New York, NY

12/30: NYC Marches Again to Demand End of Massacres in Gaza and Boycott of Israel

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/102590.html

For the second day in a row, over a thousand New Yorkers marched through midtown Manhattan.

By Adalah-NY

For the second day in a row, over a thousand New Yorkers marched through midtown Manhattan, chanting and carrying signs and Palestinian flags, to voice opposition and demand an end to Israel's assault on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In the last three days, Israel's bombing of Gaza has killed over 360 Palestinians. Reports indicate that at least 60 of those killed were women and children.

Keywords: Analysis, Bronx,

The Monday evening protest, which drew a diverse and noisy crowd of more than a thousand and substantial media, began at 5 PM with leafletting and chanting at Union Square and Herald Square. The energy grew during a symbolic funeral procession for Gaza's dead from Herald Square to Bryant Park, as marchers carried aloft two stretchers covered in black shrouds and flags, similar to those used in Palestinian funeral processions. The march culminated with loud chanting at the Israeli Consulate at 8:30 PM. It comes on the heels of a Sunday afternoon Manhattan march that drew over two thousand protesters, and will be followed by a Tuesday evening protest at the Israeli Consulate beginning at 5 PM.

Rush-hour pedestrians were handed thousands of flyers calling for an end to the massacre in Gaz and a boycott of Israel, and were greeted with chants, including:

"Obama. No more aid.
Stop the funds for deadly raids;" and

"While you are shopping, bombs are dropping."

Riham Barghouti from Adalah-NY explained, "New Yorkers are out in the street because they're angry that the US government is providing Israel with the planes as well as the hundreds of tons of bombs that Israel is dropping on 1.5 million impoverished Palestinians who are packed together in the world's largest open-air prison. Silence in the face of such crimes is complicity. That's why people worldwide are stepping up the non-violent campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to pressure Israel to halt its human rights violations. With our government here in the US refusing to act, it's up to us as citizens to mobilize to hold Israel accountable."

The assault follows nearly three years of a tightening Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip which began, with US support, after Hamas emerged victorious in democratic Palestinian elections in January, 2006. More recently, Israel has almost totally sealed off Gaza to the outside world, preventing shipments of food, fuel and medical supplies from reaching Gaza's civilian population, resulting in skyrocketing levels of unemployment, poverty and hunger. Israel has also conducted frequent assassinations and aerial attacks on Gaza, killing approximately 1500 Gazans since 2006 alone. Israel's siege of Gaza's civilian population and assaults against Gaza's residents constitute grave breaches of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention. Some observers believe Israel's attacks were timed to coincide with the holiday season, when most people turn their attention away from world events.

The flyers distributed to passersby provided information on Israel's attacks and called for support for the growing international campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel - similar to th e worldwide campaign that helped end Apartheid in South Africa - in order to hold Israel accountable for its crimes. Over the last year, Adalah-NY has carried out a successful boycott campaign against Israeli diamond mogul, settlement-builder and New York real estate developer Lev Leviev.

For photos of the protest:  http://adalahny.org/index.php/photo-galleries/272-gaza-funeral-procession

12/28: "Stop Killing Our Children": Images from 12/28 March on the Israeli Consulate

Photos from 12/28, as New Yorkers marched through midtown to protest the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/102561.html

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/12/102516.html

 

12/29: New Yorkers March to Demand End of Massacres in Gaza and Boycott of Israel
 

Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East
Media Contacts:
 

New York, NY, December 29 – For the second day in a row, over a thousand New Yorkers marched through midtown Manhattan, chanting and carrying signs and Palestinian flags, to voice opposition and demand an end to Israel's assault on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In the last three days, Israel's bombing of Gaza has killed over 360 Palestinians. Reports indicate that at least 60 of those killed were women and children. 
 
The Monday evening protest, which drew a diverse and noisy crowd of more than a thousand and substantial media, began at 5 PM with leafletting and chanting at Union Square and

Herald Square

. The energy grew during a symbolic funeral procession for Gaza's dead from Herald Square to Bryant Park, as marchers carried aloft two stretchers covered in black shrouds and flags, similar to those used in Palestinian funeral processions. The march culminated with loud chanting at the Israeli Consulate at 8:30 PM. It comes on the heels of a Sunday afternoon Manhattan march that drew over two thousand protesters, and will be followed by a Tuesday evening protest at the Israeli Consulate beginning at 5 PM.
 
Rush hour pedestrians were handed thousands of flyers calling for an end to the massacre in Gaz a and a boycott of Israel, and were greeted with chants, including: 
 
"Obama. No more aid. 
Stop the funds for deadly raids;"  and
 
"While you are shopping, bombs are dropping."
 
Riham Barghouti from Adalah-NY explained, "New Yorkers are out in the street because they're angry that the US government is providing Israel with the planes as well as the hundreds of tons of bombs that Israel is dropping on 1.5 million impoverished Palestinians who are packed together in the world's largest open-air prison. Silence in the face of such crimes is complicity. That's why people worldwide are stepping up the non-violent campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions to pressure Israel to halt its human rights violations. With our government here in the US refusing act, it's up to us as citizens to mobilize to hold Israel accountable."
 
The assault follows nearly three years of a tightening Israeli=2 0blockade on the Gaza Strip which began, with US support, after Hamas emerged victorious in democratic Palestinian elections in January, 2006.  More recently, Israel has almost totally sealed off Gaza to the outside world, preventing shipm ents of food, fuel and medical supplies from reaching Gaza's civilian population, resulting in skyrocketing levels of unemployment, poverty and hunger.  Israel has also conducted frequent assassinations and aerial attacks on Gaza, killing approximately 1500 Gazans since 2006 alone. Israel's siege of Gaza's civilian population and assaults against Gaza's residents constitute grave breaches of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.  Some observers believe Israel's attacks were timed to coincide with the holiday season, when most people turn their attention away from world events.

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12/30: Pakistanis throng to streets to condemn Israeli bombing on Gaza

LAHORE (Pakistan), (PIC)-- Protest demonstrations were held Sunday across the country on the appeal of Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad to condemn the brutal Israeli bombardment on Gaza which left more than 300 innocent people martyred and 800 injured. The local leadership of Jamaat addressed these rallies.
A large protest demonstration was taken outside JI headquarters Mansoorah (Lahore) which was addressed by the party's naib ameer Liaqat Baloch, Hafiz Mohammad Idress and Dr Farid Ahmad Piracha.

Identical protest demonstration in Islamabad was led by JI local ameer Syed Bilal and was addressed by Hafiz Tanvir and Mian Mohammad Aslam. A large protest demonstration was taken outside Karachi Jamia Benori Town which was led by JI secretary general Syed Munawar Hassan and was addressed by local ameer Mohammad Hussain Mehnati and other leaders. The JI protest demo in Rawalpindi among others was addressed by local ameer Dr Mohammad Kamal, Raja Abdul Wahid, Advocate. In the provincial metropolis of NWFP, the JI demonstration was held outside Peshawar Press Club and was addressed by niab ameer Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Zahoor Ahmad.

The charged protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans. They were chanting slogans against Zionist naked aggression on the Palestinians.

Addressing the JI protest demo outside Mansoorah the JI naib ameer Liaqat Baloch said India, Israel and America were the axis of evil. He said, the polices adopted by these countries have ruined the world. He said peace could only be established if the US relinquish her double-standard and stop using the UN as her hand-picked body. He strongly condemned the American patronage to Israeli brutalities.

Speaking on this occasion JI naib ameer Hafiz Mohammad Idrees said that every Muslim is sad on the plight of their Palestinian brethrens. He lauded the steadfastness of Gazans who did not compromise on the principled stance for their motherland and paid this heavy price of their blood. In his speech former MNA and JI Deputy Secretary General Dr. Farid Ahmad Piracha help the US and Israel jointly responsible for attack on Gaza. He also blasted the mum maintained by some of Muslim rulers which has emboldened the Zionist state of Israel to go to this extent.

Addressing a large protest demonstration outside Jamia Binori town in Karachi the JI secretary General Syed Munawar Hassan blasted the Egypt, Syria and other neighboring countries saying that the standing armies of these countries have become silent spectators of the Israeli bombing. He was of the view that Arab League has now become a tool in the hands of UN and Security Council. They should have met forthwith to formulate concrete plan to counter the Israeli attack but regretfully they are busy in their service to Americans.

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.aspx

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12/30: Thousands of Nigerians demonstrate against Gaza attacks

LAGOS, (PIC)-- Thousands of Nigerians on Monday hit the streets of Lagos to protest the ongoing Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip that claimed the lives of 365 Palestinians and wounded around 1750 others.

Students also took part in the march that denounced international and Arab silence towards that pogrom, adding that next Friday would be a day for solidarity with besieged Gaza all over Nigeria.

In Aden, southern Yemen, angry demonstrators on Tuesday broke into the Egyptian consulate and hoisted the Palestinian flag over it.

Local sources said that Yemeni security men could not control the demonstrators, who were in thousands, despite using teargas.

The demonstrators, who were infuriated with the Egyptian official positions regarding the events in Gaza, called for opening the Rafah crossing to allow access of humanitarian and relief material into the beleaguered Strip.

Yemeni security later managed to control the situation and rounded up ten students.

Similar protest marches were reported in various Arab and world countries for the third consecutive day against the Israeli savage bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/default.aspx

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