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Palestinians to vent their fury in London all week
Rashid Razaq and Felix Allen30.12.08
PALESTINIANS and their supporters are planning a week-long series of protests in London ending in a Trafalgar Square rally of up to 5,000 demonstrators, the Standard can reveal.
Riot police have been placed on standby after about 1,000 protesters besieged the Israeli Embassy in Kensington for the second day of angry and heated demonstrations.
Seven people were arrested for public order offences, including assault on a police officer, after violence flared when a group of men attempted to scale the embassy gates on Palace Green.
Fireworks, sticks and smoke bombs were hurled at officers guarding the building and one policeman's helmet was set alight to loud cheers from the crowd.
The largely peaceful demonstration flared when protesters kicked down safety barriers after the police tried to hold them back from storming the embassy.
Holding placards, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free, free Palestine", the rally attracted Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and anti-war groups as well as nine rabbis from the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.
Nahla Fareed, 22, a masters finance student from Saudi Arabia who lives in Kensington, claimed she was assaulted by a police officer as he tried to disperse the crowd.
She said: "I asked for a policeman's help to get out because I didn't want to be in the crowd. It was out of control and I was scared. He started hitting me and pushing me when I said I didn't want to be there. I also saw four policemen hitting and kicking one man on the ground as they were arresting him. The protest was supposed to be about peace."
Kensington High Street was brought to a standstill for more than five hours, disrupting traffic and hitting businesses again after Sunday's demonstration, which drew more than 2,000 people and led to a dozen arrests.
Mounted police were brought in to force the crowd away last night with around 150 hard-core protesters penned into Earl's Court Road where they were eventually released at about 8pm.
Central London could become gridlocked on Saturday with thousands of protesters from across Britain set to descend on Trafalgar Square to call for an end to the Israeli military strikes in Gaza.
Sabah Jawad, of the Stop the War Coalition, said supporters would continue to picket the Israeli Embassy every day this week until Friday, when attention would shift to the Egyptian Embassy in Mayfair, in response to its government's "collusion" with Israel.
Mr Jawad said: "There is a sense of anger and injustice that is mobilising people to demonstrate. It is not just Arabs or Muslims, but large sections of the British public, who want to call upon Israel to stop the bombing.
"There is a lot of emotion, but most people have been very peaceful. The Israelis and the British government have to see how strongly people feel. People are also concerned about Egypt's support of the Israeli government. We will keep on protesting for as long it takes."
Ishmail Patel, chairman of Palestinian group Friends of Al-Aqsa, said the campaign's intention is to force the British government to intervene. He said: "Britain is a pivotal player with the ability to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop the killing of innocent civilians. Hopefully these protests should make an impact on the British government that not enough is being done to stop the bloodshed."
Among the crowds in Kensington were several Jewish groups voicing their anger at the Israeli government. Rabbi Eleazer Hochhauser, said: "We have come to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people. What the government of Israel is doing is completely wrong. This is not a religious conflict between Jews and Muslims. The biggest traitors against the Jews are the atheist Zionists who occupied a country which they had no right to do."
Retired railway inspector, Jim Currin, 60, from Pimlico, attended the demonstration in a "show of solidarity" with the Palestinians.
He said: "I believe in freedom for Palestine as I do for my country, Ireland. It is important that we come here and demonstrate peacefully and lawfully. We can affect policy in a democracy and I would like to see the EU impose sanctions against Israel."
Adam Shaw, 24, from Ladbroke Grove, a graduate trainee at City law firm Clifford Chance, said: "I've taken a week off work so I can be here. It's important to make our voice heard because the West is paying for Israel to massacre innocent people in Palestine and we want Gordon Brown to say it has to stop.
"This is going to go on all week. If the Israeli embassy thinks it can carry on business as usual they are wrong because we will be back tomorrow and the next day until the killing ends."
Jawad Samad, 25, a management consultant from west London, said: "I respect Israel's right to defend itself but their response has been disproportionate. Hundreds of people have died and there's no evidence it is reducing rocket attacks. Israel are trying to break the spirit of the people of Gaza, but it's only going to strengthen support for Hamas."
Reader views (59)
Ah the police beating up mulsim protesters again.
I heard there were concerted efforts to prevent pro-palestinain protesters getting to the demonstration, clearly the Met continue to be but a puppet of the Labour Party.
Still at least they wern't shooting the innocent this time. I suppose we should all be eternally gratefull.
- James, Wales
And, what did they make of it, in the past years of freedom? They fought their brothers of Fatah and they kept firing Kasam rockets towards Israel, made so many tunnels from Egypt that you can simply say that 40 roads where open.
Is there anything good to show the world after 3 years of Palestinian- understood freedom?
- Pema, Utrecht, Netherlands
Let he who castes the first stone stand. Hammas are terrorists. Our minister is giving 10 million dollars to terrorists in the name of humanitarian aid. This flies in the face of Bush/Blair war on terroists I believe. Consistency is not a strength of the Labour Government. Hammas are firing rockets daily into Israel killing and maiming innocent people whom have a right to exist. Hammas is the unacceptable face of terrorism on whom we are at war with in Afghanistan, Iraq, and anywhere else except in the UK where bombers, murderers are treated under the human rights act to good hospitality and luxuries. Until Palestine is wiped out then there will never be peace. As they want to wipe the Jews of the face of the earth this war will go on and on. Blair laughingly called peace envoy to the middle east is noticable by his absence. Tucked up safetly in USofA protected by UK taxpayers money for his security. If only the Israeli people had such luxury. Like Afghanistan if we used a nuclea bomb to rid the planet of the terrorist all would be peace and harmony. Perhaps we should make an example and rid the planet of terrorists now. They preach death to the infadel. They are the terrorists whom no one wants and serve no useful purpose.
- Nigel, Epsom, England
What a tragic loss of lives on both sides, some of the readers comments are even more tragic.
- W Joseph, London, England
Israel have the right to exist and at the same time Palestininans also have the right to live with dignity.
- Peter, London. UK
What do you expect, that Israel will constantly turn the other cheek? 8 years of constant rocket attacks from Gaza, of which over 3 years of no Israeli control in Gaza gives Israel every right to respond.
There's no such thing as an innocent civilian, if that civilian hides rockets in his house or harbours terrorism. On the other hand, houses, schools and marketplaces in Israel hardly constitute military targets.
This hypocritism should end now. It's not an imperialist war on behalf of Israel. It's a war to strenghen the security of its people.
- Y. Millenbach, London
If all these violent people demonstrating on our streets and disrupting the lives of ordinary Londoners feel so strongly about the situation in the Middle East, can I suggest they go to Palestine or Israel and riot on their streets, not ours?
- Janet, London, UK
I feel sorry for the people who live in London, who just want to get on with their lives and have to put up with all this disruption
- Marie Lamb, stockport England
reading some of the comment in this site, i was shoked by how arrogant, inhuman and hearless comment of supporters of state of israel. i am even more angry now.
what type of world we living in?
- Reid, london, england
Israel has every right to defend herself. It is about time, they have put up with missiles for too long.
- Stan V, London
It looks like a scene from the Middle East.
- Steve Edwards, Edinburgh
Police should not be used to restrain this mob.
They are rioters pure and simple.
- Stanno, Bristol
Thank God Israel's reply is not proportionate. Hamas wants to destroy Israel and has fired thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians for the past three years. A proportionate response would mean a sustained bombing campaign lasting 3 years with the aim to destroy the Gaza strip. Nothing would be left standing in Gaza after two days, never mind 3 years.
- Daniel, Amsterdam, Holland
The question is,did Hamas foresee that Israel would retaliate against its bombing campaign, and did it not expect that by placing its rocket launchers within the civilian population that any retaliation would cause civilian deaths? Either they are sublimely incompetent, or they expected these consequences to their actions, hoping that the world's reaction would condemn Israel and yeild them the moral high ground?
- Jeremiah, London
Stop starving the Palestinians, reads a banner. Who do they think feeds them? The same people who have had enough of their constant rocket barrages.
- Susan, Birmingham
To all these hypocritical protesters in London. Where were your marches, your banners and your speeches when Hamas rained down thousands of rockets UNANSWERED and UNPROVOKED into Israeli towns and cities? Where were you then, you hypocrites?!
Hamas were told, if the rockets stop, then the Israelis won't go in. So, how can anyone on Earth protest anything here. Hypocrites, the lot of you.
- Tim, London
The innocent Palestinians have the same enemy as the Israelis - their own fanatical leaders.
As with Hizbollah in Lebanon, the militants are using apartment buildings to fire their rockets onto Israel. Why should Israel just accept these rocket attacks from a government that says it wants to destroy the state of Israel? The Palestinian people have their own leaders to blame. The Israelis are justified in trying to get rid of the militants.
- D Payne, London
It's simple no rockets, no bombing. Plus the right of "Isreal right to exist" has to be removed from the Arab world's rhetoric. Then they Hamas and the other Palastinian organisations can work towards peace. Never happen with Iran and Syria pushing button's and supplying arms and inteligence to Hamas.
- Ebin Donk, Angus Scotland
This nonsense about a "proportionate response" needs to be addressed.
By this logic, we expect Israel should accept and endure unprovoked rocket attacks by Hamas in perpetuity? This is utter nonsense.
Israel has every right - and obligation towards its citizens - to eliminate the threat.
Lastly, Israel is not targeting "civilians". If Hamas stopped using civilians as human shields and launching rockets from apartment buildings, there would be no civilian casualties.
- Dbm, Atlanta, GA USA
The Palestinians are not strangers to Israeli military action. I no longer have any sympathy for the Palestinians because they have provoked the Israelis once too often, knowing it would bring this kind of response. I cannot see how the Israelis will give any quarter. A dismal but inevitable situation!
- Andy T, London
The IDF got humiliated by Hizbollah in Lebanon. They could not cope with a properly equipped adversary.
- Ed Smullen, London
I wonder where all these people who are demonizing Israel, were when Daniel Perl was publically beheaded or when Israeli disco was blown up.
Bunch of hypocites!
- Alex Simmonds, Glastonbury, England
Imagine if Wales, for example, was run by a theocratic dictatorship that had as one of its aims the total destruction of England, and was launching hundereds of missles into English territory (this is not meant to be an anti-Welsh point, the position could be exactly revservsed). The point is: do you think we would just put up with it? No: we would try and isolate the territory and "starve out" the regime. If that didn't work we would retaliate as Israel is doing. The real villain of this piece is Hamas.
- Alan, London
I can't believe some of the fear and hate I'm reading.
Previous poster, Um Rahel, cut through it all, though, and I quote:
"no one can possibly justify any of the killing. stop reciting the propaganda and start to look at this with humanity"
No wonder it goes on (AND ON), if so many of you are prepared to justify this slaughter. If any of you think that human life can be written off in a tit-for-tat basis, even citing Israel's military might as justification for its actions - WAKE UP AND JOIN THE HUMAN RACE. If you want to call Palestinian civilians "terrorists", then perhaps it's legitimate to perform the same semantic trickery, and call the Israeli military Holocaust-mongers. This last happened in Beirut (in sovereign Lebanon) - VERY recently.
There are people on this thread blasting demonstrators for the "inconvenience" of a few closed streets in Kensington, still others bleating that "Britain didn't fire any of these rockets" when, with our inaction (and America's, during it's momentary power vacuum before President Obama's inauguration), we are in this up to our necks.
As for expecting the UN to defuse this... hello, HOW MANY Security Council resolutions have been passed against Israel, with little or no effect?. Look outside your comfort zones and know that it IS our responsibility. And if it's the only thing that can ***** your self-interested little bubbles, this strife REALLY plays havoc with the global economy, too
- Karli, Tottenham, London
I don't ever remember reading about Israelis becoming suicide bombers...........
- John W, billericay essex
Why on earth do we have to keep putting up with this nonsense...it's not our fault or problem and if the UK gets involved then we have idiots over here who take it upon themselves to try to blow up the country...A brave government needs to put a stop to all of this
- Sara, London
I think the US & UK should give Hammas fighter jets, Apache helicopters, SA Missiles the lot and then lets sit back and see what happens.
Israel is a bully. A man slaps you, you punch him, he punches you, give him a kick. You don't take out a gun and shoot someone for a minor infringement. Israel is a bully. However, every bully soon has its day.
- Saifguard, London
By standing idly by, and, in effect condoning Israels actions, this country has lost what little moral standing it had in the world. After Blairs disgraceful refusal to call for a ceasefire in the Lebanon, after, Israels invasion of the South, they permit, the same atrocities in Gaza! I get angry, and, feel totally helpless, watching the suffering of the woman & children, who are being murdered, and, maimed! How do the Palestinians feel when they see the atrocities perpetrated on members of their family, and, neighbours, from aircraft raining bombs from the sky thousands of feet above them. Perhaps the next time there is a terrorist atrocity in the UK or around the world we may begin to understand what drives these people, the suicide bomber makes the ultimate sacrifice, the Israeli pilot goes home to tea with his family! The result of both their actions? the same!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London.
What are all these Palestinians doing in Britain? Stop bothering us!The British taxpayer is footing the bill for the policing of these demonstrators.GO HOME,rid your country of terrorist Hamas and live in peace with Israel.
- Lynn, Sutton
This long planned Israeli action is an attempt to crush the democratically elected Hamas prior to the Obomba inauguration. Fatah,Israel and Egypt have coluded to lull Hamas and then inflict maximum casualties and make Blair's new 'peace' proposals easier to impose. Starve,murder and dehumanise a people and then complain when they fire primitive rockets. At least the World is finally wakening up to the genocidal reality.
- Ailish Smullen, London
Immigration officials should go down there and break this up.
[edited by admin on 30th December 2008]
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
It's simple.
If Israel stopped all military activity it wouldn't exist
within 12 months.
If the Palestinians stopped there attacks there would be peace and their own state within the same period.
- Leslie, Manchester, UK
[edited by admin on 30th December 2008]
- Jimbob, Kensington
sorry but these people are not British nor are they Britain's problem. The problem between both states should be resolved by the UN.
Stop inconveniencing the rest of us.
- John, london
Why was Tony Blair chosen as Peace Envoy for the Middle East after his major role in the 'Shock and Awe' bombings that went on in Iraq?
Self Explanatory!
- Judyg, wiltshire UK
There were at least 20 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza during the cease fire, several of them farmers trying to tend their crops. Many died during the same time because of the blockade the Israelis imposed on Gaza which kept out humanitarian aid. Four Israelis have died in rocket attacks - are Israeli lives worth more than Palestinians? Sadly, anyone who has visited the West Bank or Gaza recognises that for most of the world this is the case.
- Rachael, Cumbria, UK
Actually Jo of London it was King Abdullah of Jordan in the 1930's who outed the Palestinians due to his fearing a coup against him-Get your facts correct.
- Harvey N Lawrence, London-UK
It is a digrace, that the world watches on whilst Israel continues to destroy the lives of innocents in Gaza. We should all hang our heads in shame!
Oh and Frank of the Home Counties, what an ignorant comment. A person like you does not represent the views of the people of this country.
- Pete, London, UK
gob bless israel what they have to put up with NEIGHBOURS FROM HELL makes our french neighbours LOOK OK
- Dan Lyons, london
Frank - get a life
Its THEIR country and they want it back! and also in all the papers and even on this site when the mention the Israelis dead they said one or two, when they mention the Palestinians they mention in the HUNDREDS.
pathetic person with no clue to whats going on and your taking sides.
- Joseph, london
In answer to Um Rahel's comments above.
Firstly let me stress I am English and have lived in Palestine and Israel and have many friends from both sides.
Yes I agree that war solves absolutely nothing and creates more problems than solving them.One thing that you forget is that if Hamas had control over their own factions within Gaza then the missile attacks into Israel
would not have occurred.Even MANY Palestinians are privately stating within Gaza that Hamas is to blame for the ongoing conflicts,but are too scared to voice their opinions for fear of retaliation on themselves and their families.I have witnessed first hand how the young generation in Palestine and Israel have been indoctorined with the propoganda of hate towards each other.On the other hand I have also witnessed both elements on living together in harmony.The long term solution is for the young generation from both sides to make it known that enough is enough, and to encourage dialogue...Hamas and Israel politicians need to listen to the majority of the people and act accordingly,because
at the moment they are both on the course of distruction.
As for the troubles in London most are being fed propa ganda that they feel is true, and all the demonstrations will not solve the problem, and the solution is for both sides to have pressure put on them by the future generations of both sides, because it is these who will determine the future of each country
- Douglas, London
I'm not surprised that Palestinians vent their fury, along with others that know what is really going on.
- Judyg, wiltshire uk
300 innocent people dead , thats why no one is mentioning it. Please spare in mind that the palestinian people have a right to freedom for all the comments above please educate yourself on the history of the conflict, palestinians have no freedom Isreal took that away 50 years ago with fore and weapons now ask yourself again who the real terrorists are and why hamas has had to use unfortunately these methods
- Jo, london
Funny there were no demonstrations over the thousands of rockets fired into Israel indiscriminately during the 'cease-fire'?
Muslim terrorist supporters are not going to get very much sympathy or support in this country.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Forty years of brutal and inhuman occupation which has been labelled "worse, worse than anything we experienced under [South African] apartheid" as described by South African delegation recently. Followed by inhuman siege, strangulation and starvation of Gaza strip, in one of the most brutal attempts for regime change of the democratically elected governments in recent history. Corruption of democratic political processes using Israel Lobby in USA and Western Europe. Ruthless propaganda and takeover of Media by stringently pro-Israel forces.
Lets call spade a spade and ethnocentric supremacism of only middle-eastern Jewish democracy.
- Eva Smagacz, Brighton, UK
The world is fed up with the Palestinians moaning about their victim status. In 1967 the "Arab world" made a mistake in attacking Israel and lost. Deal with it. Nobody seems to want the whingeing Palestinians on their Land (Lebanon, Jordan and now even Egypt don't want them (Fellow "Muslim Nations" ha ha. You elected a bunch of idiots to represent you in Gaza, looks like a big mistake now. Why should we care?
PS Why does the Met allow every disaffected group to disrupt the lives of Londoners because of some distant dispute? The vast majority of us don't care about their petty squabbles.
- Jon, london
A handful of trash are demonstrating in London....What's new ?
- Doug Watt, london
hamas wanted to renew the cesefire but with two conditions. one, for israel to stop the blockade on gaza and two, to extend the ceasefire on the west bank. israel refused.
the slaughter is disgsuting and immoral. no one can possibly justify any of the killing. stop reciting the propaganda and start to look at this with humanity. very few people here have the slightest inkling of what it is like to live in palestine or israel. do you know what it is like to see a young child ripped apart by missiles and bombs? how dare any of you justify the killing of another human being.
war is never the answer, negotiations are. israel has had many opportunites to progress peace but instead continues to build settlements on palestinian owned land on the west bank, continues to brutalise, oppress and control palestinians in their own towns and have successfully disconnected gaza from the world, and de-humanized an entire people. can you imagine watching your child scrabble through a rubbish dump just to find food? to see people dying from a lack of basic medical care? can you?
why don't you go there and just see for yourself what it is like instead of spouting off untruths and misinformation from the comfort of your safe home.
- Um Rahel, london
Israel is only doing what Britain failed to do some sixty years ago.
- Tom, Watford (UK)
Why is it that the media only reports agression from Israel and not from Hamas? I am not Jewish, but it is obvious there is something wrong here. Are they supposed to put up with constant rocket attacks? Palastinians complain that civilians are being murdered. That's because Hamas hides amongst them and they couldn't care less about their own people. The West is also accused of killing Muslims, when there own people are to blame for most of it. These demonstrations will be comonplace in the future, as these people seem to be permananly offended. The West, and Europe in particular, need to wake up and realise what is really going on world wide.
- Sylvia, Essex
How I wished I was free to demonstrate against something when I worked in the Middle East.
- Fred, Horsham
There's no point in demonstrating here, Britain isn't firing the rockets. If these idiots want to waste valuable police recources they should be doing it in Israel where somebody might care.
- Casper Slides, France at the moment
Yet again, Londoners are inconvenienced by scruffs demonstrating about events of which we can do nothing and have little interest. If they are really concerned, why not go and demonstrate in Gaza or, more relevant, Tel Aviv?
- Roy G, Solihull, England
Yes one rule for Isreal and one rule for the terrorists. Terrorists are allowed to send rockets into Israel aiming indiscriminantely but should Israel attack terrorist strongholds (where the terrorists keep the kids so that they become martyrs) there are demonstrations. Disgusting.
- Lou, London
Israel have no option but to defend themselves.
- Derek, portsmouth england
Don't poke the lion if you don't want to get bitten. In this case they have poked the lion once too often.
HAMAS were warned that Israel would respond with massive force. No country can or should put up with daily barrages of rockets that are intended to kill and maim its citizens.
- Adam, Harrow, UK
Isreal has the rights to protect its citizen and territories against outside aggression and against terrorist organisations. Hammas was given the choice to renew the cease fire agreement but decline and instead choose the path of the aggression against the state of Iseral.
- Vincent, London
And why is nobody mentioning the million rocket attacks that are hitting Israel constantly, day in, day out - what Israel is doing is only in retaliation for what Hamas is doing to Israel!!!
- Jane, London, England
Why were these people not demonstrating against Hamas when they were launching rockets against Israel ??
- Vijay Gupta, Southall
