fear of being arrested For war crimes.

We are told That there is no alternative. Not true!!! A cease-fire is possible even now, Yes, this very minute, If we agree to lift The murderous siege, If we allow the Gaza people To live in dignity, If we talk with Hamas.

I wish to address

The people of the South, The people of Sderot, Ashdod and Beersheba: We know your anguish – Even though we don’t live with you, We know well. But we also know That this war Will not change your situation. The politicians exploit you, The politicians conduct a war On your back. You too know that!

I call upon Olmert, Barak and Livni: Do not send the soldiers into the Strip! All three of you will be accused of war crimes! All three of you will pay the price!

The masses in Israel Saluting you now Will punish you tomorrow. That happened in the Second Lebanon War That will happen Again this time!

And YOU who are standing here, Women and men, Young and old, Jews and Arabs, YOU who have protested Against this horrible war From the first day, From the first minute, Isolated and cursed – YOU are the real heroes!

You can be proud, Very proud, Because you stand in the middle Of a hurricane of hysteria and ignorance, And are not swept away by it! You are retaining your sanity, Not only at home But here, in the street!

Millions around the world see you, Salute you, Salute each one of you.

As a human being, As an Israeli, As a seeker of peace, I am proud To be here today.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net

 

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs