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London Rallies

Some photos from Thursday, 8 January rally in London (written synopsis of IJAN participation in ongoing demonstrations and pickets below):

IJAN participation at London Gaza Rally

Demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy – always noisy anddemonstrative – have ranged from a few hundred to five thousand; the march andrally on Saturday was, the organisers say, 60,000 people, the biggest rally insupport of Palestine that we’ve seen in this country.

On Sunday 28^th – the first of the pickets -- therewere at least 2,000 people. We were behind the barrier on one side of thestreet while the Israeli embassy side was lined with people. There was ascuffle of some kind on the embassy side (we found out later it was an arrestof a Palestinian), and we all burst out of the barrier, hundreds blocking theroad.

Later, people again claiming to be the organisers calledpeople to march and most went. When asked to where, we were told, justmarch. But some of us stayed at the embassy gate, and when the marchcould not go further because they police blocked the road further on, themarchers, mostly young people, came back and again filled the road, blockingthe traffic.

From Monday 29^th onwards we brought the IJANbanner – we were always very warmly welcomed as Jewish people standingunequivocally with Palestinian people against Zionism. IJAN was one of the sponsors of the Embassypickets that continued outside the Israeli Embassy all week, except for Fridaywhen we moved to the Egyptian Embassy.

Saturday’s demonstration was huge, perhaps 60,000 people: aswe passed 10 Downing Street, a thousand shoes were thrown in front of itsgates; the march rallied in to a completely packed Trafalgar Square whereprominent people had their say – Tony Benn,Bianca Jagger, Annie Lennox (singer), Ken Livingstone (formermayor of London) who said that the silence of the British government, and mostWestern governments is “obscene”.

Later that evening 5,000 of uspicketed the Israeli Embassy, which was heavily policed – too many police andpolice helicopters had been at every demonstration. Roads were closed and police in riot gearused barriers to contain us and keep us away from the embassy itself.

We will be part of the continuing pickets each evening nextweek, leading up to another national demonstration on Saturday outside theIsraeli Embassy: the demand will be Stop Israel'scrime against humanity.

IJAN UK

Hundreds Demonstrate, Build Relationships in Ireland

An account from Maggie Ronayne, active in IJAN and Global Women's Strike:

About 300 people attended a demonstration in Galway, Ireland, at short notice and with little publicity. The demo began at 12.30pm, organised by the left. The majority were from the Middle East, Palestinians and others, plus other Muslim women and men, including from Africa. There were a number of speakers from the Middle East and Ireland, among whom was Palestine solidarity organiser Treasa Ní Ceannabháin, who had been prevented from leaving Gaza for a time last year after delivering aid (she told me later that as a result of this experience she was receiving emails from many groups worldwide, including IJAN in Canada).

When the organiserstried to end the demo, people began 'Free Palestine' chants and more Middle Eastern people got up to speak, including to condemn the Arab governments especially Egypt. One woman spoke to thank people for coming. Some people said 'Let's march down the main street, let's go' and most people started to march through the main street of Galway. People came out of shops and pubs and stood respectfully to watch the march pass, some silent, some joined chants or applauded. By the end, the core was Middle Eastern people and they did not want to stop marching or chanting. An Egyptian doctor proposed that there be a march from the mosque after Friday prayers & people readily agreed to this.

Many Arab children attended. They had made their own placards, sometimes on small pieces of paper saying 'Free Palestine', 'Israel stop killing children' and other things in Arabic. They marched through thestreet
holding them up.

My placard said 'Zionism = colonialism, Zionists = racists, Stop Israel's genocide of Palestinian people, Boycott Israel!'. A man from Afghanistan offered to hold it with me and did so throughout the protest. Arab women
were delighted and walked beside it with me, inviting me for coffee & to their houses afterwards. They invited me to the Friday march from the mosque as well.

I gave out about 200 IJAN Gaza statements which were very well received. Lots of Arab people came up to ask for additional copies or to say thank you. Several came back to me to say this is what we want, we are not
against Jewish people and never have been. Irish people were saying the same thing and also asking why don't we have a Jewish anti-Zionist group in Ireland; they thought it would be great if Jewish people spoke out here.

10,000 People Rally in Toronto to Demonstrate Against the Israeli Assault on Gaza

At least 10,000 people gathered at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square to protest against Israel's recent assault on Gaza. Protesters then marched through the streets of Toronto to the Israeli Consulate and the United States Embassy. Demonstrators called on the Canadian government to condemn Israel's latest aggression and to cut all political, economic and military ties with Israel until it complies with international law. Protests were also held across Canada in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver. Demonstrations are scheduled in Montreal on Sunday.

"We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from Canadian civil society, the trade union movement, and allies in the Jewish community. The large number of people on the streets today shows that the Harper government is out of touch with the Canadian public," said Khaled Mouammar President of the Canadian Arab Federation.

As the protest was taking place, Israel began a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. This latest escalation comes in spite of international condemnation and calls for Israel to end its full-scale military assault on the people of Gaza, which has already killed over 400 people. It is clear that Israel believes it can act with impunity, and continue to commit war crimes against the illegally occupied Palestinian people.

"We will continue to mobilize and voice our outrage at the crimes being committed in Gaza until the Harper government publicly condemns Israel's violations of international law" stated Farid Ayad, President of Palestine House.

Numerous speakers at the demonstration, including the president of CUPE Ontario Syd Ryan, local Jewish activist Jenny Peto, and Rafeef Ziadah from Palestine House urged the crowd to support the campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli apartheid. As part of this campaign, organizers called on the Canadian government to implement sanctions against the Israeli government until Israel halted its aggression upon the population of Gaza and fully complied with international law. Organizers further demanded that Canada insist Israel ends the siege on Gaza and open the borders to allow for food, medicine, water and other essentials of life.

Rally was endorsed by:
Palestine House
Canadian Arab Federation
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
Canadian Union of Public Employee (Ontario)
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Steel Workers - Toronto Area Council
Toronto Coalition to Stop the War
Not in Our Name - Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network Toronto
Yosher - Jewish Social Justice Network
Women In Solidarity with Palestine
Educators for Peace and Justice
Muslim Unity
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation
Canadian Forum for Justice and Peace in Sri Lanka
Muslim Association of Hamilton
Canadian Druze Society
Canadian Syrian Cultural Club
Al Huda
Muslim Unity
Canadian Shia Muslims Organization
Worker to Worker Canada Cuba Solidarity Network
Somali Canadian Diaspora Alliance
Science for Peace
Bayan - Canada
Bengali Student Association
McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice
Arab Students Association at Ryerson University