Tens of Thousands Across the U.S. Protest Gaza Bombing: 5,000 in L.A.
Tens of Thousands Protest Across the U.S. and Around the World
Demanding an End to the Bombing and Seige of Gaza
5,000 Protest in Los Angeles at the Israeli Consulate
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in scores of U.S. cities in response to the call for December 30 to be a National Day of Action to support the people of Palestine. The call was issued 72 hours ago by a number of organizations including the ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, the National Council of Arab Americans, Free Palestine Alliance; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition and others. Many organizations embraced the call and endorsed they day of action.
Massive Los Angeles Protest
In Los Angeles, 5,000 people joined a vibrant protest at the Israeli Consulate on busy Wilshire Blvd. Hundreds of Palestinian flags, signs and banners lined both sides of the street for three long city blocks. The massive sidewalks were packed 20-30 people deep all through the nearly four hour action. Chants like “Free Gaza now!” and “Bombing children is a crime! Free, free Palestine!” rang out.
The protest was militant and overwhelmingly youthful. Palestinian youth took over a nearby multi-level parking garage, waving flags from each floor. People also stood on top of electrical boxes and newspaper stands. The level of anger directed against U.S.-Israeli war crimes was palpable.
A spirited rally capped off the protest. Speakers denounced the war crimes committed by Israel and funded by the U.S. government, while championing the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people. The rally was chaired by Muna Coobtee of the ANSWER Coalition and the Free Palestine Alliance. Other speakers included Mahmud Ahmad, Al-Awda; Palestinian activist Eyad Kishawi; Preston Wood, ANSWER Coalition; Rana Sharif, Palestinian American Women’s Association; Al Garcia, Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines; Jim Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild; Carlos Alvarez, Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate for L.A. Mayor in 2009; and others.
About 100 Zionists came out to spew hate at the massive pro-Palestinian crowd, but they were protected by lines of riot police and had to be escorted from the protest site as the crowd chanted “Racists go home! Palestine will be free!”
The Los Angeles Police Department came out in full force, armed with riot gear and “rubber bullet” guns, much like those used by the Israeli Occupation Forces in Palestine. They detained a Palestinian man after they aggressively pushed his wife, but the pro-Palestinian crowd intervened and the cops were forced to release him from custody. It was a victory for the people.
The Los Angeles action took on a regional character. People came from Orange County, Ventura, Long Beach, the San Fernando Valley, and all throughout Los Angeles to attend. And all major English- and Spanish-language media outlets covered the protest in print, radio and on TV. The top photo from the protest in this email is on the front page of today’s Los Angeles Times California Section.
Click here for more photos of the Los Angeles action.
For more info call 213-251-1025 or e-mail answerla@answerla.org.
Protests Sweep Across the U.S. and the World
In Washington D.C., 5,000 people gathered at the State Department and marched to the White House. Those taking to the streets included many children, teenagers and young adults demanding an immediate end to the bombing of Gaza. As the nighttime march entered the White House grounds, it took over and filled all of Pennsylvania Avenue with young people raising Palestinian flags at the White House fence.
Over 10,000 protestors filled the sidewalks in front of and across the street from the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco and marched. In New York City, thousands demonstrated at the Israeli Consulate. In Dearborn, Michigan, thousands braved below-freezing weather to demonstrate. In San Diego, 800 people protested.
Yesterday, people carried out demonstrations in Anchorage, AK; Phoenix, AZ; Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa, CA; Colorado Springs and Denver, CO; Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Ocala, FL; Atlanta, GA; Honolulu, HI; Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor, Flint and Kalamazoo, MI; Concord and Portsmouth, NH; New Brunswick, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, NY; Cincinnati, Cleveland and Youngstown, OH; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Sioux Falls, SD; Knoxville, TN; Dallas and Houston, TX; Norfolk, VA; Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma, WA; and scores of other cities in the United States. Protestors even lined the street in front of incoming U.S. President Barack Obama’s vacation compound in Kailua, Hawaii.
Coordinated protests were also held throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
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A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
213-251-1025
http://www.answerla.org
answerla@answerla.org
137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
Los Angeles, CA 90004
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A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION LA (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)
