Hundreds of Thousands March for Gaza as World Demands Cease-Fire
Original article by JON QUEALLY republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Coordinated actions from DC to London to Jakarta designed to “send a powerful message not just to the Israelis but to the Western powers who are backing them that the public say ‘not in our name.'”
Major coordinated demonstrations took place across the world on Saturday to mark the 100th day of Israel’s bombardment and military assault on the people of the Gaza Strip that have now claimed the lives of nearly 24,000 Palestinians, a large majority of them innocent men, women, and children who had nothing to do with the attacks orchestrated by Hamas on October 7 of last year.
In London, as many as 500,000 people marched on Parliament Square to demand an immediate cease-fire Gaza, condemn their own U.K. government’s support of Israel’s disproportionate and “genocidal” onslaught, and warn against a wider regional war that experts warn is creeping closer by the day.
“This Global Day of Action, from Australia through to Asia, Europe and the Americas, is the first coordinated, international movement against the war being waged by Israel on the Palestinian people,” said Gaza Global Day of Action organizers ahead of the demonstration. “It will send a powerful message not just to the Israelis but to the Western powers who are backing them that the public say ‘not in our name.'”
In Dublin, organizers of a march that saw more than 100,000 march through city streets called it the largest rally for Palestinian rights in Irish history.
As the Irish Timesreports:
The crowd was filled with Palestinian flags, posters calling for an “End to the Gaza genocide” as well as makeshift washing lines, with baby clothes hanging from it, representing the many young lives lost in the conflict.
At the front of the march, four people held mock corpses in bloody body bags to represent the growing number of civilian casualties.
In the United States, tens of thousands marched in Washington, D.C. to denounce the Israeli onslaught—which has claimed over 23,000 lives, including more than 10,000 children—as well as their own government’s complicity in the carnage. President Joe Biden was on the tip of many demonstrators’ tongues and polls in the U.S. have shown very little support across the political spectrum for how he is handling the situation.
Jake and Ida Braford, a young couple from Richmond, Virginia, who brought their two small children to the protest, told the Associated Press the situation in Gaza has made them unsure of their support for Biden come this year’s election.
“We’re pretty disheartened,” Ida told the news agency. “Seeing what is happening in Gaza, and the government’s actions makes me wonder what is our vote worth?”
Following the march, demonstrators left a pile of bloodied baby dolls, including severe parts, in a pile outside the White House as a message to Biden. “The blood of the over 10,000 murdered children in Gaza is on his hands,” said CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, thousands gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta to condemn the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza perpetrated by Israel with the backing of the U.S. government and other Western allies.
Large protests were also held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well as in the South African cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg. On Thursday, a delegation from South Africa presented its case charging Israel with genocide before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
“We are here today to be part of the global day of action that will see demonstrations planned in more than 66 cities and at least 36 countries,” said a statement released by the organizers in Cape Town. “Today’s rally will be part of a united front of global voices, calling unconditionally for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
Cities in Israel were not among those holding large-scale demonstrations against the government’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. One application by Israelis for a rally in Haifa to denounce the onslaught was rejected.
As Haaretzreported: “The commander of the police’s Coastal District, Maj. Gen. Daniel Levy, explained that the refusal to grant the permit was over “real concerns about a serious disruption to public order,” adding that there was a high likelihood that violence would break out between demonstrators and people opposing the demonstration.”
Original article by JON QUEALLY republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Gaza Cease-Fire Now! No Wider War
Bloodied Baby Dolls Left Outside White House to Protest Biden’s Complicity in Gaza
Democrat Applauded for (Not-So) ‘Dumb Idea’ to End Houthi Attacks in Red Sea
‘A reckless act of escalation’
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/a-reckless-act-of-escalation
Peace campaigners outraged after Britain and US launch air strikes on Yemen
ANTI-WAR campaigners expressed outrage today after Britain launched a targeted strike in Yemen along with the US, further escalating tensions in the region.
British and US forces bombed military facilities used by the Houthi movement in Yemen, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying the action sent a “strong signal” that the group’s actions in the Red Sea cannot be carried out with “impunity.”
The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the key international trade route in response to the bombardment of Gaza, saying their action only stopped Israel-linked shipping.
Mr Sunak insisted that the two nations acted in “self-defence” and that allies would not hesitate to ensure the safety of commercial shipping through the region.
But the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) warned that the attack on Yemen is a “dangerous escalation” of the war in the Middle East, calling it a “direct consequence” of Britain, the US and their allies’ support for Israel’s three-month attack on Palestine.
…
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/a-reckless-act-of-escalation
Campaigners to target arms fair at Twickenham Stadium
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/campaigners-to-target-arms-fair-at-twickenham-stadium
CAMPAIGNERS are targeting the world’s best-known rugby stadium for protests against an arms fair which features exhibitors dealing weapons to Israel for its genocidal attacks on Gaza.
Twickenham Stadium in south-west London is the home of the English Rugby Union.
Every year the stadium hosts a conference which brings together arms manufacturers and buyers from some of the world’s most oppressive regimes.
Companies involved include Israeli-owned Elbit which has four factories in Britain manufacturing drones for the Israeli military,
Raytheon, another participant, produces guided missiles including a delivery system for cluster bombs, which have been ruled illegal under international law.
Opponents of the event are running regular stalls outside the stadium handing out leaflets exposing its use in the arms trade.
The stadium will be targeted when the event is due to take place on Monday January 22.
The campaign is being led by Twickenham and Richmond Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
…
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/campaigners-to-target-arms-fair-at-twickenham-stadium
Greens call for urgent Parliamentary debate on dangerous escalation
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay urged Parliament to force an urgent debate on the “dangerous escalation” in the Middle East that has seen the UK attack Yemen.
Ramsay said:
“It is important for the international community to work together to defend shipping in the Red Sea from attack, but there is a significant distinction between internationally based defence and countries like the UK and US taking it upon themselves to launch attacks.
“This is a dangerous escalation taken without the approval of Parliament. The conflict is already spreading across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. These attacks risk inflaming tensions and sparking further attacks.
“The Prime Minister needs to stand before Parliament and explain a strategy. It is unacceptable to escalate activity whilst evading scrutiny and the democratic process.
“The Green Party again urges the government to launch an urgent international peace effort. Now is the time to search for new peace initiatives that can break this cycle of pain and create the conditions for a lasting peace in the region.
“As we set out earlier this week, the UK government should pursue a strategy that reduces tensions and offers a path to peace. The key to that is ending the conflict in Gaza.
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