Below is a partial list of the hundreds of demonstrations for Gaza that happened around the world this past weekend. It is primarily focused on the actions that happened between Friday and Sunday, during which time an estimated 700,000 people from every continent came together to make their voices heard. It is vital that this incredible mobilization in solidarity with the people of Gaza continues until the world leaders are no longer able to ignore the collective voice of the people. Indeed, public pressure must continue to force the world to uphold Palestinian rights and to end Israelâs brutal occupation of Palestine.
Calls to Action
In addition to the hundreds of protests that occurred around the world, many innovative action calls were launched, along with other forms of solidarity with the people of Gaza. Below is a partial list of the calls to action that have been launched in recent days that you can join in or develop in your countries.
Worldwide
In several cities all over the world people have started to put up tents in front of the Israeli embassy, the US embassy, the Parliament or other important locations. The tent is a symbol for all the Palestinians in Gaza who have had to leave their houses and live on the street, either because their house were bombed or because they are afraid that this will happen. The tent is also a symbol for all Palestinians who live as refugees away from their lands that were occupied since 1948. If you put up a tent, send a message and photo to: kristelinpalestine@gmail.com
Via Campesina, the International Peasant Movement, has issued a solidarity letter and call to end the Israeli assault on Gaza. The letter calls upon all progressive individuals and solidarity movements to take action to end the slaughter and to support the people who have been victimized. To view the full letter, visit the Via Campesina website at: https://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.
France
ISM France and CAPJPO-EuroPaletine have issued urgent calls to reject the Israeli Ministry of Tourismâs attempts to promote French tourism to Israel. On Thursday January 15th, the Ministry plans to hold a â100th Anniversary of Tel Avivâ exhibit in the Grand Hotel Intercontinental de Paris, where dozens of representatives from the Israeli tourism sector will meet with their French counterparts to try and develop tourism between the two countries. ISM France and CAPJPO-EuroPalestine are urging all forms of action to shut down the planned initiative. Intercontinental is a global hotel chain that ISM-France has targeted for a worldwide boycott. For more information, visit their website at https://www.ism-france.org/news/.
England
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has issued an open letter to Professor Paul Webley, the Director and Principal of the University of Londonâs School of Oriental and African Studies, calling for him to cancel the Tel Aviv University Special Lecture Series marking Tel Aviv’s centennial. All citizens of conscience are urged to take action by writing to Professor Webley at. pw2@soas.ac.uk. To see the full letter and for more information, click here: https://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=872_0_1_0_C.
Norway
Activists in Norway have established a Facebook group calling for closing the Israeli embassy in Oslo, and ending all diplomatic relations with Israel. Thus far, over 24,000 people have joined the group, which continues to grow despite an attempt by a Zionist group to hack into the group.
Weekend Demonstrations
Middle East
Jordan
In Amman and across the rest of Jordan, tens of thousands rallied to protest the massacre in Gaza. Demonstrators were prevented from reaching the Israeli embassy by riot police, who fired teargas to disperse the crowd. Despite the repression, protestors continued to push forward, demanding that Jordan expel the Israeli ambassador and cut its diplomatic relations with Israel. In response to this public pressure, the Prime Minister of Jordan stated that the country was âreconsidering its tiesâ with Israel. Recently, it was revealed that the Jordanian envoy to Israel was told to remain in Amman indefinitely.
Egypt
Similarly to Jordan, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in various cities across Egypt, including 5,000 in Alexandria and 1,500 in El Arish. Demonstrators demanded the severing of diplomatic ties with Israel, and that the Egyptian government open the Rafah crossing to ease the siege on Gaza.
Iraq
Tens of thousands of Iraqis protested on Friday against Israelâs attack on the people of Gaza. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, and burned Israeli and US flags in Sadr City, Adhamiya, Falluja, and Najaf.
Turkey
After the Friday prayers, tens of thousands of people marched in Istanbul to condemn the slaughter, and to pressure the Turkish government to take a stronger stance. The crowd performed a funeral prayer for the Gazan victims, and handed out leaflets promoting the boycott of Israeli products.
On January 6th, a protest of a different form took place in Ankara, where the national Israeli basketball team was set to play a game against the Turkish national team. Before the game began, however, the crowd began chanting angrily, and throwing shoes onto the court. Police escorted the Israeli team into the locker room, and they were forced to forfeit the game, giving Turkey an automatic 20-0 victory.
Asia
Indonesia
At least 20,000 Indonesians staged a rally in Jakarta, calling for an end to the Israeli assault on Gaza. Some demonstrators called for a boycott of Israeli products, and the organizers of the protest also collected money to help the people of Gaza.
Pakistan
Thousands of people took part in a rally in Islamabad, condemning the Israeli attacks and showing their solidarity with the people of Gaza. In the city of Karachi, demonstrators were met with police tear gas and batons, as they attempted to march to the US consulate.
India
Representatives from Indian civil society sent an open letter to the Prime Minister of India, demanding that he condemn the Israeli massacre, and suspend all diplomatic, economic and military ties with Israeli. The letter also called upon the government to condemn the USA for its instrumental role in supporting the assault on Gaza. To view the full letter, click here: https://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2009/01/2526.
Oceania
New Zealand
Some 1,000 demonstrators joined a protest in Auckland on Saturday, throwing shoes at the US embassy, and burning the Israeli and American flags to show their outrage at the massacre in Gaza. Other actions are planned for the coming days, including protests directed at companies and organizations with links to Israel. A spokesperson for Global Peace and Justice Auckland said that until Israel ends its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the BDS campaign would continue.
Africa
South Africa
A full week of energetic solidarity activity in South Africa was capped off by a huge demonstration in Cape Town, where 15,000 people took to the streets to condemn the slaughter in Gaza. In addition to the Cape Town rally, some 2,000 people laid siege to the Egyptian embassy in Tshwane on Friday, while thousands marched in Durban, and Port Elizabeth witnessed a placard demonstration. Protestors called for the South African government to withdraw its ambassador from Tel Aviv, expel the Israeli ambassador, sever all diplomatic ties with Israel, and implement comprehensive boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Zionist state.
Mauritania
Around 5,000 people joined a demonstration in Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania, which recently recalled its envoy to Israel. Riot police fired teargas at the protestors, who responded by throwing stones.
Americas
Brazil
A large demonstration took place in Sao Paolo, as 7,000 people took to the streets in response to the call from all major social movements and civil society organizations, along with several trade unions and political parties. Another demonstration was held in Belem, which will be the site of the World Social Forum later this month. The demonstration, which was held in front of the US consulate, was organized by MST, a coalition of local social movements.
Canada
A huge demonstration was held in Montreal, as over 15,000 people took to the streets in response to a call to action from over 60 civil society organizations, including all of Quebecâs trade unions.
In Ottawa, some 1,500 demonstrators also came out to show their solidarity with the people of Gaza and their outrage at the Canadian governmentâs inaction. Protestors from all strata of society participated in the rally, which went past the Israeli embassy as well as the Prime Ministerâs Office.
Thousands of people also demonstrated in Toronto, condemning the occupation and the ongoing slaughter. The protests in Toronto came after a group of Jewish women had occupied the Israeli consulate for several hours earlier in the week. Other demonstrations were held in cities such as Calgary, Halifax, Fredericton and Victoria.
USA
On Sunday, over 10,000 people gathered in the streets of San Francisco, marching towards City Hall to show their solidarity with the people of Gaza. Protesters carried 800 balloons representing the over 800 dead in Gaza, and children carried dolls stained with blood to represent the children torn apart by Israeli fire. Photos of the death and destruction were carried alongside the Palestinian flags as marchers chanted against the Israeli violence and occupation.
In the district of Westwood, Los Angeles, over 1,000 people participated in a rally, chanting âFree Palestineâ and âIntifada.â Several others were planned in New York, where one group marched outside the CNN offices to decry their biased coverage of the assault on Gaza. Rallies outside of the United Nations and in Washington, DC, also drew thousands of participants.
Europe
England
A massive demonstration with as many as 200,000 people filled the streets of London, in what some people have called the largest Palestinian solidarity protest ever in the UK. Protestors condemned the slaughter in Gaza, and denounced Arab and other regimes who are complicit in the assault. Many people also called for a comprehensive boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign to be imposed on Israel.
Actions were also planned for the city of Manchester, where demonstrators protested outside the Lloyds/TSB Bank, in reaction to the bankâs threat to withdraw from banking facilities from the charity Interpal, which does work in Gaza.
Spain
Barcelona was the site of a massive demonstration organized by the cityâs anti-war movement, and endorsed by over 300 other organizations. As many as 200,000 people filled the streets, calling for an end to the mass-murder in Gaza, and for a boycott to be imposed on Israel, along with the severing of all commercial ties.
Elsewhere in Spain, 3,000 people marched in Pamplona, up to 7,000 demonstrated in Las Palmas, and around 2,500 people came out in Malaga. In other cities, such as Avila and Valencia, hundreds of people demonstrated for Gaza.
Norway
Over 5,000 people took to the streets in Oslo against the massacres in Gaza. The demonstration was supported by several of the largest trade unions in Norway. Thousands chanted “Boycott Israel! Close down the embassy!” Speakers called for academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
A demonstration also took place in the small city of Hamar, which is the twin city of Khan Younis, on the Gaza Strip. With 1,200 participants, this was the largest demonstration in Hamar in several decades.
Other demonstrations in Norway occurred in Kristiansand, where 700 people marched, and Bergen, where 1,000 people heard speakers calling âisolating the Israeli government.â Demonstrations were also held in at least 17 other cities on Saturday.
France
Over 100,000 people joined a demonstration in Paris on Saturday, chanting âWe are all Palestinians,â and calling for sanctions to be imposed on Israel. The protest lasted for several hours into the evening, as a loud procession continued to march through the main streets. In addition to the protest in Paris, 15,000 demonstrated in Marseille and Lille, 8,000 people came out in Bordeaux and Nantes, and 5,000 in Toulouse. In total, about 300,000 people demonstrated in 130 towns and cities across France.
Netherlands
On Sunday, all comers were invited to the Free Gaza Tent that has been erected in Den Hague. An information session was held, with maps, photos, personal stories and a history of the region being given to help people understand the current situation.
Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, some 1,500 people marched from the Czech embassy, where a letter to the EU President was delivered, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the final declaration took place and another letter was delivered to the Luxembourg government.
Scotland
As many as 10,000 people demonstrated in Edinburgh, with a vibrant march passing the American embassy, where some shoes were thrown.
Germany
Over 40,000 people protested against the attacks on Gaza in towns and cities all across the country.
Ireland
In Dublin, around 800 demonstrators threw shoes at the Israeli embassy and carried a mock coffin covered with pictures of dead and wounded Palestinians. Speakers at the rally denounced the Israeli offensive and called on the international community not to buy or sell Israeli goods.
Meanwhile, in Belfast, some 5,000 people marched through the city centre calling for an end to the massacre. The rally was organized by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).
Italy
Luisa Morgantini, Vice President of the European Parliament, entered Gaza on Sunday, along with a delegation of eight Members of European Parliament. The delegation will stay in Gaza until Tuesday January 13th, when the MEPs will return to Strasbourg to report back about the situation to the Plenary session of the EU Parliament and they will hold a press conference. In Gaza the delegation will be staying with UNRWA and visit refugee camps, hospitals and towns.
Greece
Some 2,000 people took to the streets in Athens, marching through the city to the Israeli embassy. In another important development, Greek activists blocked the port of Astakos, which was the site of 3,000 tons of munitions that were set to be urgently shipped to Israel.
Sweden
Demonstrations took place in all major cities, including Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. In Stockholm, some 5,000 people rallied for Gaza, with their march ending at the Israeli embassy, while Gothenburg has regularly seen 2,000 people come out, and in Malmo, 1,000 participants joined. Other small towns, including Umea, Karlskrona and Kristianstad, have been the site of solidarity rallies as well.
Denmark
As many as 3,000 people demonstrated in Copenhagen, marching through the city to call for an end to the massacre in Gaza.
Switzerland
A demonstration was held in Bern, on Saturday, with organizers handing out leaflets calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.