Thousands descend on White House to protest Gaza war

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Yahoo / AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Several thousand protesters -- 10,000 according to organizers -- descended on the White House Saturday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, on the heels of other protests across major world capitals.

The protests came as Israel vowed to escalate its war in Gaza that has left 825 Palestinians dead so far, as troops battled fighters from the Islamist movement Hamas into a third week in defiance of a United Nations truce call.

"There are many young people. We feel it's one of the most important demonstrations for Palestine ever in the US," said Eugene Puryear, a coordinator of the protest, which was organized by the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition.

Thousands of people gathered from about 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, chanting "free Palestine" as others spoke from a podium.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090110/ts_alt_afp/mideastconflictgazausdemo_newsmlmmd

[patrice]

1. Excellent! I am proud of them. nt

[movonne]

4. ditto

[Bigmack]

22. BIG ditto!

[Judi Lynn]

2. From Ohio: Local contingent joins Gaza protest in D.C.

Article published Friday, January, 2009
Local contingent joins Gaza protest in D.C.
By DAVID YONKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Hundreds of Ohioans will be leaving for Washington by car and bus tonight to take part in a rally outside the White House tomorrow in protest of Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Two buses will be departing from Masjid Saad, the Alexis Road mosque, at 11 p.m., said Ziad Hummos who is helping organize transportation for the local contingent.

"People are coming from all over the country. We want to save the people of Palestine," Mr. Hummos said. "We've been predicting at least 100,000 people will participate."

Among the Toledoans making the trip will be Imam Ismail Azzouni, spiritual leader of Masjid Saad, Mr. Hummos said.

Most of the Ohioans heading for D.C. are Muslims but organizers emphasized that they are concerned with a humanitarian crisis, not religious or ethnic issues.

More:
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090109/NEWS16/901090370/-1/NEWS

[patrice]

6. This is very heartening. There IS Hope!

:hi:

[elleng]

13. Please follow up

with Blade story afterwards. Thanks.

[JFKfanforever]

42. May the holocausting of the Palestinians cease!

Those poor little children at that UN school... So much
intentional collateral damage and collective punishment and
yet the Bush administration turns a blind eye to all of it and
supplies the invaders with more and more weapons of
destruction.  Speak up President Obama!

[balantz]

3. I rarely watch MSM. Has anyone seen reference to these protests on TV? n/t

[IndianaGreen]

8. CNN showed a 5-second live shot of demonstration

CNN's presenter referred to demonstrators as "pro-Palestinians" without even mentioning the word "Gaza."

[Judi Lynn]

5. Reminder of 10 days ago: Widespread protests in US against Gaza attack

Widespread protests in US against Gaza attack
Israel still at it in Gaza
Thursday January 01, 2009 (1208 PST)

WASHINGTON: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in scores of US cities on Tuesday evening to protest against the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Earlier, a coalition of civil rights and Muslim and Arab activists had urged their supporters to observe Dec 30 as a national day of action to support the people of Palestine.

In Washington, about 5,000 people gathered at the State Department and marched to the White House. Those taking to the streets included many children and teenagers demanding an immediate end to the bombing of Gaza. As the night-time march entered the White House grounds, it filled all of Pennsylvania Avenue with young people raising Palestinian flags at the White House fence.

Over 10,000 protesters filled the sidewalks in front of and across the street from the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.

In New York City, thousands demonstrated at the Israeli Consulate located on 2nd Avenue and 43rd Street.

In Dearborn, Michigan, thousands braved below-freezing weather to demonstrate. In San Diego, 500 people protested.

Demonstrations were also held in Anchorage, Alaska; Phoenix, Arizona; Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa, California; Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Ocala, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Ann Arbour, Flint and Kalamazoo, Michigan; Concord and Portsmouth, New Hampshire; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, New York state; Cincinnati, Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Knoxville, Tennessee; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington state; and scores of other cities and towns in US.

Protesters even lined the street in front of US President-elect Barack Obama’s vacation compound in Kailua, Hawaii.

More:
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?209545

[elleng]

14. This is the PAK tribune!

Widespread pro-palestinian protests are NOT reported in u.s. msm.

[IndianaGreen]

7. A trickle will become a stream, then the stream wll become a torrent

We even had a demonstration here early in the week, and it wasn't organized by ANSWER, but by people texting one another.

[azul]

9. "War" has been declared? By the nation of Palestine -or Israel?

Let's be technical here or else declare the term "war" a propaganda tool intended to evoke emotional fits. Like Iraq War or GWOT. "Military Adventure" or "armed conflict" sound less enraging?

Isn't one nation required to declare war for it to be legal "war"?

And if Israel declares war, is that granting Palestine nationhood?

Or, if it not war, it is illegal, and all civilized nations should put a stop to it?



This perpetual core conflict is dividing the world into armed camps that pull all the focus and resources out of and away from the real problem of killing ourselves and our environment by overpopulation pressures.

Or is war Nature's answer to human overpopulation, seeing as how many humans would rather fight than switch -to peace? Our history is largely one of armed aggression and supremacy, and sadly enough with religious blessings for killing each other.

[Donkeykick]

12. The Answer is...

as soon as Hamas quits shooting rockets in to Israel, I believe that Israel will quit shooting back

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Then Israel will be able to continue walling in the people of Gaza

And making their lives miserable in many other ways.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bvar22]

39. And instead, Israel will go back to "Peaceful Methods"....

...like the ever expanding "settlements".

[Scurrilous]

10. K & R

:thumbsup:

[elleng]

11. Anyone find this in MSM?

Not in WaPo, at the moment anyhow.

[pjt7]

16. Cool

~

[Faygo Kid]

17. We must come up with better solutions. I am tired of marching against war.

Been doing it since Vietnam, and I tire of it with two hip replacements. Do we never learn anything?

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. AP reporting worldwide protests,with shoe throwing.

I googled news...lots of reports.

[rollin74]

19. if ANSWER says the turnout was 10,000

it was probably less than 2,000.

I was foolish enough to attend ANSWER demonstrations in D.C. in the past. They are famous for GROSSLY overestimating turnout.

[patrice]

24. So the purpose and spirit of those events weren't worth your time?

How many people does it take to make something less "foolish"?

[rollin74]

31. it wasn't the number of participants that turned me off

it was the rhetoric from a lot of the ANSWER speakers that ruined it.

I went to at least half a dozen anti- Iraq War demos in D.C. that ANSWER was involved with. A few in other cities as well.

I certainly don't regret protesting the invasion of Iraq but I have decided to never again go to an ANSWER organized rally.

Several of those anti-war protests a few years ago were very well attended but that didn't stop the organizers from providing ridiculously inflated crowd size estimates to the media.

[Alameda]

34. I agree with you, I avoid ANSWER events.

[stillcool]

26. Jeez...the crowds are 'always' under-estimated...

believe me..this would never see print if it were not in the ballpark. Which demonstration did you foolishly attend?

[defendandprotect]

21. Let's hope these efforts begin to stop US/Israeli warmaking --

[patrice]

25. For that to be possible, we REALLY need the surrounding countries to live up to

THEIR responsibilities to the Palestinians.

[stillcool]

27. Might makes right..

I bet the U.S. and Israel are salivating to go into Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.

[Andy823]

29. The whole middle east

Is a powder keg ready to blow up, and Bush has been the main cause of it. For the last 8 years he has done nothing to stop the violence, all he has done is stir the pot, and cause more trouble. I can't wait till he leaves office! The only problem is he is leaving a hell of a mess for Obama to clean up!

[Andy823]

28. Protests in the UK also

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7821928.stm

I think the world is upset with what the Israel leaders have done. It is a big problem, and world wide people are protesting what happened. In the UK it turned violent when police tried to push protesters back from the Israel embassy. The leaders are the problem, those in Israel, and Hamas. People are dying for no reason, and the leaders are to damned dumb to put a stop to it. The leaders of the world need to stand up and demand a cease fire. Bush hasn't got the brains to do it, but I pray Obama does!

10 more days of Bush, can the world survive?

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[marshall]

32. Someone needs to tell them to go up the hill to Congress

Don't they know that it was Congress that just voted overwhelmingly to give unconditional support to Israel? On the other hand I've heard nothing about either Bush or Obama saying anything about it.
They'd get just as much attention and they'd be going to party that is at the present moment getting us entangled.

[peacetalksforall]

33. The true access of evil: Israel U.S. and U.S. Congress

Congress for abiding and obeying PNAC, AIPAC, AEI, military-industrial, media, reverends, barons.
And Congress for abiding and obeying the White House and Israel.

[Alameda]

35. Careful, it's not all Israelis, They have their far right problem too.

There are other voices there...Gush Shalom...for one...

[peacetalksforall]

36. You're right, I've been very careful to say leaders in office. I know there are

lovers of peace and fairness in Israel. I've been studying some of their words. Rarely does the word 'all' apply. Thank good people everywhere.

[bvar22]

40. Nailed It !!!!

"Congress for abiding and obeying PNAC, AIPAC, AEI, military-industrial, media, reverends, barons."

[ejbr]

37. K & R n/t

[leftchick]

38. PICS>>>>>

Demonstrators protest during a pro-Palestinian rally outside the White House in Washington, DC. Several thousand protesters -- 10,000 according to organizers -- descended on the White House Saturday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, on the heels of other protests across major world capitals.
(AFP/Yuri Gripas)


And these from LA....





A man hangs a banner from a traffic signal during a demonstration against Israel's actions in Gaza, in Los Angeles on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)


Check out the slideshow. There have been protests around the world but you would not know it in the USA....



http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Demonstrators-protest-during-pro-Palestinian-rally-outside-White-House-Washington-DC/photo//090110/photos_ts_afp/c9a16429be2a10dd897adb99def78cce//s:/afp/20090110/ts_alt_afp/mideastconflictgazausdemo_newsmlmmd#photoViewer=/090110/480/326997de2c374cfe80d2b0fc0c948692

[ShadesOfGrey]

41. Thanks for the link...

Like someone above stated, "A trickle will become a stream, then the stream will become a torrent...". It's going to get harder and harder for the US media to keep ignoring us.