World unites in protests

Published on Saturday 3 January 2009 19:21

Tens of thousands took to the streets across the world yesterday to protest against Israel's bombing of Gaza, writes David Leask.

More than 5,000 demonstrators, including singer Annie Lennox, former model Bianca Jagger and comedian Alexei Sayle, marched on Trafalgar Square in London.

Hundreds threw shoes at Downing Street, inspired by the Iraqi journalist who showed the same traditional Muslim sign of disrespect to US President George Bush last month.

More protested in cities across Britain, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, all demanding an immediate halt to Israeli air attacks on the Palestinian enclave and Hamas, the radical group that runs the territory.

Mass demonstrations took place in other major western capitals and across the Muslim nations of the Middle East.

There was violence in Amman, Jordan; Nicosia, Cyprus; and Athens, Greece. And in Tehran, in Iran, more than 6,000 people gathered in a procession half a mile long, most chanting "Death to Israel". In the Israeli town of Sakhnin as many as 10,000 people, mostly Arabs, protested against the action, which has claimed at least 430 lives.

In Britain campaigners said they were particularly angry at the loss of civilian life in Gaza, where the United Nations reckons bombing has killed 34 children.

In Glasgow, Barrie Levine, from Scottish Jews for a Just Peace, said: "In common with a growing number of Jews in Israel and internationally, we condemn the air strikes by Israel on Gaza and the likelihood of a land assault.

"This level of military action is utterly disproportionate and will lead to ever-mounting numbers of civilian casualties."

Levine was one of up to 500 people who gathered in Glasgow's Blythswood Square to protest.

Protests also took place in Bristol, Liverpool, Exeter, Norwich, Hull, Turnbridge Wells, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Swansea, York, Caernarfon, Bradford and Sheffield.