| 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.
Protesters march through central London, as part of nationwide
demonstrations against Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Photograph:
Andy Rain/EPA.
Tens of thousands of protesters showed their anger at the Israeli
bombing of Gaza today in a series of rallies across the UK that
included throwing shoes at the gates of Downing Street.
More than a thousands pairs of footwear were thrown by protesters
marching down Whitehall. A firework was also set off metres from
the Downing Street gates.
The organisers said they wanted to leave shoes at the gates as
a Muslim symbol of disgust at the attacks. When they were prevented
from doing so, protesters began throwing their footwear, mimicking
the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush at a press
conference last month.
Protesters shouted: “Shame on you, have my shoe.”
Shobhana Mukhi, from Beirut, said she had brought along a pair
of trainers to throw because: “I wanted a physical sign
of protest, people can talk about the numbers who attended, but
if there's a physical representation of all of the shoes, then
it sends a louder message.”
Scotland Yard said its police officers were “not troubled”
by the shoe throwing.
By 2pm the organisers said 50,000 were taking part and more were
expected to join. A police spokesman put the attendance at 6,000
people as of 1pm, with more joining in.
The march departed from outside Embankment underground station
shortly after midday, snaking its way along the banks of the river
Thames before turning up Whitehall, past the entrance to Downing
Street and reaching Trafalgar Square.
The crowd was a sea of Palestinian, Hamas and Hezbollah flags
as well as the red standards of leftwing groups and placards denouncing
the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Chants of “Stop, stop, Israel” and “Intifada
now” rang out from the crowd, which was led by the veteran
former Labour MP Tony Benn and leaders of British Muslim groups.
Ali Jamal, 25, a student from north said: “I find it absolutely
shocking what is going on in Gaza and the fact that all leaders
of the world are just standing back.”
“The horror of the Israeli attack was summed up for me in
the pictures of the three young sisters who were killed by a bomb
which hit their house.”
His friend and fellow student Ekram Ali, 20, said: “The
reason I have come is to show Israel and the world that we don't
tolerate what is happening.”
“The British government just isn't doing enough and the
media here are not telling people the true picture of what is
happening.”
Sarah Malin, 41, an actress from Brixton, had brought along her
daughters Robin, three, and Evie, five, to show them what people
were doing to stand up for what they believed was right.
“I don't come along to a lot of demonstrations like this
but I wanted to on this occasion because what is happening in
Gaza is just so unjust. I felt it was very important for my daughters
to come and witness this. It's very emotive.”
Aimee Shalan, 38, from Brixton and a member of the Council For
Our British Understanding, said: "Palestinians have been
suffering for decades now but I think on this occasion there is
more British understanding about what is going on than there has
been on previous occasions.
The crowds included many Muslims wearing headscarves as well as
some wearing green headbands in solidarity with Hamas.
Some carried aloft baby dolls wrapped in Palestinian scarves and
spattered with red paint to signify the deaths of Gazan children.
The march was supported by the comedian Alexei Sayle, the singer
Annie Lennox, and the former mayor of London Ken Livingstone.
Sayle said he was speaking out because it was important for Jewish
voice to be heard. “I want to feel proud of Israel, I want
to be proud of my people but I am ashamed,” he said at a
press conference.
Lennox spoke of her shock at watching scenes of the bombing on
television. "A few days after Christmas I came downstairs,
put the television on, and saw smoke pyres coming from buildings
and I was shocked to the core because I was thinking as a mother
and as a human being: how was this going to be the solution to
peace?"
Since Israeli air strikes started there have been daily protests
outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, west London, where
large numbers have forced the closure of nearby streets. Today's
demonstration in the capital was the biggest of at least 18 organised
across the country.
In Portsmouth, nearly 500 people took to the streets in protest
against the crisis. The protest began in the Guildhall Square
and moved to a Tesco supermarket to call for a boycott on goods
from Israel.
Other rallies took place in Glasgow, Exeter, Edinburgh, Bristol,
Liverpool, Norwich, Hull, Tunbridge Wells, Leeds, Manchester,
Newcastle, Swansea, York, Caernarfon, Bradford and Sheffield.
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