Riot police clash with protesters at Gaza demo in London!

[Carl]

Riot police clash with protesters at Gaza demo in London


Police in riot gear have been involved in violent clashes with protesters after demonstrations in London against the Gaza conflict turned violent.

Telegraph 6:25PM GMT 10 Jan 2009

Riot police have clashed with protesters after demonstrations in London against the Gaza conflict turned violent


One officer was knocked unconscious and three people were arrested as thousands joined a rally in the capital, with other demonstrations taking place across the country.

Protesters hurled shoes over the heads of riot police in a gesture mimicking the actions of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi who threw his footwear at George Bush last month.

There were also reports of pieces of wood being thrown by a small number of people. Banners were unfurled saying "Gaza: Stop the massacre."

The Metropolitan Police made three arrests including one for assaulting a police officer and one for aggravated trespass, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

Celebrities including Brian Eno and Annie Lennox spoke to the 12,000-strong crowd, which marched from Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park to the Israeli Embassy, in Kensington.

Journalist Lauren Booth criticised her brother-in-law Tony Blair, and said that his suggestions for a ceasefire in Gaza would condemn Palestinians "to a slow agonising death".

There was a heavy police presence lining the route and officers were forced to calm the crowd on a number of points along the route.

In Edinburgh protesters tossed about 300 shoes and red paint towards the US consulate. Pete Cannell, secretary of the Scottish Stop the War Coalition, said 10,000 attended the event.

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 Gordon Brown. It's another year, another war, another massacre. It's a war too many for most people."

Protests also took place in Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester and Southampton.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews will also hold a rally on Sunday, in Trafalgar Square, London, calling for peace in Israel and Gaza................. **

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** I thinbk they will be disappointed then given the mood in Israel; they do not seem to have noticed the massive loss if innocent life to the south. All those children ? how can they be held guilty of the troubles .... at least give them chance to grow a little .....

[Loki]

It's rather funny though how the US reacts to all of this. When Russia defended South Ossetia against Georgian aggression some weeks ago, Condi Rice & the neocon media gang could not stop pouring scorn on Russia. But Israel can basically do whatever they please, the current US Govt will never condemn them for anything. UN resolutions? Irrelevant to Israel.

Not that I'm supportive of the poor Gaza darlings, just sayin'.

[Æmeric]

Will you know the Jews do have some influence in Washington.

[Vargtand]

It's rather funny though how the US reacts to all of this. When Russia defended South Ossetia against Georgian aggression some weeks ago, Condi Rice & the neocon media gang could not stop pouring scorn on Russia. But Israel can basically do whatever they please, the current US Govt will never condemn them for anything. UN resolutions? Irrelevant to Israel.

Not that I'm supportive of the poor Gaza darlings, just sayin'.

It is fully acceptable to dislike both sides in a conflict would be interesting to see a proper 3 or 4 party war sign me up directly

[Sarmata]

It's rather funny though how the US reacts to all of this. When Russia defended South Ossetia against Georgian aggression some weeks ago, Condi Rice & the neocon media gang could not stop pouring scorn on Russia. But Israel can basically do whatever they please, the current US Govt will never condemn them for anything. UN resolutions? Irrelevant to Israel.

Not that I'm supportive of the poor Gaza darlings, just sayin'.

And I'm affraid of that, do you know that agents of mosad walked impunity with guns in their hands on our streets(?)...their are Israel tourists security when them beats Polish citizens...not in Gaza but in the heart of Europe! Jews becomes incolent when they can(and when US support them they can almost everything). And fate of Palestinians would be Polish fate if it was not 2 WW...European countries should armed arabs who live in Europe and send them all to Palestine...i know in my dreams

[Pino]

And I'm affraid of that, do you know that agents of mosad walked impunity with guns in their hands on our streets(?)...their are Israel tourists security when them beats Polish citizens...not in Gaza but in the heart of Europe! Jews becomes incolent when they can(and when US support them they can almost everything). And fate of Palestinians would be Polish fate if it was not 2 WW...European countries should armed arabs who live in Europe and send them all to Palestine...i know in my dreams

I think we have learnt we shouldn't arm Arabs anymore as 20 years down the line the powers that be always want to take the arms off the exact same people.

[Carl]

Its not a matter of taking sides really - but these events demonstarte the injustice of the whole thing so clearly. For years I sat on the fence.... not daring to uphold the rights of Palestinians! But some how, there is a logic to there being a Greater Arabia - IF IT CAN LIVE IN PEACE WITH EUROPE ! Some even help in keeping our banks going !!

But the injustice moves so many it seems - the Israelis lose support through all this - and it makes so hollow their own much talked about "inhuman experiences" in Europa!

Somehow "humanity" tends to mean different things in different places ..... I am not impressed by this! Little by little the world turns against them; what if America slips?

?? 900 dead - so many innocent .......


Demonstrators in anti-Hamas protest

Sunday, 11 January 2009,


Thousands of pro-Israeli demonstrators gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to "reclaim the public state" from their political opponents..............

They waved Israeli flags and placards bearing the slogan "End Hamas Terror!" and cheered speakers who defended Israel's actions in Gaza.

A small group of counter-demonstrators gathered on one side of the Square chanting anti-Israeli slogans under the watchful eyes of police, attracting some retaliatory chanting from the pro-Israeli demonstrators.

Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews told the crowd: "The atmosphere on the streets of London has been very unpleasant in the last two days, we felt it important to reclaim the public state and make our voices heard.

"Why have we turned up in such large numbers? We are here because we believe in peace, because we believe in life, and because we want peace in life. We want the people of Israel to have peace, and the people of Gaza to have peace."
Referring to the counter-demonstrators, he said: "The people who are shouting over there can shout whatever they want, we know that we are the people who want peace and who want life for Israel."
And he added: "The events of the past two weeks have not been a war on the people of Gaza but war on the people using them as human shields."
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor told the crowd: "Today we have come together so that our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters in Israel, know that we are with them, and so that our friends and neighbours in Great Britain know where we stand.
"The basic simple goal of the people of Israel is to be allowed to live in peace, without violence, without fear, and without terror. Instead of walking down a path of peace, Hamas has led its people down a dead end road of war.

"We are here to show solidarity with the people of Israel whose lives have been threatened with missiles for the last eight years, and to show solidarity with the IDF (Israel Defence Force) who are risking their lives to protect our way of life."

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increasingly it is said , it is all driven by a FEAR of IRAN.
Will Obama shift the ground on this one ?