From the Hudson Valley Activist Newsletter 12-31-08
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Demonstrations Across the U.S. and Around World
Demand an End to the Bombing and Siege of Gaza
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in scores of U.S. cities in
response to the call for December 30 to be a National Day of Action to
support the people of Palestine.
The call was issued 72 hours ago by a number of organizations including the
ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, the National Council of
Arab Americans, Free Palestine Alliance, Al-Awda – International Palestine
Coalition for the Right of Return and others.
In New York City, thousands demonstrated at the Israeli Consulate located on
2nd Ave. and 43rd St.
In Washington D.C., 5,000 people gathered at the State Department and
marched to the White House. Those taking to the streets included many
children, teenagers and young adults demanding an immediate end to the
bombing of Gaza. As the nighttime march entered the White House grounds, it
took over and filled all of Pennsylvania Avenue with young people raising
Palestinian flags at the White House fence.
Over 10,000 protestors filled the sidewalks in front of and across the
street from the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco and marched.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 marchers took to the streets in Los Angeles. In
Dearborn, Michigan, thousands braved below-freezing weather to demonstrate.
In San Diego, 500 people protested.
Demonstrations also took place in Anchorage, AK; Phoenix, AZ; Modesto,
Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa, CA; Colorado Springs and Denver, CO;
Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Ocala, FL; Atlanta, GA; Honolulu, HI; Chicago,
IL; Louisville, KY; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor, Flint and
Kalamazoo, MI; Concord and Portsmouth, NH; New Brunswick, NJ; Albuquerque,
NM; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, NY; Cincinnati, Cleveland and
Youngstown, OH; Portland, OR; Philadelphia, PA; Sioux Falls, SD; Knoxville,
TN; Dallas and Houston, TX; Norfolk, VA; Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma, WA;
and scores of other cities in the United States. Protestors even lined the
street in front of incoming U.S. President Barack Obama‘s vacation compound
in Kailua, Hawaii.
Coordinated protests were also held throughout the Middle East, Europe,
Asia, Latin America and Africa.
There will be a large-scale demonstration on Friday, Jan. 2, that will
assemble at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., and march to the
Egyptian Embassy. The sponsoring organizations include the ANSWER Coalition,
the Muslim American Society Freedom, and the National Council of Arab
Americans.
To make a contribution online or to find out how to contribute by check:
http://www.answercoalition.org/. Email [email protected].
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389.
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The international journalist Nir Rosen wrote a thoughtful and trenchant
article about the plight of Gaza for the British newspaper The Guardian
Dec. 29. It’s titled, “Gaza: The Logic of Colonial Power.” He notes: “As so
often, the term ‘terrorism’ has proved a rhetorical smokescreen under cover
of which the strong crush the weak.” It is available
athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/29/gaza-hamas-israel/prin
t