[Onthebarricades] GAZA PROTESTS - Europe, Dec-Jan 08-09

[global resistance roundup]

* NORWAY: Militant protests target Israeli rally, embassy; train strike 
over Gaza
* GREECE: Clashes near Israeli embassy, banks set on fire
* FRANCE: Cars, stores trashed in Paris protest
* EUROPE: Roundups of protests across Europe
* BELGIUM: Cars, buses trashed during Gaza demo
* BOSNIA: Hundreds in protest at US Embassy
* CYPRUS: Protesters storm police barricades at Israeli embassy
* SPAIN: Protests in Madrid, Girona
* BULGARIA: Protests in Sofia, Plovdiv, Madan
* ICELAND: Protest in Reykjavik
* GERMANY: Controversy over Hamas support, Nazi comparison as Muslims 
demonstrate
* ITALY: Thousands march in Rome; bigots attack regular prayer vigils
* POLAND: Israeli ambassador targeted by protesters
* HOLLAND: Big demonstrations, but controversy over anti-Semitism
* HOLLAND: Utrecht protesters stand up to police repression
* RUSSIA: Small protest at Israeli embassy
* SWITZERLAND: Hundreds march for ceasefire
* IRELAND: Protests in Dublin, Cork, Belfast; self-immolation incident
* SCOTLAND: Shoes thrown at Edinburgh protest

NOTE: Roundups in some of the global stories also refer to protests in 
other European countries including Denmark and Austria.




http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/249583,norwegian-police-use-teargas-on-protesters-against-pro-israel-rally.html

Norwegian police use teargas on protesters against pro-Israel rally
Posted : Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:24:20 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : World

Oslo - Norwegian police used teargas Thursday to disperse 
counter-protesters in connection with a public rally in support of 
Israel in downtown Oslo. Siv Jensen, leader of the opposition, populist 
Progressive Party, was a keynote speaker, saying that "war is the worst 
thing there is," but insisting Israel was "exercising the right to 
defend itself."
Several hundred people including several parliamentarians attended the 
rally that was organized by pro-Israel groups including With Israel for 
Peace.
During Jensen's speech, angry counter-protesters burned an Israeli flag. 
After the rally, there were scuffles and some counter-protesters also 
fired fireworks at police, who responded with teargas. Some 
counter-protesters also threw eggs and bottles, local media reported.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
Later torch rallies to show support for the victims of the Middle East 
conflict and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza were organized in Oslo and 
other cities including Bergen, Stavanger and Tromso.
The rallies were backed by a broad range of Norwegian organizations and 
groups including Save the Children, the Norwegian Red Cross, Amnesty 
International Norway, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People's Aid, the 
Confederation of Sports, the Norwegian Football Association, the trade 
union confederation LO, the Federation of Norwegian Professional 
Associations Akademikerne, and the Norwegian Christian Council.




http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1451513.php/Norwegian_police_use_tear_gas_at_Israeli_embassy_protest_

Norwegian police use tear gas at Israeli embassy protest
Middle East News
Jan 4, 2009, 17:54 GMT
Oslo - Norwegian police used teargas Sunday to disperse a gathering 
outside the Israeli embassy in Oslo to protest Israel's military 
offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Several hundred protesters took part. Police use the tear gas to 
disperse the protestors.
Some protesters lit fireworks and threw eggs and stones at police and 
the embassy building, local media reported.
Shoes were also thrown at police officers, broadcaster TV2 reported.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
A similar protest was staged end of December, resulting in the arrest of 
some nine protesters.





http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/249869,police-detain-protesters-in-oslo-after-gaza-demonstrations--summary.html

Police detain protesters in Oslo after Gaza demonstrations - Summary
Posted : Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:18:05 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Europe (World)

Oslo/Stockholm - Norwegian police used teargas and detained some 100 
protesters Saturday after a protest against Israel's offensive in Gaza 
went out of control in Oslo. Fireworks and stones were thrown at police 
and there was also vandalism, police said in a statement.
The arrests took place near the Israeli embassy as hundreds of 
protesters flouted a ban against approaching the embassy.
A few police officers sustained minor injuries after being hit by stones.
The militant autonomous group Blitz had called for supporters to move 
towards the embassy after a protest in a different part of Oslo.
The violence took place although police had earlier decided not to allow 
protesters to approach the Israeli embassy.
The move was an attempt to avert a possible repetition of Thursday 
evening's violent scenes when police were forced to use teargas and 
arrested some 30 protesters.
In neighbouring Sweden, several thousand people took part in a protest 
in central Stockholm.
Participants included Mona Sahlin, the leader of the opposition Social 
Democrats, and Wanja Lundby Wedin, head of the blue-collar federation LO.
After speeches at Sergels Torg square, the participants marched to the 
Israeli embassy, which police had cordoned off. There were no immediate 
reports of incidents.
Gatherings were also organized in other major Swedish cities.
In the Danish capital Copenhagen, a few hundred people took part in a 
pro-Israel rally.
The unrest in Oslo erupted Thursday after counter-protesters attacked a 
pro-Israel rally held in front of parliament.
Some counter-protesters also threw stones, eggs and bottles. Scuffles 
broke out after the rally and some counter-protesters also fired 
fireworks at police, who responded with teargas.
Counter-protesters also smashed shop windows along Oslo's main Karl 
Johan Avenue, and set fire to litter bins and a Christmas tree outside 
the university.






http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&BF94C11DB176523FC225753800618052

Trains Across Norway Stop to Protest Gaza War
Passenger trains stopped for an extra two minutes at stations across 
Norway Thursday to protest Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, the 
union that organized the demonstration said.
"On the basis of the humanitarian situation that has resulted from 
Israel's invasion of Gaza, the board of NLF (Norway's Locomotive 
Association) has decided to make a political show of support for the 
Palestinian people," the union said in a statement.
"It is our duty as union members to react to the slaughter of civilians 
that we are witnessing," it said, adding that all passenger trains at a 
station at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) had been asked to wait an extra two 
minutes before continuing their routes.
Trains that were not in station at that time had made their two-minute 
stop as soon as they got to the nearest station.
The train personnel had also been asked to inform passengers the delay 
was an expression of "solidarity with the Palestinian people ... We 
demand the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza," the union 
said.
More than 760 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its 
offensive on December 27. (AFP)


Beirut, 08 Jan 09, 19:52










http://www.ana-mpa.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=7177007&service=142

Violence at protest demonstration against Israeli war on Gaza
A rally was held Saturday evening outside the Israeli embassy in Athens 
in protest of the Israeli attacks on Gaza and in solidarity with the 
Palestinian people, with the participation of the Coalition of the Left, 
Movements and Ecology (SYN) party, the Hellenic Social Forum, and trade 
unions, anti-war organizations and Palestinian organizations, including 
a delegation of SYRIZA (the SYN-led Coalition of the Radical Left 
parliamentary alliance) MPs headed by SYN leader Alexis Tsipras, and 
main opposition PASOK party MPs Dinos Rovlias and Sophia Sakorafa.

Scuffles broke out between demonstrators and a strong police continent 
outside the embassy, with police obliging the protestors to disperse and 
flee down side streets.

The protestors marched along central streets, making stops at Syntagma 
Square and the Egyptian embassy, as well as at the US embassy, where 
they attempted to break a roadblock set up by the MAT riot police with 
MAT vans by throwing rocks in the direction of the police. The MAT 
responded with flare and sound grenades and teargas, forcing the 
demonstrators to retreat and break up into smaller groups heading in 
several directions, which caused traffic chaos on several streets of Athens.

The protestors set fire to trash bins while, earlier, they burned 
Israeli and US flags outside the Israeli and Egyptian embassies.








http://tvnz.co.nz/content/2433913

Greeks set banks on fire in Gaza protest
Published: 10:34AM Monday January 05, 2009
Source: Reuters

ReutersA pro-Palestinian protester raises the burning flags of the US 
and Israel during a rally in Athens
Greek demonstrators set fire to banks, threw rocks and fired flares at 
police in the capital Athens, one of several protests worldwide against 
Israel's offensive in the Gaza strip.

Tens of thousands have protested against Israel's offensive and its 
weekend land assault into Gaza.
In some Western countries smaller protests have been staged in favour of 
the action which Israel says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks by the 
Islamist Hamas group towards its southern towns.

In Greece, protesters burnt flags and hurled shoes and rocks at the 
Israeli embassy during a march by about 3,000 people organised by local 
Palestinian groups, left-wing parties and anti-war groups.

"Police fired teargas to disperse protesters that had started throwing 
rocks and firing flares at police after the conclusion of the rally," 
said a police official who requested anonymity.

"After the rally, which was mostly peaceful, some protesters then 
proceeded to smash cars and set fire to banks near the embassy. Three 
bank branches were set fire to."

The protesters carried banners that read Free Palestine and Support to 
the Intifada - slogans which were seen on the streets of the Moroccan 
capital, Rabat.

"Allah Akbar (God is Greatest). We are all with Gaza," chanted thousands 
of Moroccan protesters, many of whom were women wearing hijabs and 
Islamic headscarves.

The demonstrators, joined by some government ministers, criticised Arab 
leaders for what they said was a failure to support Hamas in Gaza.

More than one thousand people demonstrated in the Belgian capital 
Brussels, with smaller demonstrations in other cities, and in Poland 
protesters called for an end to the slaughter in Gaza outside the 
Israeli embassy in Warsaw.

In Paris, where more than 20,000 people took part in a march on Saturday 
to protest the bombardment of Gaza, several hundred people gathered at 
the Israeli embassy to express support for Israel and to condemn Hamas 
rocket attacks.

"I have come here to defend peace in solidarity with our children at the 
front who are fighting Hamas, a criminal, extremist movement", said a 50 
year-old teacher who declined to be named because she had pupils from 
Arab families in her class.





http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2009/01/05/nb-03

Thousands protest in Turkey, Greece against Israeli offensive in Gaza
05/01/2009
ANKARA, Turkey -- Hundreds of thousands of people protested Israel's 
offensive on the Gaza Strip in several rallies across Turkey on Sunday 
(January 4th). Police officials say around 200,000 people took part in a 
massive demonstration in central Istanbul, chanting slogans and waving 
flags.
There were similar anti-Israeli protests elsewhere Sunday. Around 50,000 
people demonstrated in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir. Smaller 
demonstrations occurred Saturday night outside the Israeli and UN 
missions in Istanbul and Ankara. Turkey tightened security measures at 
synagogues in Istanbul as protests against Israel's attacks on Gaza 
intensified. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been shuttling 
around the Middle East in search of a cease-fire.
In Athens meanwhile, there were two protests Sunday against Israel's 
offensive. One turned violent, with demonstrators torching banks, 
smashing windows of several buildings and throwing rocks and shoes at 
police outside the Israeli Embassy.




http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=100211

Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Sparks Protests in Athens
World | January 5, 2009, Monday
Protests against Israel's offensive in Gaza and the deepening 
humanitarian crisis there sparked in Athens and brief clashes with 
police erupted.

Rallies were organized Sunday in front of the Israeli Embassy in the 
Greek capital with demonstrators burning Israeli and US flags and 
chanting "Free Palestine." In an evening protest against the invasion 
into Gaza, a small group of self-styled anarchists threw rocks against 
riot police and smashed windows of banks.

The protest was organized by the Greek Social Forum, anti-war 
organizations, the local Palestinian community and trade unions, 
Kathimerini reported.

Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis voiced an opinion that 
Israel's ground offensive made the humanitarian conditions in Gaza worse.




http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2008/12/30/nb-02

Clashes mar anti-Israeli protests in Athens; Turkey refuses to mediate 
for Israel
30/12/2008
ATHENS, Greece -- Clashes broke out on Monday (December 29th) during a 
demonstration in Athens against Israel's military operation in Gaza, 
media reported. Police fired tear gas to keep protesters away from the 
Israeli embassy. More than 3,000 protesters waving Palestinian flags and 
chanting anti-Israeli and anti-US slogans took part in the rally, 
organised by the Communist Party of Greece and Arab groups.
In other news Monday, Turkey announced it will no longer mediate between 
Israel and Syria, saying the Israeli attacks on Gaza have made peace 
"impossible". "Israel cannot speak of peace with Syria while engaging in 
war with Gaza," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told reporters after a 
meeting with visiting Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit. Both 
ministers urged Israel to stop its offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The offensive prompted Murat Mercan, head of the foreign affairs 
committee in Turkey's parliament and a member of the ruling Justice and 
Development Party (AKP), to resign Monday as a member of the 
Turkish-Israeli Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. Two other AKP 
deputies resigned from the group later in the day.
Meanwhile, Cyprus boosted security measures at embassies of Middle East 
countries because of the escalation of violence in Gaza. "We are ready 
to deal with any situation," Justice and Public Order Minister Loucas 
Louca said. (ANA-MPA, Express, Kathimerini, ERT, AFP, AP, VOA, Press TV, 
Anadolu news agency, Hurriyet, Makfax, CNA, Famagusta Gazette, Financial 
Mirror - 29/12/08)






http://www.breitbart.com/image.php?id=iafp081230105618.0ra51285p2&show_article=1

Protestors in front of the US consulate in Thessaloniki

Protestors shout during a demonstration in front of the US consulate in 
the northern Greek town of Thessaloniki. European Union foreign 
ministers meeting in Paris are to appeal for an immediate ceasefire in 
the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, 
officials have said.





http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/03/1001964/paris-protest-turns-violent

Paris protest turns violent
January 3, 2009
PARIS (JTA) -- A large pro-Palestinian protest in the heart of the 
high-end shopping district in Paris turned violent.
A pro-Palestinian umbrella group, including France's Communist Party, 
led more than 21,000 demonstrators, according to reports, in a march 
Saturday afternoon protesting Israel's military actions over the past 
week in the Gaza Strip. Police blocked the demonstrators from reaching 
their planned final destination, the Israeli Embassy.
Protesters set cars on fire, and several luxury store windows were 
smashed and looted.
French riot police clashed with roughly 400 to 500 youth, according to 
police. The youth, wearing Palestinian flags and kaffiyehs, threw chairs 
and other objects at police barricades. Police responded with tear gas 
bombs.
While the youth withdrew from advancing police, many broke car windows, 
the glass protecting bus stop shelters and the windows of one bus 
abandoned by its driver. Police detained some 20 protesters before calm 
was restored. Families with young children and elderly women who had 
participated in the march fled in fear.
Anti-Israel, anti-French and anti-American slogans could be heard 
throughout the rally. France and its president, Nicolas Sarkozy, were 
dubbed Israel's "accomplices."
Signs and flags compared the Star of David to a swastika. As many as 50 
demonstrators carried several mannequins wrapped in bloody sheets above 
Palestinian flags. Protesters repeatedly called "Israel Assassin" and 
"Zionists, you are the terrorists."
The crowd booed as it passed a photo of France's first lady, Carla 
Bruni-Sarkozy, on the cover of a French Jewish publication, The Jewish 
Tribune.
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protests took place simultaneously 
in other major French cities.








http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.16c524e9b669346c610be26d34121f4a.581&show_article=1

Europeans keep up protests against Israel's Gaza war

Jan 17 03:38 PM US/Eastern Comments (0)

Thousands of Palestine supporters hold banners and posters as they 
demonstr...

Thousands of protesters calling for Israel to stop its offensive in the 
Gaza Strip rallied in European cities Saturday, even as Israel 
reportedly is poised to declare a unilateral ceasefire.
In the French capital, an estimated 2,600 people, some carrying 
Palestinian flags, marched through the city centre behind a banner 
declaring "Palestinian resistance: Stop the French-Israeli collaboration".
Police however stepped in when the marchers reached the Garnier Opera 
plaza, using tear gas to stop some protesters who tried to force open a 
gate at the opera house. Several people were arrested, an AFP 
correspondent reported.
Similar protests were held in cities around France including Marseille 
where Mustapha Mohammadi, the head of a Franco-Palestinian peace group, 
told the crowd that in Gaza scenes of massacre were "taking place before 
the cameras and in the face of the passivity of the Americans and the 
Europeans".
In London, some 3,500 people filled Trafalgar Square, police said, for a 
protest billed as a "demonstration against Israel's barbarity and war 
crimes".
Veteran socialist Tony Benn called for Britain to kick out the Israeli 
ambassador and withdraw its top diplomat in Tel Aviv.
"We must negotiate with Hamas, now," the 83-year-old said, referring to 
the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, where more than 1,200 
Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli offensive began on 
December 27.
Israel's main ally the United States was a target of protesters' anger 
in Muslim-majority Turkey, where around 400 activists from a pro-Islamic 
group rallied across from the US embassy in Ankara.
They held banners reading "Down with the great Satan!" and "USA: You are 
shareholders of the crime organisation Israel" as riot police prevented 
them from approaching the embassy building.
On Istanbul's main commercial street, Amnesty International erected mock 
gravestones marked with "Killed while helping the injured" and "Died 
because of lack of medicines" to protest the killing of civilians in Gaza.
In Bosnia, with its large Muslim population, protestors wearing yellow 
armbands marked "Gaza" formed a line next to a former football pitch in 
Sarajevo that was turned into a cemetery during the country's 1992-1995 
civil war.
"What we want is to remind the people of Israel of Jewish suffering and 
to call on them to show solidarity with the suffering of the civilians 
in Gaza," said Bosnian film director Jasmila Zbanic, referring to the 
yellow armbands that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.
"We who have survived the (Sarajevo) siege know that aggression is a 
horrific act," she added.
The UN European headquarters was the rallying point in Geneva for 
hundreds of protesters against Israel's attacks on Gaza, who formed a 
circle around rows of white bundles on the ground.
The bundles symbolised the "number of dead in Gaza", said one organiser 
Hafid Ouardiri.
"They did not die for nothing. They are dead so that the Palestinians 
can be free," he told AFP.
Many children were present at the Geneva protest "because children have 
become the symbol of those buffeted in this conflict," Ouardiri said.
Demonstrations also took place in cities around Spain and Belgium, and 
in Athens where more than 1,000 marched to the Israeli embassy, led by 
some 30 Palestinian immigrants.
The local Palestinian community also organised demonstrations in Berlin 
and in Rome, while a protest in Assisi drew former Italian prime 
minister Massimo D'Alema who has criticised the Israeli offensive for 
fuelling Arab extremist propaganda and damaging Israeli interests.
While Europeans have displayed chiefly pro-Palestinian sentiment in most 
demonstrations, support for Israel could be seen Saturday in the Swiss 
capital Bern at a rally that drew some 1,500 people, the Swiss news 
agency ATS reported.
Karl-Hartmut Moerschel, who heads the Bern section of the Swiss-Israel 
association, told told the gathering that the Gaza offensive was 
"necessary and fair."
On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and three civilians have been killed in 
combat or in rocket strikes by militants in Gaza, who have fired more 
than 700 rockets and mortar rounds into Israel since the start of the 
war, according to the Israeli army.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was poised to announce a unilateral ceasefire 
later Saturday after a security council meeting, a senior government 
official told AFP, even as troops assaulted Gaza from land, air and sea.





http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2009-01/2009-01-12-voa1.cfm?CFID=170300102&CFTOKEN=14218354&jsessionid=84305d04994891016cef7937791136c2ef7d

Gaza Protests Held in Many Countries
By VOA News
12 January 2009

Protesters shout slogans against the Israeli offensive in Gaza during a 
demonstration in Madrid, 11 Jan 2009
Thousands of people in London's Trafalgar Square protested Israel's 
actions, while counter-protesters stationed themselves nearby to call 
out support for Israel.

Thousands also marched in Brussels, Belgium, and in Madrid, Spain. The 
rallies were a continuation of the protests that took place a day 
earlier in cities worldwide.

Saturday, several thousand demonstrators in Washington gathered in a 
park across the street from the White House to protest Israel's 
offensive against Gaza.

The protesters carried Palestinian flags and shouted slogans in support 
of the Palestinians in Gaza.

In France, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the 
capital, Paris. Protests were also held in smaller cities around the 
country.





http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3937287,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

| 12.01.2009 | 01:00 UTC
Protests pro and contra in Europe
Demonstrations against the Israeli offensive in Gaza ended in violent 
incidents in Brussels and Madrid on Sunday while in other European 
cities pro-Israeli demonstrators, mainly led by Jewish groups, denounced 
Hamas. In the Belgian capital police say they arrested 10 people after 
30,000 demonstrators had protested Israel's assault on Gaza. As they 
dispersed, some protestors smashed windows and overturned cars. In 
Madrid a march by tens of thousands, including students and trade 
unionists, ended in arrests when several hundred people allegedly threw 
stones. Pro-Israeli demonstrations were held in the German cities of 
Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich. The president of the Central Council of 
Jews in Germany, Charlotte Koch, said sole responsibility for civilian 
deaths on both sides lay with Hamas because of what she called its acts 
of murder and destabilisation for years in the Middle East.







http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/10/israel.gaza.uk.protests/index.html?eref=edition_europe

January 11, 2009 -- Updated 0507 GMT (1307 HKT)

Protesters across Europe call for end to Gaza conflict
• Story Highlights
• Three arrested after London protest becomes unruly; officer knocked out
• Police say 20,000 gathered outside Israeli Embassy in London
• Similar demonstrations take place in other European cities
• 3,000 protest outside temporary residence of U.S. President-elect Obama
(CNN) -- Thousands of demonstrators marched through cities across Europe 
on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to Israel's attacks on Gaza.

A protester swings a club at a police horse Saturday night near London's 
Israeli Embassy. »

Up to 20,000 people were gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in London, 
England, at the peak of protests there, London Metropolitan Police said.
A police officer was knocked unconscious Saturday night as the protests 
turned unruly, the police said.
The London crowd dismantled barriers placed in front of the embassy and 
began pelting officers with sticks, rocks and pieces of the metal 
barriers, police said. Three people were arrested.
Organizers including the Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine 
Solidarity Campaign expected more than 100,000 people to join the London 
march to protest Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza.
Celebrities including musician Annie Lennox and Bianca Jagger, musician 
Mick Jagger's ex-wife, spoke at a rally before the procession, which 
went from Hyde Park to the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, West London. 
Watch demonstrators throw bottles, metal at police »
Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, 
also spoke at the rally, The Times newspaper reported.
During her speech, Booth criticized Blair over his attempts to bring 
about a resolution to the conflict.
"Tony Blair's only comment regarding the cease-fire has been to say that 
it can only take place after the tunnels in Gaza are destroyed," The 
Times quoted her as saying.
"What he is suggesting means that after the massacre, people will have 
no access to food, kerosene and medicines that came through those 
tunnels. That is not a cease-fire; that is a slow agonizing death," she 
said, according to The Times.
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone issued a statement backing the 
demonstration.
"Every day, we see appalling pictures of children slaughtered by Israeli 
bombs, missiles and other sophisticated weapons," he said. "Yet with 
more than 700 dead and thousands more seriously wounded, the 
international community is allowing Israel to continue its completely 
disproportionate onslaught accompanied by an Orwellian litany of lies."
Meanwhile, the British Press Association reported that similar 
demonstrations took place in other British cities, including Newcastle 
and Edinburgh.
Thousands took part in a rally through the center of Edinburgh calling 
for an end to the military campaign. About 300 shoes and red paint were 
thrown toward the U.S. consulate in the Scottish capital, the PA said.
Thousands demonstrated in other European cities, according to local 
media reports, including Innsbruck, Austria; Paris, France; Milan, 
Italy; Berlin, Germany; and Oslo, Norway. iReport: Protests in Paris
In Washington, pro-Palestinian activists rallied outside the temporary 
residence of President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday and called on the 
incoming leader to stop the violence in Gaza.
About 3,000 people carrying signs and chanting "Free Palestine" flooded 
Lafayette Park between the White House and the Hay-Adams Hotel, where 
the president-elect is living with his family.
Carrying a flag and wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh head scarf, 
Abdel-Kader Elkabil exhorted the president-elect to take action.
"Please, Mr. Obama, do something. We love you. We voted for you," he 
said. "I'm expecting you to do something. ... You're the only one who 
can do something."
Asma Mobin-Uddin drove to Washington with a group of 500 activists from 
Ohio. She said she voted for Obama because she believed he could "make a 
difference."
"President Obama, look in the eyes of your kids and look in the eyes of 
the kids in that region," she said at the rally. "Please, stop the 
violence, stop the hate, stop the occupation."

Israelis say their Gaza military operation, which started December 27, 
is targeting rocket-launching sites, Hamas infrastructure and the 
movement's leaders in an effort to stop militants from sending rockets 
into southern Israel.
Palestinian medical sources said that more than 800 Palestinians have 
been killed in the attacks, including 235 children, and about 3,300 
people have been wounded. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have 
died since the operation began.





http://www.myantiwar.org/view/168926.html

Last update - 23:19 28/12/2008

Anti-Israel protests over Gaza raids draw thousands across Europe By DPA 
and the Associated Press Tags: hamas, israel, israel news
More than 1,000 people staged protests in Paris on Sunday against one of 
Israel's strike on Palestinian militants, police said, as the French 
government pushed for a halt to fighting.

"Some 1,300 people gathered in northern Paris in the Barbes 
neighborhood, and 150 gathered near the landmark Arc de Triomphe," a 
police spokeswoman said. The Barbes neighborhood has a large Arab 
population. "Both protests were peaceful," she added.

Near Champs-Elysees, several police vans and officers formed a broad 
security perimeter around the tightly guarded Israeli Embassy.

Advertisement

French President Nicolas Sarkozy held telephone talks Sunday with 
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and condemned what he called "the 
provocations that led to this situation as well as the disproportionate 
use of force."

France appears to be trying to use its last days as United Nations' 
president to press for a halt to fighting. On Thursday France will pass 
the EU presidency to the Czech Republic.

"Europe has a role to play," French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner 
said in an interview published Sunday.

Kouchner spoke to Abbas and Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on 
Saturday.

"The Egyptians are capable of restarting the peace process, we must help 
them," Kouchner said, and noted that the attacks come in a context of 
vacancy of power in Israel and the U.S. as both countries are undergoing 
leadership transitions.

Manwhile, some 2,000 people staged a noisy protest outside the Israeli 
embassy in London on Sunday in response to Israeli air strikes that left 
hundreds dead in the Gaza Strip.

Police were forced to call in reinforcements after protesters tore down 
barriers holding them back and hurled projectiles in the direction of 
the diplomatic mission.

Six people were charged with disturbing public order after police 
forcibly removed a number of protesters from the gathering in the west 
of London.

Traffic in the area ground to a halt as the protest swelled from an 
initial group of 500 Palestinians and other people opposed to the 
Israeli military action in Gaza.

"Israel is a terrorist state," chanted demonstrators as Palestinian 
flags were waved. Other protesters held up posters reading "Holocaust in 
Gaza."

British Foreign Secretary David Milliband called for an "immediate halt 
to all violence" in Gaza. He said a cease-fire was urgently needed to 
halt the "massive loss of life" from the Israeli bombings.

Milliband said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had contacted his 
Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert and made it clear Israel must stick by 
its humanitarian obligations

(Haaretz)





http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2009-01/2009-01-10-voa11.cfm?CFID=168734828&CFTOKEN=60361228&jsessionid=88307baace9d6e1eb3f563574d49361a3f7b

Europeans Protest Gaza Violence
By VOA News
10 January 2009


Protesters gather during a rally against Israeli military action in the 
Gaza Strip at Hyde Park in London, 10 Jan 2009
Tens of thousands of people turned out to protest the ongoing violence 
in Gaza Saturday in demonstrations in Western European cities.

In London, protesters massed outside the Israeli Embassy, waving 
Palestinian flags and calling for an immediate end to Israel's military 
strikes on Gaza. The demonstrators - British Muslims, members of 
left-leaning political groups, and students, among others - held up huge 
banners condemning the attacks as a crime against humanity.

In France, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the 
capital, Paris. Protests were also held in smaller cities around the 
country.

In the German city of Duisburg, an estimated 10-thousand people marched 
through the streets to call for a lifting of the blockade and for an 
immediate end to the violence in Gaza. The protest was peaceful, 
although several demonstrators did throw snowballs at an Israeli flag.

Protests were also held in the German capital, Berlin.

News reports say a pro-Israeli rally is scheduled to take place on 
Sunday in London's Trafalgar Square.

Separately, in Algeria, a government statement said at least 60 people 
were injured during an anti-Israeli protest in the capital, Algiers, on 
Friday. The Interior Ministry said at least 40 protesters and 23 police 
officers were injured when police clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators.





http://livenews.com.au/Article/Index/166200?channel=home

11 January 2009 9:09 AM 0 comments | Have your say
European protesters call for a halt to Gaza conflict

Australian Associated Press
The most appalling violence is happening in Gaza - a few punch-ups 
outside the Israeli embassy is neither here nor there
Veteran left-wing campaigner Tariq Ali
Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied across Europe on Saturday to 
call for an end to Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The two biggest protests took place in London and Paris, with largely 
peaceful demonstrations in both capitals turning violent as the day wore on.

In London, angry demonstrators hurled sticks and stones at police 
outside the Israeli embassy as officers in riot gear and on horseback 
charged the crowd to keep them away from the building in the upmarket 
Kensington district. Police made 24 arrests.

Veteran left-wing campaigner Tariq Ali, who had led the march, said: 
"The most appalling violence is happening in Gaza - a few punch-ups 
outside the Israeli embassy is neither here nor there."

Organisers hoped 100,000 people would attend the London rally, which 
began in Hyde Park before progressing to the Israeli embassy. Police 
estimated the crowd at 12,000.

About 30,000 people marched through Paris, the interior ministry said, 
and more than 90,000 joined protests in more than 120 towns and cities 
elsewhere in France.

In the capital, thousands of French men and women of Arab origin 
carrying Palestinian banners joined forces with left-wing militants amid 
cries of "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greater) and "Israel murderer."

Protesters smashed a bus shelter and a telephone box in central Paris, 
and bottles were later thrown at riot police and shop windows smashed.

Police fired teargas after mobs overturned motor scooters and set them 
on fire.

A march in the southern city of Nice descended into violence. Seven 
police were hurt and 11 rioters arrested as youths broke off from a 
2,500-strong crowd of protesters and smashed shop windows.

Demonstrations took place on the streets of other European cities 
including Athens, Berlin, Budapest, Oslo, Sarajevo and Stockholm.

Israel's offensive on Gaza went into a third week on Saturday as planes 
carried out more air strikes, while troops clashed with Hamas fighters 
despite international calls for a ceasefire as the death toll rose above 
800.

Meanwhile, Hamas and other armed groups fired at least 13 rockets into 
Israel, wounding four people, the Israeli army said.

In Sarajevo, peace activist Svetlana Broz told a 1,000-strong 
pro-Palestinian demonstration that the city knew better than others 
"what happens when the world remains silent at a time when innocent 
civilians suffer", referring to the bloody siege of the city in the 
1992-95 war in the former Yugoslavia.

Police in Oslo fired teargas after a small group among a crowd of 2,000 
pelted them with stones and up to 5,000 demonstrators gathered outside 
the Israeli embassy in Stockholm to call for an end to the military 
campaign.

More than 6,000 people gathered for a peaceful rally in Berlin with 
similar shows of support for the Palestinians in Munich and Cologne.

In western Germany, some 10,000 people, largely from the ethnic Turkish 
community, protested in Duisburg. Police briefly intervened when 
demonstrators threw snowballs at a window bearing two Israeli flags.

Innsbruck in western Austria staged a peaceful protest of 3,500 people 
waving banners saying "Stop Israeli terror" and 7,000 protesters turned 
out in Bern, Switzerland.

In Athens, more than 2,000 people took part in a protest staged by 
left-wing groups and thousands demonstrated in Milan and Turin.

A rally is planned in Madrid on Sunday, while a pro-Israeli 
demonstration is scheduled to take place in London.






http://www.deseretnews.com/article/0,5143,705275015,00.html

Thousands in European cities protest Israeli bombardment of Gaza
By Jill Lawless
Associated Press
Published: Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009 12:10 a.m. MST

LONDON — Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in European cities on 
Saturday against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, including protesters who 
hurled shoes at the tall iron gates outside the British prime minister's 
residence in London.
Amid increasing criticism of Israel, international diplomatic efforts 
are growing to end the strikes, which have killed more than 460 people 
and left 1,700 injured. Late Saturday, Israel launched a ground 
offensive, sending tanks and infantry into Gaza.
In London, at least 10,000 people, many carrying Palestinian flags, 
marched past Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street residence to a 
rally in Trafalgar Square. Outside Downing Street, hundreds of 
protesters stopped and threw shoes at the gates that block entry to the 
narrow road.
Shoe-throwing has become a popular gesture of protest and contempt since 
an Iraqi journalist pelted U.S. President George W. Bush with a pair of 
brogues in Baghdad last month.
Police estimated the crowd in London at 10,000 to 12,000, but organizers 
said the number was much higher. The marchers included activist Bianca 
Jagger, ex-Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and comedian Alexei Sayle.
Story continues below

"As a Jew, it's very moving to see so many people who are so outraged at 
Israel's actions," Sayle said. "Israel is a democratic country that is 
behaving like a terrorist organization."
After the rally, about 5,000 protesters marched on the Israeli Embassy 
in west London. Some youths burned Israeli flags and scuffled with 
police and hurled bottles and sticks at officers in riot gear. Several 
demonstrators were led away by police after leaping over metal barriers 
holding them back from the embassy.
Protest organizers accused police of charging into groups of 
demonstrators on the way to the embassy and said they would file a 
complaint.
In the United States, hundreds of protesters participated in a 
pro-Palestinian demonstration along New York's 42nd Street in front of 
Bryant Park.
Rallies also were held in other British cities — including Manchester, 
Liverpool and Glasgow — and across Europe. Protests in Paris, Amsterdam, 
Rome and Berlin all drew thousands of people.
In Paris, police said 21,000 marched through the streets, shouting "We 
are all Palestinians" and "Israel assassin." Later, about 500 of the 
protesters turned violent, throwing objects at police, burning Israeli 
flags, overturning and torching cars, and vandalizing several shops, 
police said. Ten police officers were injured in the clashes and 20 
protesters arrested, a Paris police spokeswoman said.
Angry protests continued for a second day in Turkey, where about 5,000 
demonstrators shouted "killer Israel" in downtown Ankara.
In The Netherlands, thousands of people marched through Amsterdam, 
criticizing both the Israeli attacks and the Dutch government's failure 
to condemn them. One banner declared: "Anne Frank is turning in her 
grave. Oh Israel!"
More than 4,000 people demonstrated in Duesseldorf, Germany, and some 
5,000 in Frankfurt. One group in Duesseldorf held up a doll representing 
a bleeding baby with the placard "Made in Israel."
In Berlin, more than 7,000 people braved freezing temperatures for a 
march along the capital's Unter den Linden boulevard.
Another 2,500 demonstrated in Salzburg, Austria, while scores protested 
peacefully in Madrid outside the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
Hundreds more marched in the Swedish cities of Malmo and Uppsala, while 
in Oslo, Norway demonstrators marched from the parliament to the Israeli 
Embassy, calling on Israel to "let Gaza live."
In Athens, Greece — the scene of violent demonstrations by anarchist 
youths over the past month — a few of the 5,000 protesters threw stones 
and petrol bombs at police outside the Israeli Embassy. Riot police 
retaliated with tear gas and stun grenades.




http://jta.org/news/article/2008/12/31/1001931/belgian-protesters-turn-to-vandalism

Belgian protesters turn to vandalism
December 31, 2008
BRUSSELS, Belgium (JTA) -- Belgian demonstrators against Israel's 
operation in Gaza vandalized cars and attacked buses.
A Wednesday demonstration in Antwerp organized by the Arab-European 
League, a Flemish political group, was disbanded by police after youths 
vandalized the area around the protest, smashing car windows and 
attacking trams and buses on the streets.
Two hundred of the participants began walking in the direction of 
Antwerp's Jewish community, at which time police brought the rioters 
under control.
Warned by police, most area businesses had closed their shops ahead of 
the arrival of the youths, preventing damage. According to Belgian news 
sources, the situation was under control by late afternoon, when an imam 
urged the rioters to calm down.





http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2009/01/09/nb-08

Demonstrators in Sarajevo protest bombings in Gaza
09/01/2009
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- Several hundred people 
demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Sarajevo on Thursday (January 
8th) against the Israeli military operation in Gaza. The protesters 
carried posters reading "Srebrenica 1995 -- Gaza 2009" and "Palestine is 
another Bosnia". They demanded that Washington pressure Israel into 
ending its offensive against Hamas militants. Government officials have 
said that Palestinians injured in the conflict can receive treatment at 
hospitals in three BiH cities, including Sarajevo. (AFP, Anadolu news 
agency - 08/01/09)





http://portokalada.com/contents/Hundreds_protest_in_Cyprus_over_violence_in_Gaza.9722

Hundreds protest in Cyprus over violence in Gaza
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have pelted Cypriot riot police with 
rocks, sticks, shoes and oranges near the Israeli embassy in Nicosia.
A peaceful protest turned violent Saturday when some protesters tried to 
pull away barbed wire and break through a line of riot police blocking a 
road leading to the Israeli embassy.
The demonstrators eventually stopped and dispersed after protest leaders 
pleaded with them to stop.
About 2,000 demonstrators, including Palestinians and Greek and Turkish 
Cypriots, had earlier converged in the center of the Cypriot capital to 
protest Israel's 8-day old air bombing campaign in Gaza.
It was the largest protest on the Mediterranean island so far on issue 
of Gaza, and organizers vowed that protests would continue.
Source: International Herald Tribune





http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/12/content_10643819.htm

Fresh protest in Spain condemns Israeli raids in Gaza

People take part in a demonstration on Jan. 11, 2009 in Madrid, capital 
of Spain, to protest against Israeli's continued military attacks on the 
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua/Chen Haitong)

MADRID, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of people Sunday marched 
through the center of this Spanish capital to condemn the Israeli raids 
in the Gaza Strip.
During the protest, the protesters burnt Israeli flags and chanted 
slogans such as "Stop the genocide in Palestine."
The march began in the Cibeles Square and ended with a gathering in 
Madrid's landmark Puerta del Sol square.
In a statement, the protestors condemned the "inhuman" Israeli military 
actions in Gaza. They also blamed Israel's retaliation on the launching 
of rockets from Hamas.
Some politicians called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged the Spanish 
government to consult with the Israeli ambassador in Spain.
Israel's offensive on Gaza continued Sunday as planes unleashed more 
airstrikes, while ground troops clashed with Hamas fighters despite 
international calls for a ceasefire.





http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231424926621&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Jan 11, 2009 19:09 | Updated Jan 11, 2009 19:48
Some 100,000 demonstrators protest 'massacre in Gaza' in Spain
By ASSOCIATED PRESS


Be the first to rate this | Top Rated Articles [?]
More than 100,000 people marched through Spain's capital and other 
cities Sunday calling for Israel to announce an immediate cease-fire in 
Gaza.
The protest in Madrid was the largest of demonstrations across Europe 
expressing both support and opposition for the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Protesters filled downtown boulevards carrying banners saying "Peace," 
"SOS Gaza," placards with the word "Gaza" above a red-stained hand and 
mock blood-spattered bodies of children.
Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem's mother Pilar, also an actress, was 
among speakers who addressed the crowd.





http://www.breitbart.com/image.php?id=iafp081231025022.a1krojhxp2&show_article=1

Protesters demonstrate in Girona, Spain

Protesters demonstrate in Girona, Spain, against the Israeli military 
offensive in the Gaza Strip. Protesters denouncing Israel's deadly 
bombardment of the Gaza Strip returned to the streets in demonstrations 
around the world to keep up the pressure for an end to the violence.





http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/31/content_10583464.htm

Hundreds protest in downtown Sofia against Israeli attack on Gaza

SOFIA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Several hundred Palestinians, representatives 
of Arab associations and Bulgarians staged a rallyin downtown Sofia on 
Tuesday afternoon, protesting Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, 
which have entered the fourth day.
The protesters handed a declaration to Bulgarian President Georgi 
Parvanov, appealing that Bulgaria, in its capacity as a member of the 
European Union, should provide support for the restoration of peace in 
the Gaza Strip.
The protesters chanted "Long Live Palestine" and carried posters that 
read "Muslims are for peace," "How long will there be innocent victims?" 
and "Killed children do not grow up."
Earlier on Tuesday, the Ambassador of the Palestinian Authority to 
Bulgaria Ahmed al-Madbuh held a special press conference and called upon 
the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its 
military actions and restore peace in Gaza.
"What is happening in Gaza is a real massacre," the ambassador said, 
adding that Israel is violating all UN resolutions concerning the 
conflict in Gaza, and that the Israeli leadership must be tried for 
military crimes.
According to the ambassador, so far more than 400 Palestinians had been 
killed and 2,000 others wounded -- including 150 children and at least 
100 women -- in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
Madbuh also compared Israel's policy towards the Arab population in Gaza 
to the policy of Nazi Germany towards the Jews in World War II.





http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=100348

Protest Wave against Israeli Actions in Gaza Spreads to Bulgaria's Plovdiv
Politics | January 9, 2009, Friday

Bulgarian Muslims protesting against the Israeli attacks on Gaza 
gathered in downtown Plovdiv Friday, carrying a stretcher with a blood 
stained doll with a rocket in her chest and posters with pictures of 
dismembered bodies. Photo by Victor Kadiri
Bulgarian Muslims, protesting against the Israeli attacks on Gaza, 
gathered in downtown Plovdiv Friday, carrying on a stretcher a blood 
stained doll with a rocket in her chest and posters with pictures of 
dismembered bodies.

The crowd of 200 people shouted "Israelis are terrorists" and "We want 
peace for Palestine".

The Chair of the Mosque Board Dzhamiset Dzhafer had warned earlier that 
Plovdiv could expect a rally of about 2,000 protesters.

Dzhafer read a protest declaration from the Muslim community in Plovdiv 
and the region, condemning the "atrocious Israeli actions and the 
merciless massacre of women, children and elderly people".

Dzafer appealed to all international social and political organizations 
to become more active and halt the military operations in Gaza.

So far, Muslims from Plovdiv have collected through a charity campaign 
about BGN 1,000 and three sacks of clothes for the Muslim population in 
the conflict area.

Despite the UN description of the situation in Gaza as an "increasingly 
alarming" humanitarian crisis and the Sofia and Plovdiv protests, the 
Israeli Ambassador to Sofia Noah Gal- Gendler stated Friday that there 
was no such crisis, adding that children and women were dieing because 
the Hamas fighters used them as human shields.




http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=100168

600 Protest in Bulgaria's Madan against Israel Air Strikes in Gaza
Politics | January 2, 2009, Friday

Several hundred protested against the Israeli air strikes on Gaza in 
Bulgaria's town of Madan on Friday. Photo by BGNES
More than 600 people rallied in the southern Bulgarian town of Madan 
Friday afternoon in protest against the continuing Israeli air strikes 
in the Gaza Strip.

Most of the participants came to the rally right after they attended the 
Madan mosque for the Friday prayer. Many of the 7 000 inhabitants of the 
town are Muslims. The peaceful protest rally was organized at the 
initiative of the local Muslim trusteeship.

The protesters agreed on a declaration calling upon the Bulgarian 
institutions to be as active as possible in order to contribute to the 
settlement of the conflict.

"The world governments must know that the fight against terrorism cannot 
be equal to the murder of millions of Muslims, and that this is just 
exacerbating the tragedy and bloodshed in the Middle East region", the 
declaration reads.

The protesters carried posters and banners written in Bulgarian, 
English, and Arab, stating "Islam Is Peace, Not War" and "Stop the War 
in Gaza". Many of them said they believed that the present conflict in 
the Gaza Strip amounted to a clear-cut aggression on part of Israel. The 
rally concluded with a prayer for peace.

This is the second protest rally in Bulgaria against the Middle East 
conflict. On December 30, 2008, several hundred Palestinians, Arabs, and 
Bulgarians staged a rally in downtown Sofia protesting against Israel's 
air strikes in the Gaza Strip.




http://www.nowpublic.com/world/protest-against-israel-reykjavik-iceland-today

Protest against Israel in Reykjavik - Iceland today
Share:
by dorisig007 | December 30, 2008 at 02:46 pm
Protest against Israel in Reykjavik - Iceland today-Video-01
see larger video
uploaded by dorisig007
Today at 16:00 hours ,local time (GMT ) there was a protest meeting in 
downtown Reykjavik. There ,speaches where held against the Israeli 
attack on the the Palenstinians. Few dozen people attended the protest . 
And then they went to the USA embassy to protest some more One member of 
Parliement , mr Ogmundur Jonasson ,made a speach against the Israeli 
attack. Now they where not protesting against the banking crisis - that 
will be tomorrow. I took a little video clip






http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/251096,germans-protest-against-gaza-hostilities.html

Germans protest against Gaza hostilities
Posted : Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:57:05 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Europe (World)

Berlin - Demonstrators attacked a pro-Israeli stand on Saturday during 
rallies in German cities against the war in Gaza. The incident occurred 
in the northern city of Kassel, where hundreds of protesters marched 
through the streets calling for an end to the hostilities.
A small group of protesters tried to grab Israeli flags and posters from 
the stand, while other demonstrators egged them on. Police defused the 
situation and the march proceeded.
No violence was reported from two other rallies called by the Islamic 
communities in the northern ports of Hamburg and Kiel. More than 1,100 
people took art in the protests, police said.
The day's biggest rally took place in the German capital Berlin where 
some 10,000 people were expected.
A Berlin court allowed participants to canvas support for the radical 
Hamas organization that rules Gaza after overturning a ban on such 
action imposed by city authorities.
More than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed and over 5,200 wounded 
since Israel launched a military assault on the Gaza Strip three weeks ago.





http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46234,opinion,gaza-european-protestors-dare-to-mention-the-holocaust

German protestors dare to compare Israelis to Nazis

European guilt about the Holocaust is receding in the face of Israeli 
aggresssion – and there’s nothing anti-semitic about it
By Neil Clark
FIRST POSTED JANUARY 6, 2008
As a Jew, it's very moving to see so many people who are so outraged at 
Israel's actions," said the comedian Alexei Sayle after Saturday's 
10,000-strong anti-war protest in London. He would certainly be moved by 
the reaction of the people of Europe to Israel's military aggression.
Last weekend thousands of Europeans took part in anti-Israel 
demonstrations. In Paris, around 25,0000 demonstrators, many wearing 
Palestinian headscarves, marched through the city chanting slogans such 
as "Israel killers" and "We are all Palestinians". In the Netherlands, 
thousands marched through Amsterdam, criticising the Israeli attacks and 
the Dutch government's failure to condemn them. One banner declared: 
"Anne Frank is turning in her grave. Oh Israel!"
Protestors have not been afraid to compare Israel's treatment of the 
Palestinians to the Nazis' treatment of the Jews. In Stockholm, 
protestors set fire to an Israeli flag painted with a swastika. In 
Madrid more than 1,000 people marched, many carrying banners equating 
Zionism with Nazism. One banner declared: "This is not a war but a 
genocide".
Anti-Israel protestors in Belgrade

Some of the biggest demonstrations were in countries where for 
historical reasons, people have previously felt particularly inhibited 
about expressing criticism of the Jewish state. In Salzburg in Austria 
around 2,500 people took to the streets. In Germany there were sizeable 
demonstrations in several cities: around 10,000 people protested in 
Frankfurt, a further 7,000 in Berlin. In Dusseldorf protestors held up a 
doll representing a bleeding baby with the placard "Made in Israel".
The significance of these protests cannot be underestimated. For most of 
the first 60 years of its existence, Israel got an easy ride from 
Europeans due to European guilt over the Holocaust. But as revulsion 
over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians grows, the 'Holocaust card' 
- long used by Zionists in order to stifle legitimate debate over 
Israel's actions - no longer has the same impact.
Zionists will, of course, claim that the growing European opposition to 
Israel is a sign that the continent is reverting to anti-semitism; the 
staunchly pro-Israel commentator Melanie Phillips has already dismissed 
the anti-Israel protestors as "leftists, Jew-haters, Muslims and useful 
idiots".
But the most striking thing about the demonstrations to date has been 
the absence of anti-semitism. Anger is rising across Europe, but it is 
anger directed against the state of Israel - not Jews in general; in 
fact in some demonstrations, such as the one in London, Jewish groups 
themselves took part.
"Everybody is somebody's Jew. And the Palestinians are the Jews of the 
Israelis", the Jewish writer and holocaust survivor Primo Levi once 
famously remarked. It seems an increasing number of people across Europe 
are coming to the same conclusion.







http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,12215_cid_3935288,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

| 10.01.2009 | 16:00 UTC
Thousands in German city protest Israeli offensive
Some 10,000 people have marched through the western German city of 
Duisburg protesting against the Israeli offensive in Gaza. The 
demonstrators called for an immediate end to the violence and a lifting 
of the blockade on Gaza. The demonstration was organized by the regional 
office of Milli Gorus, a group whose founder advocates creating an 
Islamic state in Turkey.



http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/04/1001973/berlin-protests-turn-anti-semitic

Berlin arrests 8 in Israel protest
January 4, 2009
BERLIN (JTA) -- Police made eight arrests during a demonstration by 
thousands against Israel in Berlin.
Berlin's Jewish community also filed charges of incitement to hate based 
on posters displayed at a separate protest on Dec. 29.
An estimated 7,000 people turned out for Saturday's march, one of 
several held in European cities over the weekend protesting Israel's 
military operation in the Gaza Strip. In Berlin, some marchers demanded 
the right of return for Palestinians, referred to citizens in Gaza as 
prisoners, and charged Israel with blocking delivery of food and medicine.
Some clearly anti-Semitic posters were displayed, said Levi Salomon, who 
coordinates the task force against anti-Semitism for Berlin's Jewish 
community. Salomon told JTA he saw a family with small children holding 
a sign that read "Israelis are child murderers." Police arrested the 
adults at his urging, Salomon said, adding that what made the statement 
illegal was its condemnation of Israelis as a people.
Police spokesman Michael Mass told JTA said that while the demonstration 
was "for the most part peaceful," arrests were made on charges that 
included incitement to hate, breach of peace and violating the right to 
assembly. Mass said
Calling a demonstration peaceful gives the press and public "a false 
idea," Salomon said, and added that even some legal slogans "can be 
described as anti-Semitic." For example, Salomon said, he saw and heard 
slogans at recent demonstrations including "'intifada to the bitter 
end," "Israel mass murderer," "Zionists are fascists" and "Olmert is a 
murderer."
Salomon said he filed a suit in Berlin on Jan. 2 in connection with a 
demonstration four days earlier where protesters were reported to be 
carrying signs reading "death to Israel," "s**t Jews" and "Juden Raus," 
or "kick out the Jews." No further information was available about the 
suit, Mass told JTA.



http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/248170,germany-defends-israeli-action-in-gaza-protest-in-berlin--summary.html

Germany defends Israeli action in Gaza; protest in Berlin - Summary
Posted : Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:06:23 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Europe (World)

More than 1,000 people demonstrated in Berlin on Monday against Israel's 
military action. Police said the protest, organized by various Arab 
groups, passed off without incident.
Ahmed Muhaisen, chairman of the Palestinian community in the German 
capital, said the protesters wanted to express their solidarity with the 
Palestinian people.





http://www.gmanews.tv/story/143620/10000-protest-Gaza-violence-in-Germany

10,000 protest Gaza violence in Germany
01/10/2009 | 09:01 PM
Email this | Email the Editor | Print | ShareThis
BERLIN – About 10,000 people are marching through the western German 
city of Duisburg to protest the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The demonstrators call for an immediate end to the violence and a 
lifting of the blockade of Gaza.

Organizer Engin Karahan says the marchers want to show "our solidarity 
with the victims in the Gaza Strip, and signal our opposition to the 
oppression and violence in Gaza."

Protesters threw snowballs at two Israeli flags that hang from the 
windows of a house along the demonstration route, but otherwise no 
incidents have been reported.

The demonstration Saturday was organized by the regional office of Milli 
Gorus, a group whose founder advocates creating an Islamic state in 
Turkey. - AP





http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056230.html

17/01/2009

Thousands march in Rome to protest Israel's Gaza offensive By Reuters 
Tags: Hamas, France, Israel News
Thousands of people waving Palestinian flags marched through Rome on 
Saturday in a demonstration against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Some of the demonstrators held banners with Nazi swastikas super-imposed 
on the Star of David.

Others carried large pictures of Palestinian children killed since 
Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27. Ground troops 
pushed in a week later.

A large banner reading "Life, land and liberty for the Palestinian 
people" led the Rome demonstration.

Another demonstration for peace in Gaza took place in Assisi, the 
central Italian city where St. Francis was born.

The Vatican, meanwhile, announced that Pope Benedict had sent an 
unspecified amount of money from his personal charity funds to help the 
tiny Catholic population in Gaza.

Thousands protest in Paris against IDF Gaza op
Thousands of protesters marched Saturday in Paris in a show of
support for Gaza Palestinians, though police cut the event short before 
it reached its intended destination, the Israeli embassy.

The march was the third major pro-Palestinian protest in the French 
capital in as many weeks. It appeared largely unmarred by the kinds of 
violence - like the burning of cars and smashing of windows - that hit 
the previous demonstrations.

Paris police officials said 2,600 people took part in Saturday's march. 
The protest's organizers, EuroPalestine, said 18,000 people had turned 
out. A separate protest Saturday in eastern Paris drew some 450 people, 
the police said.

Demonstrators held a banner reading Stop the Franco-Israeli 
collaboration and brandished Palestinian flags to protest Israel's 
deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip. The fighting - launched by Israel on 
Dec. 27 to stop rocket fire into its territory - has killed more than 
1,100 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, including 10 soldiers.

Demonstrator Jennifer Reghioui, a 35-year-old secretary, said she turned 
out for the march to show the French people, who are asleep at the 
wheel, that just a few hours from here, a massacre is taking place.

The protest's organizers had announced they would march from the city 
center to Israel's embassy, in the smart eighth district. But their 
route was changed at the last minute and marchers went only as far as 
the Place de l'Opera.

Police officials declined to comment on the change, but French media 
reported that police had refused marchers permission to congregate 
outside the embassy for security reasons.

Demonstrators burned at least three Israeli and U.S. flags, or crude, 
handmade drawings of the flags, but the event was largely peaceful





http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LB20239.htm

Italian minister blasts Muslim protesters' prayers
11 Jan 2009 16:49:52 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Deepa Babington
ROME, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Italy's defence minister warned the country's 
Muslims to stop further "provocations" after thousands held prayers in 
public squares in Milan during pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the 
past week.
Ignazio La Russa, from the right-wing National Alliance, said he did not 
oppose protests or want to deny anyone the right to pray, but called the 
public prayers a challenge to peace.
"I say enough of the provocations of Islamists in Milan," he told Il 
Giornale newspaper on Sunday. "In Milan, a legitimate demonstration 
ended in a deliberately provocative mosque under the open sky."
Thousands of Muslims knelt with their heads bowed to the ground in 
prayer before Milan's central train station in one of several 
pro-Palestinian protests on Saturday.
A week ago, Muslims held prayers in front of Milan's central cathedral, 
angering right-wing politicians in the overwhelming Catholic country who 
called it an affront to Christianity.
Muslim leaders later apologised, saying no offence was intended. There 
are about 1 million Muslims in Italy, making up almost two percent of 
the population.
"What would have happened if a group of Christians gathered together to 
pray with a rosary before Mecca? They probably would have been stoned," 
said La Russa, who described himself as a practicising Catholic who 
attends Mass almost every Sunday.
Milan's deputy mayor issued a similar warning to Muslims, saying four 
protests in seven days was too much.
"Enough with pro-Hamas marches now," said Riccardo De Corato. "Milan is 
not a province of Gaza and has no intention of reluctantly instituting 
this type of 'Gaza Saturdays.'"
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition, which 
includes the hardline anti-immigrant Northern League, has clashed with 
Italy's Muslim community in the past.
It irked Muslims last year with plans to block the construction of new 
mosques in Italy.
Protests against the Israeli offensive continued in Italy on Sunday, 
with 3,000 people marching through the centre of Naples. Another 1,000 
held hands to form a human chain and march through Rome's historic 
centre to demand an end to violence in Gaza. (Editing by Katie Nguyen)





http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/249863,protests-staged-in-italy-against-israeli-attacks-on-gaza.html

Protests staged in Italy against Israeli attacks on Gaza
Posted : Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:54:05 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : Middle East (World)

Rome - Thousands of people, many waving Palestinian flags, on Saturday 
held marches and rallies in the Italian cities of Milan, Turin and 
Florence to protest the Israeli military incursion in the Gaza Strip. 
Scuffles broke out when some demonstrators set fire to an Israeli flag 
while others attempted to stop them during an afternoon march in 
downtown Milan, news reports said.
Also in Milan, several hundred Muslims knelt in prayer near the city's 
main railway station.
A spokesman for a group representing Palestinians living in Italy said 
over a loudspeaker the gesture was meant to signify a "desire for peace."
Similar marches took place in Turin and in Florence, where demonstrators 
gathered near the city's famous Duomo Roman Catholic cathedral.
Saturday's protests were organized by left-wing unions and political 
parties as well as peace activists and religious groups.





http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055836.html

15/01/2009

Protesters against Gaza op heckle Israeli ambassador at Holocaust 
ceremony in Poland By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: poland, 
israel news, gaza
Click here for more articles by Yossi Melman

Protesters against Israel's operation in Gaza on Wednesday night 
disrupted a ceremony in Poznan, Poland, attended by the country's 
Israeli ambassador, David Peleg, to honor people who saved Jews during 
the Holocaust.

Police were called to the scene and made several arrests.

Peleg was scheduled to speak at a ceremony honoring a number of people 
considered "righteous among the nations," for their efforts to save Jews 
during the Holocaust.

The conflict began when protesters, apparently anarchists, stood up and 
waved banners reading "stop the slaughter," after which an 
Israeli-Polish radio broadcaster confronted them. An altercation among 
several of the attendees in the auditorium broke out and police made a 
number of arrests.

Peleg was not involved in the altercation and was unhurt. He told 
Haaretz, "I remained seated on the stage and waited for the commotion to 
end. At no point did I feel threatened."





http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/248185,warsaw-protesters-demonstrate-at-israeli-embassy.html

Warsaw protesters demonstrate at Israeli embassy

Posted : Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:51:30 GMT
Author : DPA
Warsaw - Some 100 people protested outside the Israeli embassy in Warsaw 
on Monday, calling for an end to "killing civilians" after three days of 
airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. "What's happening in Gaza now is not a war 
against Hamas, it's a genocide against a people who have been kept 
imprisoned for the past two years," said a Palestinian protester who 
declined to give his name. "They are bombing mosques. They are bombing 
hospitals. Is this democracy?"
Chanting "Long live Palestine," and "Stop Israeli Terrorism," the 
protestors waved Palestinian flags and carried signs saying, "Stop the 
Holocaust in Gaza."
"We are against the massacre in Gaza," said Omar Faris, of an 
association promoting Polish-Palestinian relations. "The people who were 
victims of Hitler are now his best students."









http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/local_news/Six-arrested-in-Gaza-protest-in-Utrecht_48517.html

Six arrested in Gaza protest in Utrecht
Six people were arrested for refusing to follow police orders in a 
demonstration to show support for Palestinians in Gaza.

UTRECHT – The centre of Utrecht, one of the major cities in the central 
Netherlands, was the scene of trouble on Thursday evening.

During a demonstration to show support for Palestinians in Gaza, police 
arrested six people for threatening behaviour and refusing to follow 
police orders.

Utrecht police said about 300 people, mainly youths of Moroccan origin, 
assembled near the city's main shopping centre where stores were open 
late, and the streets were packed with shoppers.

In the demonstration described as tense by the police, the protesters 
carried flags, made a lot of noise and chanted anti-Israeli slogans.

[Radio Netherlands / Expatica]






http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055554.html

Dutch MP: I never heard Gaza protesters shouting 'Jews to the gas' By 
Cnaan Liphshiz , Haaretz Correspondent

"I was in front with a loudspeaker," he said. "They're saying people in 
the back shouted these things, but I never heard them."

He was filmed at the event shouting "intifada" and "free Palestine." In 
a video posted online before the complaint, van Bommel's voice is heard 
as people in the background shout in Dutch: "Hamas, Hamas, Joden aan het 
gas."

The protest was against Israel's Gaza invasion, in which nearly 1,000 
people have been killed.

The longtime Israel critic from the Socialist Party told Haaretz that by 
calling for intifada he meant "non-violent resistance like in the first 
intifada, with strikes and civic disobedience to occupation."

Moskowicz, a prominent attorney, cited the 1999 conviction of a rightist 
MP for incitement after attending a demonstration where the crowd 
called, "Our own people come first," in his complaint.

The affair has caused van Bommel to cancel his attendance at a memorial 
for the victims of Auschwitz on January 25, "due to threats to disrupt 
the event." The organizers announced yesterday he is nonetheless welcome 
to attend.





http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/417106.html

Protests for Gaza in Holland
Kristel" | 04.01.2009 12:28 | Palestine | Terror War | World
Watch this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=78VcKje_dqQ&feature=channel (click 
on the higher quality button to see it better!)

Since Israel started its attacks on Gaza, four big demonstrations have 
been organized in the Netherlands. Organizations from different 
political, religious and ethnic backgrounds have joined forces in a 
Platform that calls upon the Dutch government to act against Israel and 
demand Israel to stop the attacks and the occupation of Palestine.

Immediately after the news of the attacks reached the Netherlands, 
people gathered at the main square in Amsterdam for a vigil.
Three days later a group of Arabic students who are studying in Holland 
organized a protest in the Hague, the city where the government is 
seated and where the embassies are located. During a march that passed 
the government, the American and the Israeli embassy, around 2000 people 
showed their grief and demanded the Dutch politicians to act against 
Israels violence.

A Jewish Israeli living in Holland took the stage near the Israeli 
embassy and condemned his government for the occupation of Palestine and 
the recent attacks on the Gaza strip. The Palestinians cheered for him 
and showed him their respect for his support.

On Friday another demonstration took place in the city of Rotterdam, the 
main port and the 2nd biggest city of the Netherlands. A group of 1500 
people protested. This protest was organized by the local branches of 
four political parties that condemn Israels attacks on Gaza.

Today ten thousand people demonstrated in Amsterdam, the capital of the 
Netherlands. The protest started with a manifestation with speeches from 
different representatives of the organizations and political parties and 
with a music performance by a Palestinian group.

The Netherlands has two large immigrant communities, from Morocco and 
Turkey. From both groups many representatives were present and they 
showed their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

During the demonstration the demonstrators marched through the city 
center of Amsterdam chanting for a free Palestine and condemning the 
Dutch government for its complicity with the siege and bombing of Gaza.

Until now the government has not responded or voiced its concern for the 
people of Gaza.

A member of the Socialist Party and spokesman for Foreign Affairs 
chanted: 'Intifada, Intifada, Palestine Free Now!' with the rest of the 
protestors. After the demonstration he has called the government for an 
urgent debate to force them to condemn the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

In the next days more actions against the Israeli invasion into the 
Gazastrip will follow. Currently a plan for a 24 hour presence to 
protest near the Israeli embassy in the Hague are being discussed.
Kristel"
Homepage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78VcKje_dqQ&feature=channe





http://www.nowpublic.com/world/protest-hague

Protest in The Hague

uploaded by Kitrov January 2, 2009 at 06:31 am
40 views | 2 comments | 0 recommendations

I stumbled upon this protest in The Hague. This is the area where the 
Dutch government is accommodated. There are always a lot of different 
protests and rallies right here. These are sympathizers of Gaza that are 
obviously not too happy about the stuff that’s going on out there right now.
It’s not the best photograph, but due to my always rooting for the 
underdog I sympathize with these people and feel like they deserve their 
shine





http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3649337,00.html

Anti-Israeli protest held in Moscow
Published: 01.02.09, 16:40 / Israel News

A few dozen people have staged a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in 
Moscow demanding an end to attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The protest was not sanctioned. City police spokesman Vladimir Paklin 
says about 37 people were detained. The participants in Friday's protest 
carried flags of Palestine, Lebanon, Hizbullah, prewar Iraq and 
Azerbaijan. (AP)






http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3649351,00.html

Switzerland protest calls for cease-fire in Gaza
Published: 01.02.09, 17:31 / Israel News

Hundreds of people have marched in the Swiss capital Bern to call for an 
immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Protesters say the international community should impose sanctions 
against Israel and protect the Palestinian population from further 
attacks. (AP)






http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0110/breaking12.htm

January 10, 2009, 17:19
Dublin protest calls for boycott of Israel
Related »
• Israel threatens escalation despite Gaza truce calls | 10/01/2009
A protest against the Israeli offensive in Gaza has taken place in 
Dublin this afternoon.
Around 800 demonstrators, some of whom were carrying a coffin draped in 
a Palestinian flag, assembled at the Central Bank on Dame Street to hear 
speakers criticise Israel’s actions in the current conflict.
Addressing the crowd Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement 
called on the Government to expel the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland.
Marie Crowley of the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign said 800 
Palestinians had been killed, one third of them children, since the 
beginning of the recent Israeli offensive.
“The entire population of the Gaza strip is forced to live in what is 
essentially a concentration camp,” she said.
Ms Crowley said the Palestinian people in Gaza are being bombarded by 
air, sea and land and called Israel’s campaign a “holocaust” which 
amounted to the “ethnic-cleansing” of the Palestinian people.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said "the international community has to 
recognise the democratic mandate of Hamas and open dialogue with them".
Speakers also called on the international community not sell or buy 
goods from Israel.
The demonstration passed the Dáil before it continued on to the Israeli 
embassy.
Minister for the Environment and Green Party leader John Gormley told a 
gathering of his party that people around the world were repelled by 
Israel’s bombardment.
“I am horrified to learn that Israel intends continuing to pursue its 
aims by military means using disproportionate violence which inevitably 
means further wholesale slaughter,” he said.
“I am also deeply disturbed by emerging allegations of human rights 
atrocities.”
In Belfast, around 5,000 marched through the centre city calling for an 
end to violence in the Middle East.
At City Hall speakers from the Irish Congress of Trades Unions (ICTU), 
who planned the event, plus representatives of the four main Christian 
churches, addressed the peace rally.
Catholic Bishop Donal McKeown told the crowd, which included families 
with children, that young people in Gaza were the victims of a wider 
conflict.
Church of Ireland representative Archdeacon Billy Dodds and Methodist 
Church representative Rev. Derek Johnson called for an end to 
hostilities on both sides.
Rev Dr Mark Gray of the Presbyterian Church expressed concerns at the 
levels of violence and added: “We must work for the dignity of all people.”
The Democratic Unionist Party condemned the march as anti-Israel and 
pro-Hamas.






http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhsnmhsnmhau/rss2/

Protestors call for end to violence in Gaza
Print Email+ Share+

10/01/2009 - 15:35:28
Two protests took place in Cork city today in connection to the ongoing 
violence in Gaza.

One of the demonstrations is run by Amnesty International who are 
calling for people to sign a petition to being an end to Israeli and 
Palestinian human rights abuses.

Bus drivers from the Bus Eireann Children's Project are collecting in 
Parnell Place Bus Station today for the children of Gaza.

A 40ft container will be situated at the station until 5pm and people 
are being asked to donate children's clothes, blankets, toys and medical 
supplies.

The container will be transferred to a UN site near Gaza and will then 
be transported into the affected area.

Meanwhile, Amnesty have asked members of the public to sign petitions to 
bring an end to Israeli and Palestinian human rights abuses.







http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0108/breaking50.htm

Thursday, January 8, 2009, 14:12
Anti-war group seeks support for protest march
MARY FITZGERALD, Foreign Affairs Correspondent and CHARLIE TAYLOR
A broad coalition of politicians, trade unionists, anti-war activists 
and members of the Palestinian community in Ireland today called for 
thousands to join them in a demonstration this weekend protesting 
against Israeli's military assault on Gaza.
The protestors will gather in Dublin city centre on Saturday to urge the 
Government to break off diplomatic relations with Israel and press for 
the EU to suspend the process of upgrading of its ties with the country.

They are also calling for a blanket international boycott of Israel.

At a press conference today Labour TD Joe Costello, Mags O'Brien of 
Sitpu, artist Robert Ballagh, Daithí Doolan of Sinn Fein and Richard 
Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement were among those appealing 
for members of the public to join this weekend's demonstration.

The protestors plan to march past Dáil Eireann and on to the Israeli 
Embassy in Ballsbridge.

The Dublin rally will coincide with other demonstrations taking place 
worldwide.
Separately, Amnesty International, Trócaire and Christian Aid have 
jointly called on members of the public to join with them in lighting 
candles in memory of the men, women and children on both sides who have 
died since Israel’s Gaza offensive began on 27th December.

Members of the organisations will be gathering at the Grafton Street 
entrance to St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin at 6pm on Friday where candles 
will be lit to mark the death of Palestinians and Israelis who have died 
since the Gaza bombardment began.

“This is not about being pro-Palestine or pro-Israel,” said Amnesty 
International executive director Colm O’Gorman. “Human rights abuses on 
both sides need to be condemned. This is an opportunity for members of 
the public to participate in a non-partisan call for an end to violence 
that has left 600 people dead on both sides of the border.”






http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/37028

15 January, 2009
Top Stories

Major protests against slaughter in Gaza

MAJOR protests against the Israeli military onslaught in Gaza took place 
in Dublin and Belfast last Saturday.
Over 1,000 demonstrators assembled at Dublin’s Central Bank on Dame 
Street to hear speakers criticise Israel’s actions in the current conflict.
Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement called on the 
Government to expel the Israeli ambassador to Ireland.
Marie Crowley of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), 
pointing out that 800 Palestinians have been killed, one third of them 
children, since the beginning of the recent Israeli offensive, said:
“The entire population of the Gaza Strip is forced to live in what is 
essentially a concentration camp.”
She said Palestinians in Gaza are being bombarded by air, sea and land. 
She called Israel’s campaign a “holocaust” which amounted to the 
“ethnic-cleansing” of Palestinian people.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams demanded that the international 
community match hard words with strong action.
Adams said:
“Two years ago, I visited the Palestinian refugee camp at Kalandia in 
the West Bank. The camp was established in 1949, the year after I was 
born. In the intervening years, thousands of Palestinian families have 
endured the horror of living in the most unimaginable and terrible of 
conditions in that camp.
“Their plight is replicated right across that region by millions of 
Palestinians. Is cúis náire agus cúis brón é sin don domhain ar fad. 
This is an indictment of the international community who have failed to 
provide the leadership necessary to bring an end to this crisis decades ago.
“Each day we have watched in growing outrage as the people of Gaza are 
subjected to a brutal military assault and occupation that has left 
almost a thousand dead – hundreds of them children.
“The haunting images of homes wrecked, of terrified families existing 
among rubble in shock and despair, and of endless funerals, has rightly 
outraged people across the world. Caithfidh deireadh a theacht le seo anois.
“It is time all of this was brought to an end. The slaughter of people 
in Gaza must end.
“There must be an end to all hostilities; an end to the attack on Gaza; 
an end to the blockades and sanctions; an end to the obscenity of the 
wall which steals Palestinian land and divides families and communities; 
an end to the refugee camps; and an end to the denial of the Palestinian 
people of their right to self-determination.
“The international community must match strong words with strong action. 
War is not the only option. Peace is the only option and that means in 
the first instance engaging in dialogue. All democratic mandates must be 
respected.
“And this means the Israeli Government must be prepared to talk directly 
with Hamas.
“It is the only way to agree a negotiated peace settlement – it is the 
only realistic way to end the decades of war and injustice. But unless 
the international community – and that includes the Irish Government, 
the EU and the US Government – exercises its considerable influence and 
authority, any temporary relaxation of the current assault on Gaza will 
only bring a short respite for citizens there.
“What is needed is a real and sustained international effort to 
construct a durable peace settlement which provides for two states, 
including a Palestinian state that is sustainable and viable.
“We must commit ourselves, no matter what happens in the short-term, to 
working for a peace settlement, to working for a Palestinian state which 
is sustainable and viable. We must commit to doing all we can to help 
make that a reality.”
Speakers at the Dublin rally also called on the international community 
not to sell or buy goods from Israel. Prior to the march, one man was 
arrested at a Marks & Spencers store in the centre of the city. The 
arrested man was one of a group of people handing out leaflets calling 
for the boycott of Israeli goods being sold in the shop. The leafleters 
criticised the actions of gardaí and of security staff at Marks and 
Spencers which they said was “heavy handed” and “over the top”. The 
arrested man was charged with reckless damage to the Marks & Spencers store.
The demonstration passed the Dáil before it continued on to the Israeli 
Embassy.
Speaking at an Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign press conference on 
the same day, Sinn Féin National Chairperson and Dublin MEP Mary Lou 
McDonald described Israel’s deepening military offensive as morally 
reprehensible.
The Dublin MEP said:
“Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people has historically been 
unacceptable. However, since this current military offensive against the 
region began two weeks ago, the world has witnessed an attack against 
humanity unlike one we have seen for many, many years.
“There are simply no words to describe just how wrong the military 
actions of Israel are. Their daily justification of the atrocities 
against the civilian population of Gaza is sickening and morally 
reprehensible. The slaughter of Palestinian families under the guise of 
security concerns no longer washes with people and the world looks on in 
horror.
“International governments’ responses to the crisis have been inept. The 
UN and EU have failed to exert sufficient pressure on the Israeli 
Government. And the US, the real power brokers, have refused to step in 
and call a halt to the deepening atrocities being foisted upon the 
people of Gaza. Shame on all of them.
“The EU can and must voice the revulsion felt by member state citizens. 
To date, its language has been tough and its actions weak. A Council of 
Ministers meeting needs to be called immediately at which the suspension 
of the Israel-EU Association Agreement and Euro-Med Agreements must be 
agreed.
“A vote on increasing the EU’s preferential trade agreements with Israel 
will go before the European Parliament later this month. The vote was 
due to take place last month but was suspended following a motion put 
forward by Sinn Féin’s parliamentary group, GUE/NGL. I will be calling 
on all MEPs to vote against increasing the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
“The people of Gaza need action not words.”
Also on Saturday, Belfast saw several thousand people march through the 
city centre calling for an end to the slaughter in Gaza.
At Belfast City Hall, speakers from the Irish Congress of Trades Unions 
(ICTU), which planned the event, plus representatives of the four main 
Christian churches, addressed the peace rally as did Belfast Lord Mayor 
Tom Hartley of Sinn Féin.
Hartley called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza by 
Israeli forces.
Catholic Bishop Donal McKeown told the crowd, which included families 
with children, that young people in Gaza were the victims of a wider 
conflict.
Church of Ireland representative Archdeacon Billy Dodds and Methodist 
Church representative Rev Derek Johnson called for an end to hostilities 
on both sides.
Rev Dr Mark Gray of the Presbyterian Church expressed concerns at the 
levels of violence and added: “We must work for the dignity of all people.”
The Democratic Unionist Party, however, condemned the march as 
anti-Israel and pro-Hamas.
Following his address at the Belfast rally, Mayor Tom Hartley said:
“The strong turn-out in Belfast, and in other cities around the world 
today highlights the strength of opinion surrounding the ongoing 
situation in Gaza.
“With over 800 people killed in the ongoing offensive, 270 of whom are 
children, the world cannot nor will not stand idly by and let this 
crisis continue unmarked.
“Israel are now dropping leaflets over Gaza warning its inhabitants of 
an intensification so it is never more important to let those with 
influence hear the calls of outrage against the massive death toll and 
humanitarian crisis in Gaza
“Sinn Féin supports the calls for an immediate end to attacks on all 
civilians; an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli forces. It 
is also essential that urgent aid be allowed into Gaza with unimpeded 
access throughout the Gaza Strip.”
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Lisburn Councillor Charlene O’Hara criticised the 
PSNI for misreading the mood of Belfast march and rally. This followed 
complaints that deploying PSNI members dressed in riot gear was an 
overreaction to a peaceful protest.
Councillor O’Hara said:
“Thousands of people turned out today in Belfast and across the world to 
highlight their opposition to the ongoing situation in Gaza.
“To have the PSNI dressed in riot gear along Royal Avenue and Donegall 
Place but in particular outside firms such as Gap and Marks & Spencer, 
companies listed on the ‘Boycott Israeli Goods’ list, is a massive 
over-reaction to what was always a peaceful protest regarding the 
ongoing situation in Gaza.
“People from all sections of the community heard speeches from Sinn 
Féin’s Lord Mayor Tom Hartley, trade union representatives and church 
leaders. Is this the type of protest that justifies the PSNI to react in 
such a fashion? I think any sensible person would say definitely not.”
The Sinn Féin team in the North’s Assembly held a solidarity event for 
the people of Gaza on the steps of Stormont on Monday.
Speaking after the event, Sinn Féin Chief Whip Carál Ní Chuilín said:
“Today’s event was a small symbol of our solidarity with the besieged 
people in Gaza. As we return to the Assembly today, it is of vital 
importance that the calls for a ceasefire and for inclusive negotiations 
are echoed here at Stormont.
“Sinn Féin has submitted a motion on the issue of Gaza and we will 
continue to highlight the terrible events taking place there, as well as 
continuing to call for an end to the war and peace for all those people 
suffering at present.”






http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0103/breaking28.htm

Saturday, January 3, 2009, 21:00
Man attempts to set himself alight at Gaza protest
Protestors burn the Israeli flag outside Leinster House during the 
Ireland Palestine demonstration in Dublin today. Photo: Matt Kavanagh
AOIFE CARR
A man attempted to set himself alight at a protest today in Dublin over 
the continued bombing of Gaza.
The man, who appeared visibly distraught, set his arms and shoulders 
alight before onlookers managed to extinguish the flames. He was not 
seriously injured.

The incident happened at around 1.45pm this afternoon at the Central 
Bank in Dublin where around 600 people had gathered to protest at 
Israeli attacks in Gaza.

The protest continued without incident to Leinster House and finished 
this evening in O’Connell Street.
Other demonstrations took place in Galway, Cork, Limerick, Derry and Sligo.

Kevin Squires of the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign branded 
Israeli actions war crimes.

“This latest series of war crimes in Gaza is completely beyond the 
pale,” Mr Squires said. “Action needs to be taken. Israel can no longer 
get away with this.”

The protests were one of many taking place across the world to demand a 
halt to Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip.

Protests were held in Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, 
the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey as the Israeli offensive entered its 
second week, and before Israel confirmed ground forces had entered Gaza.

Israeli Arabs held a protest march, Kuwaitis also took to the streets, a 
day after bigger Middle East rallies, and peaceful pro- and anti-Israel 
protests were held in New York.

In Paris, police said more than 21,000 demonstrators, many wearing 
Palestinian keffiyeh headscarves, marched through the city centre 
chanting slogans such as "Israel murderer!" and waving banners demanding 
an end to the air attacks.

Groups of protesters clashed with police. At least three cars were set 
alight and about 20 overturned by demonstrators as the march ended near 
some of the biggest department stores in the French capital.

In London, police said more than 10,000 people staged a march and rally 
to urge an end to the Israeli offensive against Hamas militants that has 
killed at least 446 Palestinians.

In many cities people waved shoes, recalling the action of an Iraqi 
journalist who hurled footwear at US President George W. Bush in Baghdad 
last month in a symbolic insult.

British demonstrators threw dozens of shoes into the street as they 
passed the gated entrance to Downing Street and shouted angrily at a 
line of 40 police officers on guard there.

"Come to get your shoes Gordon," one woman shouted as other marchers 
directed chants of "Shame on you" at Mr Brown.

A spokesman said Mr Brown had spoken again to Israeli Prime Minister 
Ehud Olmert today and was pressing hard for an immediate ceasefire.

About 3,500 people marched in Berlin and 4,000 in the western city of 
Duesseldorf, police said.

Several thousand people demonstrated in Ankara in a second day of 
protests in Turkey. In smaller protests in Istanbul, demonstrators 
carried baby dolls smeared with fake blood.

In New York, several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied near 
Times Square in a peaceful protest, calling for an immediate end to the 
Israeli offensive.

A few dozen pro-Israel counter-protesters gathered just across the 
street, but there were no clashes between the opposing groups and police 
reported no arrests.

More than 1,000 demonstrators marched through Kuwait City, with banners 
reading "Gaza will not die" and "We want a free Gaza". Other protests of 
at least 1,000 people took place in Madrid, Amsterdam, Milan and Turin.
Additional reporting: Reuters






http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7822195.stm

Saturday, 10 January 2009

Shoes hurled during Gaza protest


Thousands of people joined the protest in Edinburgh

In pictures: Gaza protest

Protesters hurled shoes towards the US consulate in Edinburgh as a part 
of a protest against Israeli action in Gaza.
Thousands took part in a rally through the city calling for an end to 
the military action.
Police said about 4,000 people attended the protest but organisers put 
the number at 10,000.
About 300 shoes, including ski-boots and clogs, and red paint were 
thrown as part of the protest. Three police officers sustained minor 
injuries.
Ch Insp Kevin Greig, of Lothian and Borders Police, said none had 
required hospital treatment.
He said a criminal investigation had been launched into the incident.
Ch Insp Greig said: "This happened outside the American consulate where 
the traditional way of displaying discord with what is happening in the 
Middle East is to take their shoes off and throw them on to the ground.
"Unfortunately a number of these persons, about 60, threw heavy clogs, 
ski-boots and wooden poles at the police officers."
Asif Dean, from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said he did 
not see any unrest.
He said: "I was not aware of any trouble at all. The only trouble that I 
saw was that the police didn't like people voicing their support for 
Hamas, but I don't think there was any violence or anything. So I'm not 
aware of any incidents, as far as I'm aware it was a completely peaceful 
march."
"Overwhelming"
Pete Cannell, secretary of the Scottish Stop the War Coalition, said: 
"If we'd had a few more days it would've been twice the size."
"The response we got when we were handing out leaflets was overwhelming."
Event organiser Nick Napier said the action was taken as a result of the 
"rage and anger" over the death toll in Gaza over the past two weeks.
"People are here because they know the trail of blood leads from Gaza 
back to Britain and that Gordon Brown, while publicly calling for a 
ceasefire, we know has instructed his diplomats in New York to support 
the Americans."
He added: "The American position is to endorse Israel's massacre of the 
people of Gaza.
"That's why we have this unprecedentedly large march here.
"They're angry. It's another year, another war, another massacre.
"It's a war too many for most people."
Hundreds of people also took part in protests in Aberdeen and Inverness.
A spokesman for the American Consulate declined to comment.