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Rush-hour route is blocked in clashes at Gaza demo
Danny Brierley30 Jan 2009
PRO-GAZA protesters clashed with police outside a building in London where a retired Israeli colonel was due to make a speech.
About 100 people gathered outside the Jewish London Student Centre opposite Euston station.
Metropolitan Police were forced to close Euston Road at rush hour as they attempted to deal with last night's disturbance. Security on the door would not confirm the colonel was speaking at the invitation-only event.
Several protesters who had blocked the pavement were dragged away by police and four demonstrators were later arrested for public order offences.
A protester holding a "Free Palestine" placard scaled the building and ignored police demands for him to climb down. A police officer later addressd the protesters with a loud hailer, saying the meeting had been cancelled and Colonel Geva Rapp would not be attending.
Police then formed a cordon and surrounded the remaining protesters, clearing the area outside the building.
The protester who scaled the building and banged on the first-floor window, later climbed down and was led away by police.
Demonstration organiser Stewart Halforty, from the Stop The War Coalition, said the demonstration was a victory. He said: "We found out that Colonel Geva Rapp was speaking from a leaked email so we assembled as many people as we could.
"Given the short notice, the number of people who attended was good and we achieved getting the meeting cancelled, or at least rescheduled. It was a high-profile demonstration that could be seen by commuters from Euston station and we've got our message across."
By 7.45pm nearly all the protesters had left the area and Euston Road was reopened to traffic. The Metropolitan Police said they estimated that between 80 and 100 demonstrators attended the protest.
No one from the Jewish Student Centre was available for comment.
The demonstration took place on the day the UN launched a $613 million appeal to help Palestinians recover from Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza.
However, more than two dozen trucks loaded with food, aid and goods intended for the Gaza Strip were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border today, raising questions about whether new aid will have much effect until there is a deal to open the devastated territory's borders. John Ging, the top UN official in Gaza, said: "The ordinary people here are not getting enough help and are not getting it quickly enough."
He blamed the aid shortage on the lack of access to Gaza and demanded that the border crossings be opened.
He added: "That aid should be right here, right now, helping the people who need it."
Reader views (12)
Here we have the loony left out showing support for terrorism again.
The police should get stuck into these trouble makers. Awful people.
- Eoin McGreeghan, Derry, NI, 31/01/2009 21:35
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what do arab countries do after the wreckage is done? nothing. theres no end to their complaining. they have money. but you dont hear of massive help going to the palestinians . why. so, then, they are organising political meetings and rallies but no mobilisation for rebuilding. thats hypocricy
- beljamine, uk, 30/01/2009 23:48
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It was the police who blocked the road, not the demonstrators who were all on the pavement.
- Jacob Wilson, London, UK, 30/01/2009 17:43
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We're not only back 30 years to recession but to rent-a-mob too.
- Colin, Toronto, Canada, 30/01/2009 16:41
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Its perfectly justified.
- Kev, London-UK, 30/01/2009 15:39
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I wonder how many of the people caught up in this will be donating to the Gaza appeal.
- Dave, London NW, 30/01/2009 15:28
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It seems no one pays attention to the innocent Israeli civilians caught up in this mess. When Hamas begins to behave like the responsible governing party it is maybe the Middle East's longest running saga will improve.
Go back to 1948..the UN suggested a 2 state solution which is what's on the table 60 years later. It seems to me all that blood has been shed to go back to an idea espoused in 1948!
- Toks, London,UK, 30/01/2009 15:14
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Alan - are you serious? Drivers incur a 30 minute delay to their journey whereas innocent civilians in Gaza endure food and fuel shortages, unemployment, and a collapsed economy, thanks partly to the Israeli policy of collective punishment via economic blockade.
I don't think the credit crunch will see our homes destroyed, our schools blown up, and us being reliant on food aid from the rest of the world. Not do I see the credit crunch causing us to face an economic blockade that will cripple our industry, preventing us from trading with the rest of the world.
I think you need to sort out your priorities mate.
- Steve, Sutton, 30/01/2009 14:28
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One thing is for sure,the Hamas propaganda machine won this war hands down.Those who are demonstrating,know nothing about the problems and probably could'nt find Gaza on a map.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy, 30/01/2009 14:09
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come on you lot, we value the right to free speech in this country, but some things are beyond the pale.
you're blocking a RUSH HOUR ROUTE!
there may be thousands of dead civilians in Gaza, but don't you know there's a credit crunch coming up and in exactly the same way as those poor people in the Gaza, we have to get to our desks.
- Alan, london, 30/01/2009 12:05
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Free spech for all, as long as the strongest mob agrees with the content.
- Helen, norwich, 30/01/2009 11:43
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"goods intended for the Gaza Strip were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border today" Note the article does not state who is blocking the crossings. This is the reason rockets were fired in the first place. You either fire rockets and get world attention or starve to death. Chose one!
- Mr Wilesden Green, London, 30/01/2009 10:11
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