Vol. 73/No. 2      January 19, 2009

The protest, organized by the Arab Muslim American Federation, Al-Awda, Muslim American Society youth center, International Action Center, and others, drew people mostly from New York and New Jersey, but also from Connecticut and Pennsylvania. It included many high school and college youth.

Many congregations at mosques in New Jersey chartered buses to come to the action. Some Puerto Rican and Dominican political activists participated in the march as well as others who were outraged at the one-sided Israeli assault.

Some demonstrators brought their family, including Naif Oden, who came with his 11 children. “This is the least we could do,” he said. “There is no justice. No human rights. It is a massacre.”

“My friend was telling me about the demonstration and I wanted to see for myself,” said Andre Smith, a 20-year-old meat packer at the march.

Dan Fein, Socialist Workers candidate for mayor of New York, joined the march. “Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in Israel to show his support for Tel Aviv’s assault. But I am here as the Socialist Workers candidate for mayor to oppose the bombing and invasion, to demand an immediate end to U.S. aid to Israel, and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people,” he said.

At the beginning of the demonstration about 50 supporters of the Israeli assault staged a counterprotest.

Some 800 marched January 3 in Boston to protest the Israeli bombing. Demonstrations of about 500 took place in Washington, D.C., on January 2 and in Seattle and Atlanta on January 3. Protests were also organized in other cities across the United States from Houston to Des Moines, Iowa.
 

Similar demonstrations took place in Melbourne and Brisbane.

A lead banner demanded, “Stop Israeli terrorism” while another, in the red, black, white, and green colors of the Palestinian flag, said “End the Israeli occupation! Free Palestine!”

Chants included “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and “No justice, no peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!” Some 3,000 also demonstrated outside the U.S. consulate in Sydney December 29.
 

In Toronto several thousand people took to the streets January 3. Also that day, more than 500 braved icy winds to attend an action on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and protest actions were held in Vancouver and Winnipeg. In Edmonton nearly 500 protested January 4.