UK protesters set ablaze Israel's flag
Palestine-Israel-UK, Politics, 1/6/2009

As Arab leaders fail to represent a unified front, thousands of demonstrators from Athens to Addis Ababa, from London to Libya, and elsewhere express their solidarity with the people of Gaza.

Karen Abu Zayed, the commissioner for the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, said on Dec 31 2008, "In my eight years in UNRWA, the urgency of an appeal for the people here (in Gaza) has never been so acute... I am appalled and saddened when I see the suffering around me."

Earlier in the week protests were held in which Jews also participated where Richard Kuper, from Jews For Justice for Palestine, was returning to the protest for the third time had said "I'm outraged by what is going on in Gaza and I think it is important Jewish voices speak out against bombing. I think it was the scale of the bombardment which is greatly disproportionate that has angered people."

Protests in London continued with demonstrations in front of the Israeli Embassy where riot police arrested two protesters on Sunday night as they set ablaze Israel's flag.

Hundreds of protesters braved the cold weather in the capital in support of the people in Gaza. Demonstrators were calling for an immediate end to Israeli air and ground assaults on Gaza where the death toll has exceeded 500. Around 2,750 people have been also injured.

Respected MP George Galloway led Sunday's demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy.

Scotland Yard police announced yesterday that protesters at the front of the barrier line made repeated attempts to break through to the street leading to embassy.

Several protesters were arrested and more units of armored riot police were mobilized and forcibly moved waves of protesters away from the high street.

Member Of Parliament Galloway, who was caught up in yesterday's incident, said he and his daughter were thrown to the ground. "It was very frightening. The police trapped us in the tunnel and attacked us repeatedly."

He said earlier that the British government has been conspiring with Israelis in the past six decades. Referring to historical facts indicating the British hand in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said Gordon Brown has not changed the British policy of support for Israel.

"Israel has not a better friend in the world than the British government. Britain authored the Palestinian tragedy in the first place when Balfour on behalf of one people promised the second people the land of the third people. It's a desperate thing to do," he said.

About 600 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed and over 2500 wounded since the start of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Galloway added that the British foreign policy is to "stay step by step and shoulder by shoulder" with the United States in supporting the Israeli regime.

Previous Stories:
  British minister describes Israeli settlements as tyranny   (12/24/2008)
  Blair tracked by Israeli warplanes   (5/27/2008)
  Israeli siege 'significant risk to public health' UK warns   (5/21/2008)

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