by David Broder
On the day that Israeli tanks rolled into Gaza, threatening a vast escalation of the war on Palestine, tens of thousands of people marched through London in an emergency demonstration.
The march from Embankment to Trafalgar Square (via Whitehall, where around a thousand shoes were thrown at the gates of Downing Street) was followed by a demonstration of around 5000 at the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, where 15 people were arrested after clashes with riot police.
At the demonstration The Commune activists gave out our own leaflet similar to that distributed during the last week’s daily protests at the Israeli Embassy, as well as another collaborative effort calling for the movement to continue. The next demo is at the Israeli Embassy, Kensington at 2pm on Sunday 4th January, followed by daily pickets at 5:30pm every weekday and another march next Saturday (10th January). Pictures and comments about the 3rd January protests below.
Demonstrators massed at Embankment early in the afternoon. The police claimed that 10-12,000 people were present, but the real figure was more likely three times that. Certainly it was reminiscent of the protests which arose in response to the Lebanon war in summer 2006, and was the largest anti-war action for quite some time despite being called at short notice soon after New Year.
The far left turned out in much greater numbers than at the weekday demonstrations, although the placards of Muslim organisations were much more prominent even than those of the SWP and Stop the War Coalition. I challenged a few people who carried placards with the word “Holocaust” as well as those featuring intertwined swastikas and Stars-of-David. Nothing about supporting the Palestinians and opposing the vile Israeli war should imply using such offensive propaganda.
The mass rally in Trafalgar Square.
Unfortunately, although the protest was supposed to support the Palestinians, the flags of the far-right Hezbollah were prominent and exhibited even by ostensible “leftists”, whereas a few others advertised their support for the Iranian régime (conversely, I did not see many Hamas flags).
the commune 
UNITED WE MUST STAND NOW!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – ISRAEL RACIST AGGRESSION HAS TO END!
FUCK THE PROPAGANDA!
BOYCOTT THE APARTHEID REGIME OF ISRAEL!
DEMAND AND END TO THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE!
THE PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN DYING THE LAST 60 YEARS.
“LITTLE DAVID” HAS RUN OUT OF FAKE TEARS THIS TIME…
ENOUGH.
: a
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1) The flags show that it is all parties and nations in support of the people of Palestine. The Iranian people and the Iranian Government were one of the first and few countries to respond in support of Palestine.
2) The sentence “which admit being directly supported by the Islamic Republic’s embassy.” is a lie.
3) Are you supporting Palestine, or using it to gain publicity for your “left” movement?
4) This article is an example of poor and amature journalism.
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Millions have demonstrated throughout the world against Israeli war crimes in Gaza
From Iceland to Peru, to Tokyo, to Caracas
Here is a full list of videofootage of demonstrations around the world
http://www.squidoo.com/The-Demonstrations-on-Gaza
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Abu Hamza,
You seem like a nice fella. How’s the hook?
Israel is defending itself from evil terrorists who want to destroy it.
Hamas need to be wiped off the face of the earth as does every other muslim extremist who want to kill people. All Israel ever want is peace, that is why they moved out of the occupied territories.
It really is as simple as that. If Israel stands by and does nothing the rocket attacks will continue.
Then again, I am not quite sure why I am trying to engage in rationale discussion when your lot clearly just like spouting propoganda with no basis for truth or justice.
I will enjoy watching Hamas fall at the hands of Peace bringers Israel.
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Radgoon…..
“All Israel ever want is peace that is why they moved out of the occupied territories.”
Get your facts straight! Israel still occupies Palestinian territories, and furthermore is still in breach of UN sanctions with regards to this. That is why there is controversy. If Israel wants peace, then why has it been reported by CNN that Israel broke the cease fire?
I do not agree with Hamas’s actions, but I do feel that everyone needs to understand the reasons why this situation has come about.
Namely… the wall that surrounds the 1.4 million of Palestinians that live in and around the area of Gaza which is controlled by “Israeli” airspace and water! The constant harassment by the Israeli army at checkpoints, not allowing civilians to go to work freely, or get safe access to medical care, or to go about their daily lives, not to mention the curfews and the bombardment of amenities. They are not able to gain access to sanitation facilities, or food provisions, medical attention, electricity and everything we take for granted. We are living in a free world. Yet many people do not have this privilege it is our duty as intellects to seek the truth about conflicts taking place around the globe and their consequences regardless of race, colour or creed.
This is not a religious war (i.e. Jews vs. Muslims) as the 30% of the population in ‘Palestine’ are Christians. This is a humanitarian crisis, whereby many civilians do not have the freedom that we are able to exercise. Let us remember Rachel Corrie, and her comrades and their plight for the Palestinians. Let us not be blindly led by the media and secondary sources, let us look back into history do our own research as intellects and gage the real reason for this conflict and our duty as humans to prevent such misconduct on others. The death toll is unfathomable. We should understand both sides and see who is actually causing more grief and harm.
There are numerous bodies and organisations that condemn that situation in Palestine and wish the conflict would end. There are people more knowledgeable than all of us who apparently are “spouting propaganda with no basis for truth and justice”, let us look at their comments. If you look at the majority of external bodies, i.e. non Israeli or Arab that have either been to the region and have been in contact with situation first hand, it is more than likely that you will find that they disagree with Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians.
It is on this basis, having spoken to people in and around the area, Muslims, Jews, Israeli and Arabs that I have come to my own personal conclusion that Israel is at fault, and I would ask that you all do your own research rather than, base your opinions on other people’s views and opinions.
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Hi Radgoon, please remember:
– when 8,000 settlers moved out of Gaza, within the next two years 12,000 had moved into the West Bank. There was never a net transfer of civilians out of Palestine. Palestinians can never believe in piece until this process reverses.
– the Hamas terms for a ceasefire were for the blockade to be lifted. Therefore, the invasion was not the only way to stop the rockets: the alternative was to lift the blockade.
Have you nothing to say about the 219 children and 89 women killed in the last fortnight, plus, no doubt, hundreds more civilians, including ambulance staff and an unarmed demonstrator near the West Bank village of Nil’in? I am happy to say I do not enorse Hamas, nor the rockets they shoot into school buildings.
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Long Live Palestinian…………… Long Live hamas……………….
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I certainly would not be shouting for Hamas. Following a conference in Stockholm in 2000 on the Holocaust, Hamas issued a press release stating: “This conference bears a clear Zionist goal, aimed at forging history by hiding the truth about the so-called Holocaust, which is an alleged and invented story with no basis”. Hamas called on scholars “not to fear the hostility of the Jews” which seek to “prevent objective, unbiased scholars from revealing the Zionist claims as lies.”
The national liberation of Palestine and victory of Hamas are not one and the same thing.
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