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A pro-Palestinian protester raises the burning flags of the US and Israel during a rally in Athens - Source: Reuters -
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Greek demonstrators set fire to banks, threw rocks and fired
flares at police in the capital Athens, one of several protests
worldwide against Israel's offensive in the Gaza strip.
Tens of thousands have protested against Israel's offensive and its
weekend land assault into Gaza.
In some Western countries smaller protests have been staged in
favour of the action which Israel says is aimed at stopping rocket
attacks by the Islamist Hamas group towards its southern
towns.
In Greece, protesters burnt flags and hurled shoes and rocks at the
Israeli embassy during a march by about 3,000 people organised by
local Palestinian groups, left-wing parties and anti-war
groups.
"Police fired teargas to disperse protesters that had started
throwing rocks and firing flares at police after the conclusion of
the rally," said a police official who requested anonymity.
"After the rally, which was mostly peaceful, some protesters then
proceeded to smash cars and set fire to banks near the embassy.
Three bank branches were set fire to."
The protesters carried banners that read Free Palestine and Support
to the Intifada - slogans which were seen on the streets of the
Moroccan capital, Rabat.
"Allah Akbar (God is Greatest). We are all with Gaza," chanted
thousands of Moroccan protesters, many of whom were women wearing
hijabs and Islamic headscarves.
The demonstrators, joined by some government ministers, criticised
Arab leaders for what they said was a failure to support Hamas in
Gaza.
More than one thousand people demonstrated in the Belgian capital
Brussels, with smaller demonstrations in other cities, and in
Poland protesters called for an end to the slaughter in Gaza
outside the Israeli embassy in Warsaw.
In Paris, where more than 20,000 people took part in a march on
Saturday to protest the bombardment of Gaza, several hundred people
gathered at the Israeli embassy to express support for Israel and
to condemn Hamas rocket attacks.
"I have come here to defend peace in solidarity with our children
at the front who are fighting Hamas, a criminal, extremist
movement", said a 50 year-old teacher who declined to be named
because she had pupils from Arab families in her class.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commentfarhatmirza said on 2009-01-21 @ 09:43 NZDT: Report abusive post
Dear Sir/Madam, If and when the information is declassified, it may come out that the connection between 'shoe-treatment' of G.Bush in Iraq and, the carnage if not the genocide that followed in Ghaza, was not, after all, the figment of ones imagination. Regards, fjm
sheildzee said on 2009-01-20 @ 19:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
Please report accurately. Hamas did not "seize control of Gaza from Abbas's Fatah forces in 2007 ...". You rightly state that Hamas won the general election so Hamas did not "seize" anything. Your point about Fatah is superfluous anyway so just stick to the facts - " Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people in democratic elections held in 2006." That is the truth. The power struggle that followed the democratic election of Hama is another issue entirely.
flyer said on 2009-01-19 @ 16:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
Whew, a ceasefire of sorts - obviously the protest of the southland cafe owner against Israeli women has brought everyone to the negotiating table - AS IF.....
farhatmirza said on 2009-01-19 @ 11:42 NZDT: Report abusive post
Dear Sir/Madam, To say that Israel funded Hamas looks improbable, if not ridiculous. However, I won't be surprised if Hamas took a cue of two from Hagana, Irgun, or Lehi. Regards, fjm
philipmcc said on 2009-01-19 @ 10:01 NZDT: Report abusive post
I feel sad enough about the Gaza protagonists each claiming that they are the 'good guys' and the others are the 'bad guys', and the suffering that creates. But as I read these comments I see the same human tendency being acted out. So many claim that their view is 'right' and the others are 'wrong'. This stance is a major factor in all conflict. While that fear-based tendency persists we will go on having wars like Gaza.