Second Day of Protest set tonight over Israeli attacks (Indianapolis, Indiana)

[IndianaGreen]

Protest set tonight over Israeli attacks

By Heather Gillers
Posted: December 30, 2008

Palestinian Americans and their allies intend to gather at Monument Circle tonight for a second day of protest over Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstration will begin at 6:30 p.m. said one participant, Mina Khoury.

Monday evening about 75 people marched around the circle carrying candles and signs with messages such as "Mothers are grieving in Palestine and Israel."

"The Palestinian community here is very strong, both Christians and Muslims so we're just showing solidarity," said Khoury, 55, Indianapolis.

Israel has dropped tons of bombs on Gaza over the past four days in an effort to stop rocket attacks by the ruling Hamas.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081230/LOCAL/812300398

Palestinian-Americans rally Downtown

At a quickly organized rally, about 75 demonstrators denounce airstrikes on Gaza

By Heather Gillers
Posted: December 30, 2008

About 75 people gathered at Monument Circle on Monday evening to protest Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has dropped tons of bombs on the Palestinian territory in an effort to stop rocket attacks by the ruling Hamas.

In a demonstration hastily pulled together through word of mouth Monday, Palestinian-Americans and their allies marched around the Circle holding candles and signs. One read, "Mothers are grieving in Palestine and Israel." Another was scrawled with the words, "300 + dead? Not kosher."

Bashar Ghanem, 32, a heating and cooling technician, said he immigrated to Indianapolis from Nablus six years ago and is now a U.S. citizen. He said he and his wife, Ala, 22, came to protest what they see as an unfair fight.

"The war is not equal," he said. "Israel's army has all kinds of high-tech weapons."

http://www.indystar.com/article/20081230/LOCAL18/812300355

[EFerrari]

1. Third day here and the crowd grew to thousands. I just saw it on local CBS

Protesters march on Market Street
By John Upton
Examiner Staff Writer 12/31/08

SAN FRANCISCO – Scuffles broke out between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters Tuesday evening in front of the Israeli Consulate, before Palestinian supporters broke down police barricades and marched through downtown, clogging traffic and transit.

The peak-hour protest was organized by opponents of Israel’s recent air attacks in Gaza Strip, but it was also attended by vocal supporters of the state. Israel has been heavily attacking Gaza since Saturday, killing almost 400 as of Tuesday in an attempt to cripple Hamas, an organization they say is responsible for rocket attacks originating in the Palestinian territory.

Protesters were confined by police barricades in two tightly packed groups on Montgomery Street footpaths, where dueling demonstrators waved flags, chanted, cursed and spat at one another, and scuffled occasionally, leading police to detain at least one man.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/36909344.html

What actually happened was that the peaceniks walked past the flag wavers and people kept joining them. Wow.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Most excellent! People are fed up with neocons on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond

The local newspaper failed to mention that there were a lot of non Arab Americans in the demonstrations.

[EFerrari]

3. Our local teevee station was great. They interviewed an older Jewish man

who said he had helped raise funds for Israel as a young man and that this war crime had to stop now. :wow:

They also interviewed a young Palestinian woman. I was impressed and that never happens. :)

[IndianaGreen]

4. Local TV coverage last night interviewed a handful of protesters against Gaza bombings

They were unanimous in their support for real change in US foreign policy in Middle East. They are challenging the rubber stamping of everything that Israel does. We need a fair and balanced policy in the Middle East, and that means start treating Palestinians as human beings with legitimate claims against Israel.

[davidinalameda]

5. I was stuck in that mess yesterday

I thought the protests were tonight or else I'd be out there demonstrating against the Hamas terrorists

[EFerrari]

6. Well, your side could have used you tonight. They were 'way out numbered.

And no matter what you say, I still love you, dwickham.

lol

:hug:

[IndianaGreen]

7. Obviously it was GAWD's will to keep you from siding with the Jerusalem butchers

41 years of Israel's bullshit has finally worn thin in America! Perhaps AIPAC should have refrained from supporting Bush's invasion of Iraq back in 2002.

On edit:

We might disagree on this topic, but I fully share and support the message conveyed by your choice of icon.

[davidinalameda]

8. butchers?

if you weren't so serious, you'd be funny

[ProgressiveMuslim]

9. Philly had over 1,000 march last night as well. Nothing but support from

those we passed either.

Awesome night.

[IndianaGreen]

10. The American people have been lied to for 41 years about Israel's land grab

Since the Iraq war fiasco, a war advocated vigorously by the Israel Lobby, Americans have become more cynical about the "official" version of events.

CPUSA Denounces Israeli Attacks In Gaza

The Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA) emphatically denounces the Israeli attacks in Gaza, which have left several hundred dead and unknown numbers wounded. The attacks have been carried out with a total disregard for the safety of children, women, old people and other noncombatants and are the latest phase in a brutal campaign to strangle the people of Gaza by blockading them and denying them access to basic necessities. The pretext stated by the Israeli government, namely the resumption of the Hamas rocket attacks, is far out of proportion to the damage being inflicted on innocent people by the IDF bombings. What is more, the Israeli government has telegraphed plans to continue the bombings and follow them up with an invasion by ground forces.

The Communist Party of Israel has suggested that the current Israeli attacks are a demagogic move related to the current electoral campaign in that country, as well as perhaps being intended to present the incoming Obama administration with a fait accompli, making it more difficult for Obama to adopt a new approach to the Israel-Palestine issue. The CPUSA denounces the Bush administration for the verbal and material support it is rendering to the Israeli agression. We demand an immediate end to the Israeli attacks, and we endorse the call of the Communist Party of Israel for sanctions on that country and on its leaders. We call on the incoming Obama administration to make a radical change in US policy on the Israel-Palestine issue, and to pressure the Israeli government to return to honest negotiations toward a two-state solution.

National Committee, Communist Party USA

http://indianacp.blogspot.com/2008/12/cpusa-denounces-israeli-attacks-in-gaza.html

Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Communist Party of Israel Condemns Deadly Attacks on Gaza and Calls for International Mobilization
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From: Communist Party of Israel Saturday, December 27, 2008
www.maki.org.il mailto:[email protected]

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The Communist Party of Israel Condemns Deadly Attacks on Gaza and Calls for International Mobilization

The Communist Party of Israel and Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) condemns today’s deadly attack by the Israeli Air Force on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the killing of over 150 Palestinians. The CPI calls on Communist and Workers parties and social movements throughout the world to mobilize against these Israeli war crimes and demands that the international community implement sanctions against Israel and indict Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak and other Israeli political and military leadership for these blatant war crimes, committed as part of Israel’s election process.

Today's Israel’s military attack is part of the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip. Israel is exploiting the last moments of the Bush administration to implement the deadly but ineffective imperialist policy of utilizing military force to effect political change. Demonstrations against the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip are planned for the Israeli major cities, and demonstrations will be conducted tonight in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Nazareth. Yesterday (Friday), hundreds demonstrators attended a rally in central Tel Aviv to protest the expected Israeli military operation to Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza. The rally was organized by the Coalition against the Gaza Siege and Hadash (Democratic Peace and Equality Front – Communist Party of Israel).

"I suggest that we go the other direction," said Hadash Knesset Member Dov Khenin, a leading member of the Communist Party of Israel. "Our power is our tragedy. One powerful blow will not bring the end. They will respond with rockets and eventually we'll embark on an all-out war. Going in the other direction means reinforcing the lull, securing a ceasefire, and lifting the siege that only serves to unite the population around Hamas."

"A genuine peace process will be engaged in vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas," he said. "What's tragic here is that it's possible. We just need the desire."

Khenin added that it is "essential to secure a prisoner swap that would include Gilad Shalit." When asked why fewer Israelis object the war in Gaza, he said: "People lost their hope. They realize that what's happening is bad, yet they think there's no other option. Yet we are not destined to be the victim of history." Another rally participant, the former MK Tamar Gozansky, said: "Two years ago we protested at the same site, before the Second Lebanon War. We were ostracized and referred to as traitors. Yet several months later, all the people who made fun of us carried their own signs to Rabin Square and protested against Olmert's policy. I really hope that we won't have yet another reason to say: 'We told you so.'" In an earlier statement, MK Khenin said: "A comprehensive war in Gaza is dangerous and unnecessary and will put the lives of thousands of Gazans and westernNegev residents at risk"." War is not the solution to the Kassam rocket problem," he continued. "There is another way: a real truce agreement. Not just a cease-fire, but also ending the Gaza blockade and easing the extreme suffering of a million-and-a-half people."

*End*

http://indianacp.blogspot.com/2008/12/communist-party-of-israel-condemns.html

Palestinian CP, On the Massacre in Gaza

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From: Palestinian Communist Party, Wednesday, December 31, 2008

http://www.pallcp.ps ,

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To: Fraternal Parties

From: Central Committee, Palestinian Communist Party

Dear Comrades,

Since Saturday noon 27/12/2008, our Palestinian people in Gaza which is in the state of siege for more than 20 months facing the worst bloody massacre.

Hundreds of our people were murdered due to Israeli air strikes which is carried with total disregards to human being and with disregard to Civilian Institution such as Schools, Universities, Mosques…etc

Hundreds dead and over one thousand and seven hundreds wounded due to the Savage air strikes attach on civilians up to now.

The Zionest State uses all sort of weapon from air, land, and sea against blockade people in order to break their will in resistance and steadfastness and force our people to accept the Zionist-Imperialist plans and give up the right of Palestinian in self- determination to establish his free state on his occupied land since the year of 1967 according to the International legitimacy and the Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 194.

We in the Palestinian Communist Party, as part of this striving people which suffers for more than 60 years from oppression of the racist-zionest regime.

The Palestinian suffers from the International community double standards and biases.

We look forward to you and to your free peoples to stand with our people and our Party at all International front and in all related International conferences.

Long live Communist Unity

Long live the unity of all oppressed people.

Palestinian Communist Party

*End*

http://www.solidnet.org