Just back from the Gaza demo in London. The atmosphere was lively, as you might imagine, and the turnout was in the tens of thousands. There were over a dozen protests around the country, attracting hundreds of people (for example, more than 300 in Birmingham, nearly 500 in Portsmouth and hundreds in Wales). Thousands more demonstrated across Europe.
Israel today escalated its assault on Gaza, bombarding the besieged territory with tank shells and artillery. Human Rights Watch yesterday warned that artillery fire poses a severe risk to civilians. In one strike on a mosque in Beit Lahiya at least 14 civilians were reportedly killed, including children, and dozens more were wounded. The air-strikes have been stepped up, with Israeli jets bombing the main road through Gaza in three different places making it virtually impossible for Gazans to travel from one side of the Strip to the other. Some 10,000 Israeli troops, including tanks and artillery, are massed on the border, and a ground invasion looks probable. Amnesty International warns that this “could greatly increase civilian casualties”:
“Israeli forces must bear in mind that there are no ’safe’ places in Gaza for civilians to seek shelter. … Strikes are virtually sure to kill and injure civilians.”
[UPDATE: Fuck. The ground invasion has been launched.]
According to medical officials in Gaza, at least 457 Palestinians have been killed in the past week, with more than 2,300 wounded. Most of them are civilians, including dozens of women and children. Ma’an News reported yesterday that 57% of those killed by Israel since New Year’s Eve have been children. At least 13,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the fighting, over half of them children. Due to the blockade and Israel’s attacks on health facilities Gaza’s health system is “overwhelmed”, with the Mental Health Progam having to suspend all its activities.
The UN OCHA yesterday reported, contrary to Livni’s obscenities, that “[t]he humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is significant and cannot be understated”. Gazans are facing a “food crisis” and utilities are “barely functioning”:
“the only electric power plant has shut down. Some 250,000 people in central and northern Gaza do not have electricity at all due to the damage to fifteen electricity transformers during the air strikes. The water system provides running water once every 5-7 days and the sanitation system cannot treat the sewage and is dumping 40 million litres of raw sewage into the sea daily. Fuel for heating, needed due to the cold weather, and cooking gas, are no longer available in the market.”
Here are my photos and video from the demo:
Several Jewish peace groups were in attendance:
Gathered in Trafalgar Square:
Filed under: Activism, Israeli / Palestinian, UK | 8 Comments
Tags: anti-war, ceasefire, demonstration, Gaza, London, protest, siege
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lenin has some more pics here.
Police attack Gaza demonstration in London:
Mass riot outside Israeli embassy:
while they threaten to storm the israeli embassy, israel are storming gaza in a ground invasion
hamas are prepared for a guerilla war, while israel will not accept a repeat of their failure in lebanon. these are crazy crazy times
via lenin, Ellis has pics from the London demo and Le Poireau Rouge has pics from Paris.
I’m in my 70’s now and went on the demo today as far as Trafalgar Square and on the way there it was eerie because I have been on many many demos over the past 50 years plus and I was remarking to a friend I was with that there are almost no police about – I remarked that it was very very curious indeed – of course I did not know then that they were pretty well all covertly mustered in riot gear in the KNIGHTSBRIDGE/ PARK LANE underpass area. Pretty sinister and must have been planned at the very highest levels.
I was in the underpass with my sister and my nephew (9 years old). It is true that we were coaxed into the underpass by the police with the promise of safe escort to the Israeli Embassy. We were held for a lengthy time in the tunnel with no communication as to why this was. The riot police then attacked a number of peaceful demonstrators, causing significant injury to many people. Blood was splattered on the floors and walls, anyone with a camera was targeted. My nephew screamed out at the injustice and many young women distraught at the carnage wept loudly. My sister cradled a bleeding man in her lap as riot police rained down blows on him and many others. Many protesters sat down to show they meant no harm to the police. I was appalled at the behaviour of the police. I ask why did this happen? Who instructed these actions to be taken against the peaceful protestors? What benefit did this serve? I await a reasonable reply.
damn. I clearly left the demo too early – i didn’t know there would be a break-away towards the Embassy.
hopefully next Saturday more people will come, and bring cameras and camcorders to record (and hopefully prevent) police brutality. Although the police will now be expecting it…