Protests Erupt Worldwide Against Israel’s Brutal War on Palestinian People

Updated May 19, 2021 | revcom.us

 

Protests against Israel’s brutal war against the Palestinian people have erupted around the world, sometimes drawing thousands of people. The mood has been marked by anger, outrage, and a sense that the oppression of Palestinian people must finally be ended.

These protests have gotten little coverage in the major media, and what there has been tends to give undue emphasis to minor clashes with small groups of pro-Israel protesters.

From press reports, it appears that most protests were primarily Muslim and/or Arab people—this must change! Protests continue in the U.S. and worldwide, and all people of conscience must turn out. As we said on May 14, this “is a ‘which side are you on’ moment for anyone who claims to care about humanity. Silence or equivocation in the name of ‘wishing the conflict would end,’ without calling out Israel’s crimes, is complicity.”

The following is a round-up of some of the protests worldwide since Israel began its latest attacks on the Palestinians. Revcom.us will continue to cover the ongoing protests--check back often for updates.

Tuesday, May 18

On the day that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank acted together in a “general strike” to denounce Israeli attacks, there were solidarity protests in other countries across the world. According to a report appearing on the Common Dreams website, “In dozens of cities across the U.S. and around the world Tuesday, demonstrators gathered to express solidarity with the Palestinians… In the U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace worked with local groups in cities nationwide to organize marches, rallies, and vigils…. In New York, protesters gathered at the Israeli Mission at the United Nations before marching to Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) home, the offices of AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] and Friends of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], and Golda Meir Square, which the group symbolically renamed…. Other rallies and vigils took place or were planned for Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C., Seattle, Chicago, and other U.S. cities. Internationally, there were protests in Jakarta, Istanbul [Turkey], Beirut, and elsewhere.”

Jakarta, Indonesia, May 18.

Seoul, South Korea: Protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy, including Palestinian and Korean people, with signs saying (in Korean and English) “Free Palestine” and “Israel, Stop the Killing Now!”

Israeli Embassy, Seoul, South Korea, May 18. Photo: AP

In Dearborn, Michigan, home to a large number of people of Arab descent, more than 1,000 people gathered at a park not far from where Joe Biden was visiting for the day. According to an Al Jazeera report, protesters “booed at mentions of the Democratic president’s name.... ‘Joe Biden is going to hear from us today, one way or another,’ lawyer Amer Zahr told the crowd, who chanted, ‘free, free Palestine.’”

Houston, Texas: According to Houston Public Media, scores of protesters rallied outside the Israeli consulate, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement. Then they marched through the streets.

2,000 people protest in Houston, May 18

Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Hundreds gathered downtown. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, “They marched around the intersection at Broward Boulevard and Third Avenue, hoisted signs and Palestinian flags into the air and chanted in front of the federal courthouse.”

Los Angeles: Hundreds gathered outside the Israeli consulate in West LA to demand an end to Israeli air strikes in Gaza.

Los Angeles, May 18.

Monday, May 17

Sana, Yemen: According to AP, thousands marched to denounce Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Al Jazeera reported that since the current Israeli attacks on Gaza began, “Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities around the world, from New York and London to Cape Town and Auckland, demanding an end to deadly Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip.” Their webpage includes a map and a list of cities around the world where protests supporting the Palestinian people have taken place.

Sunday, May 16

Chicago, May 16.

Chicago: From a revcom.us reader: Thousands of Palestinians and others from around the world gathered downtown and held a determined and beautiful out pouring of protest against the bombing of Gaza. The crowd that filled the streets, marching with hundreds of Palestinian flags, signs and banners, was made up of all generations and nationalities. There were busloads that came from southern Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. There were signs of support from Yemen, Armenia, Albania and Kashmir. Young people flying Palestinian flags hung out of cars, motor cycles and scooters. People climbed light poles and bus stops waving the Palestinian flag. Many of the people that came wore keffiyehs in support. Groups of young Palestinian women came together to join. Chanting in Arabic and English filled the air: “Free, Free Palestine,” “Hey Hey Ho Ho the Occupation Has Got to Go,” “The Nakba Is Ongoing, End the Occupation Now”! Among the crowd were posters from different groups expressing solidarity, including “Jews against ethnic cleansing” and “Mexicanos Unidos con Palestine.” The Revolution Club and revcoms went out into the crowd and got out over 1,000 copies of “A Declaration, A Call to Get Organized Now to Get Organized Now for a Real Revolution” and fliers calling for people to donate to the National Revolution Tour, and challenged people to be part of this REAL revolution.

Bangladesh:

Bangladesh, May 16. Photo: AP

Paterson, New Jersey: USA Today reported, “[A] massive rally of 4,000 in the streets of Paterson, New Jersey, marched and shouted chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Occupation has to go.’ Organizers in one of the largest Arab and Palestinian communities in the United States asked people to call their elected officials to demand that they speak out for Palestinian rights and end unconditional aid to Israel.”

Palestine Rally in Paterson. Never seen it like this. Numbers are crazy pic.twitter.com/WPOe4q8ezd

— Taylor Valdmirovich Beans (@BrenesTyler) May 16, 2021

Greenville, South Carolina: People gathered downtown in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The call for the protest said, “Israel continues to advance and cement Israeli supremacy at a great cost to Palestinians—and we MUST come together to speak up against these atrocities.”

Miami, Florida: Between 1,000 and 2,000 people joined a protest organized by Palestinian, Jewish and secular groups, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported, “Local Palestinian, Jewish and secular groups organized the event in Broward County, where there is a larger Palestinian community, said organizer Lily Ostrer with the South Florida chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a national anti-Zionist organization made up of Jews and non-Jews that organize in defense of Palestinian rights.”

Calgary, Canada: According to CTV News, there was a large car caravan in a third day of protests against the Israeli attacks on Palestinians. “Sunday's convoy, which made its way to City Hall, involved more than a thousand vehicles. ‘Today, we're all Palestinians,’ attendee Saima Jamal told CTV News. ‘This is about standing up for human rights. This is about standing up for the oppressed, for people who have no voice.’”

Saturday, May 15, 2021 (Nakba Day*)

Following 6 country reports are all from Al Jazeera:

Iraq: “Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in cities across Iraq to stand in solidarity with Palestinians. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and banners across five provinces in rallies called for by influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Protesters gathered in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the southern provinces of Babylon, Dhi Qar, Diwanieh and Basra in a show of support.”

Iraq, May 15. Photo: AP

Doha, Qatar: “Thousands waved flags and displayed messages in solidarity with the Palestinians.” “‘I am taking a stand against the genocide perpetrated by Israel in our country. We will do whatever it takes to free our country… Since we can’t be there in person, we are here at this protest today… I am very angry, very heartbroken by what is happening,’ Reem Alghoul, a Palestinian living in Doha, told Al Jazeera.”

Paris, France: “Hundreds converged in the Barbes neighbourhood in the north of Paris amid a significant security presence of some 4,200 officers. Paris police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the rally held despite a ban by authorities, who feared a flare-up of anti-Semitic violence during the worst violence between Israel and Hamas in years. A handful of garbage bins were set on fire and rocks and other projectiles were hurled towards police, but no arrests were reported.”

May 15, Bucharest, Romania. Photo: AP

Madrid, Spain: “2,500 people, many of them young people wrapped in Palestinian flags, marched to the Puerta del Sol plaza in the city centre. ‘This is not a war, it’s genocide,’ they chanted. ‘They are massacring us,’ said Amira Sheikh-Ali, a 37-year-old of Palestinian origin.”

South Lebanon: “Some protesters threw Molotov cocktails and rocks over the wall during a protest on Saturday in the Lebanese border village of Odayseh, where hundreds marched waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, as well as the yellow banners of the Hezbollah group. Lebanese and Palestinians from around Lebanon have been heading to the border to protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza.”

Lebanese and Jordanian protesters infiltrated into occupied Palestine. Photo: Wafa News Agency

Srinagar, Kashmir (Under Indian occupation): “A number of people carrying Palestinian flags took to the streets in the main city of Srinagar after Friday prayers. The protesters raised pro-Palestine and anti-Israel slogans.

“The police said it ‘wouldn’t allow cynical encashments of public anger to trigger violence, lawlessness and disorder on Kashmir streets.’

“‘How can we be silent when they [Israel] are killing children in Gaza. Every human on earth should stand up for them. This is about showing humanity and solidarity, but we are not even able to do that due to fear,’ a 25-year-old resident of Srinagar told Al Jazeera.”

Police arrested at least 20 protesters.

United Kingdom: The Guardian reports on a very large protest outside the Israeli embassy in London. Organizers claimed 100,000 people there and that there were also protests in Birmingham, Coventry and Bristol in England, in Cardiff, Wales and in Edinburgh, Scotland. Major leaders in the out-of-power Labour Party spoke. Clashes with police led to at least 13 arrests.

Australia: The Guardian also reports on protests in Sydney and Melbourne in Australia. About 5,000 attended in Sydney, where one protester raised the Palestinian flag over the Sydney Town Hall. “A young girl attended the rally with her parents holding a sign that said ‘Israel is killing children like me,’ as the large crowd chanted ‘From the river to sea, Palestine will be free.’”

In Melbourne, a Palestinian woman who had been coming to protests since she was a toddler told the Guardian: “I’ve been going to these things my whole life and I honestly don’t remember seeing such an incredible or significant turnout as I did today. We were there in the thousands and it was just really, really incredible to see.”

North America: Many press outlets estimated that a total of “tens of thousands” protested across Canada and the U.S.”

United States:

Los Angeles, California: KATC News reported that hundreds of protesters in shut down traffic on Wilshire Boulevard, calling for an end to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Carrying “Free Palestine” signs and chanting “Long Live Intifada,” they marched from the Federal Building to the Israeli consulate.

Los Angeles May 15, at the Federal building in solidarity with Palestine.

Los Angeles, Revolution Club in march.

Boston, Massachusetts: KATC also reported that hundreds of protestors gathered in Boston’s Copley Square and then marched to the Israeli Consulate where a giant “Free Palestine” flag was unfurled atop the consulate’s awning. (France 24 reported that there were thousands in Boston.)

Brooklyn, New York: France 24 reported that about 2,000 people turned out in Bay Ridge, chanting “Free, Free, Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Bay Ridge has a significant Middle Eastern population, but importantly, some Jewish people joined the protest with signs that said “Not in my name” and “Solidarity with Palestine.”

A corporate strategist from Manhattan said, “I'm here because I want a Palestinian life to equal an Israeli life and today it doesn't. When you have a nuclear-armed state and another state of villagers with rocks it is clear who is to blame.”

About 2,000 people protested May 15 in Bayridge, Brooklyn, NY

There were also protests in New Orleans, Louisiana; Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; Dallas, Texas; and Washington, D.C.

Canada:

Montreal, Quebec: Several thousand reportedly denounced Israeli “war crimes” and violations of international law in central Montreal. There was also a protest at the Israeli consulate.

Montreal, Canada, May 15

There were also protests in Vancouver, British Columbia; Edmonton; Alberta; and Toronto; Ontario.

Friday, May 14 

Nairobi, Kenya: Reuters reported that “Police fired teargas to disperse a crowd of more than 200 people.” The protest began at a nearby mosque after prayers. One banner read: "Kenyans stand with Palestine." Human rights activist Boniface Mwangi said, “Apartheid in South Africa would not have fallen without international pressure...our silence justifies what Israel is doing.”

Jordan: Many of Jordan’s 10 million people are of Palestinian origin—some whose families were driven out of Israel when it was founded in 1948, others who had lived on the West Bank or in East Jerusalem, both of which were part of Jordan until they were seized by Israel in 1967.

• In Karameh, according to Reuters, Jordanian riot police forcibly dispersed about 500 young protesters who were trying to get over a bridge that separates Jordan from Jericho, a Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
• In Amman, thousands protested after Friday prayers, demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and the ending of Jordan’s unpopular peace treaty with Israel.

Kfar Kila, Lebanon: The Lebanese state news agency reported that Israeli troops shot and killed a Lebanese man who was part of a protest of hundreds trying to cross over the border into Israel. Another youth was wounded as people expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Israel. According to Reuters, Israel said that its tanks had fired “warning shots” at the youth. Later they were dispersed by the Lebanese Army as United Nations “peacekeepers” looked on.

Dhaka, Bangladesh: Activists from an Islamic political party were joined by thousands of others in protest, carrying signs including “Boycott Terrorist State of Israel” and chanting “Down with Israel.”

Thursday, May 13

Vienna, Austria, May 13. Courtesy of the Austrian Union of Jewish Students.

Nairobi, Kenya, May 13. Photo: AP

Wednesday, May 12

Chicago, Illinois: According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a “massive group” of thousands of demonstrators marched through downtown for two hours, ending at the Israeli consulate. The protest was organized by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine. One organizer told the crowd, “We’ve watched illegal land grab after illegal land grab while the world fell silent. The people of Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem and Gaza said, ‘No more!’ They turned on their phones and said to the world: ‘Are you OK with this?’” A 19-year-old Palestinian demonstrator said, “I’ve been seeing the injustice going on for 70-plus years. My grandma is older than the state of Israel. And it hurts me seeing kids dying, houses being blown up for no reason.”

Chicago, May 12. Photo: IG @vashon_photo

Germany: In Hanover, police said they broke up a protest of around 550 people and prevented two protesters from burning an Israeli flag.

Note: The governments in Germany and France have moved to publicly condemn and perhaps restrict anti-Israel protests, while Austria and the Czech Republic have officially raised the Israeli flag at government buildings in solidarity with Israel.

Spain: Haaretz says “nearly two dozen cities are hosting pro-Palestine protests this week.”

Thursday May 13, Milan, Italy, protesting the attacks on Palestinians.

Tuesday, May 11

New York City: A leaflet urged people to attend an “emergency rally,” wearing either a keffiyeh or a mask for COVID safety. Several hundred people came out to protest near the Israeli consulate, which had been evacuated. Haaretz reports that “Chants of ‘Long live Palestine’ could be heard from blocks away, people climbed city lampposts to raise Palestinian flags and drivers rode their vehicles up and down the wide 42nd Street block honking horns and waving flags out of the car windows, to cheers.” A young Palestinian woman said she’d been unable to sleep for three days, adding that “They make us out to be terrorists and we are far from terrorists. You always have people trying to speak for the Palestinians, as opposed to them speaking for themselves. The least I can do is be a voice for the voiceless.”

Madrid, Spain, May 11

Washington, DC: Alejandro Alvarez reports that hundreds marched in the streets from the State Department to the White House with a giant Palestinian flag and a large wooden “peace tank” adorned with flowers.

Los Angeles: The Daily News reports that over 100 people protested at the Israeli consulate on Wilshire Blvd.

London, England: Around 3,000 people (per Haaretz) protested outside the Prime Minister’s official residence at 10 Downing Street, with placards reading “Free Palestine” and waving Palestinian flags.

South Africa: There were protests in at least two cities. In Cape Town, hundreds took to the streets chanting “Free, Free, Palestine” and “Down Israel, Down,” causing traffic jams. An older South African woman said that the treatment of Palestinians “reminds us of the brutality of police ... of the apartheid system that we used to have.” People also marched through Sandton, the wealthy business district of Johannesburg.

South Africans protest against Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, outside parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

Beirut, Lebanon: There was a protest in Mar Elias, a Palestinian refugee camp.

Amman, Jordan: Protesters gathered outside the Israeli embassy, burning Israeli flags and chanting “Shame, shame the embassy is still there” and “Death to Israel.”

Sydney, Australia: A woman was charged with burning an Israeli flag at a protest in support of the Palestinian people.

There were also protests in Karachi, Pakistan; Ankara, Turkey; Rabat, Morocco; and Khartoum, Sudan.

 

---

* This day commemorates the Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic), the systematic, planned massacres of Palestinians, destruction of Palestinian villages, and rape of Palestinian women in 1948 that marked the birth of the state of Israel.   [back]