Tens of thousands people including Jewish and Turkish Communities have turned out in London to call for an end to Israeli strikes in Gaza. The event organizers stated Palestinians are facing “a horrific escalation of racism and violence” at the hands of the IDF. At the recent Israeli strikes some 121 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian sources. The UN says more than three-quarters are civilians.
The British capital saw the largest turnout with thousands of protesters rallying outside the Israeli Embassy. Demonstrators flooded the streets around the Israeli Embassy waving placards that read “Gaza: End the Siege” and “Freedom for Palestine.”
Furthermore a group of protesters scaled one of the city’s iconic double-decker buses. The Jewish activists also climbed on top of the iconic London bus with a placard which read “Judaism rejects the Zionist state and condemns its criminal siege and occupation.”
Stop the War Coalition, British Muslims, European Islamic Forum, Palestine Solidarity Platform and many other NGOs joined forces for the protest. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign protesters joined the protest with banners which stated: “Palestinians living under Israeli occupation are currently facing a horrific escalation of racism and violence as the Israeli State pursues a strategy of collective punishment.”
In order for protests to take place safely London Metropolitan Police closed the streets surrounding the Israel Embassy in London. Police Helicopter hovered over the crowd at all times during the protest in London. End to Israeli strikes to Gaza protest ended peacefully after all protesters acted responsibly and peacefully.
[As international pressure continued to build on Israel to end its four-day conflict with Hamas and Palestinian militant groups in the enclave, Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said the Israeli military must abide by international law.
“We have received deeply disturbing reports that many of the civilian casualties, including of children, occurred as a result of strikes on homes,” Pillay said. “Such reports raise serious doubt about whether the Israeli strikes have been in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”] *
Tolga CAKIR
Turkish community members at the protest for Israeli strikes[/caption]
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London double decker bus during the protests for Israeli strikes[/caption]
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The crowd and placards showing Benjamin Netanyahu as Hitler[/caption]
*Reference: The Guardian