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 info@internationalanswer.org. 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/print
