On Saturday 10th January 2009 over 1.2 million people marched across the world calling for an end to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip. The biggest global demonstrations in human history marked a significant point in the Palestine solidarity movement. We publish a selection of reports from supporters and members of the League for the Fifth International across the world
USA; Washington DC
Rachel, a member of the League in the USA, reported: As many as 20,000 people, according to the organisers, met in America’s capital today to protest Israel’s attack on Gaza. The atmosphere was militant, despite heavy and freezing rain. The protest met in Lafayette Square, a stones throw from the White House, starting with a rally. Speakers included Ralph Nader and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who had just returned from the attempted relief mission to Gaza where the Israeli navy rammed the ship forcing it to turn back.
The organisers were ANSWER, the Muslim American Society Freedom, the Free Palestine Alliance, the National Council of Arab Americans and Al-Awda – International Palestine Right to Return Coalition. Outside of the Palestinian-Muslim community, marchers were from student based, grass roots organisations the antiwar coalition ANSWER Coalition, and the Campus-Antiwar-Network, plus left groups such as ISO, Workers World (who had organized the transport from Baltimore) as well as the Sparticist League. ISO had a pretty big contingent.
But on the whole it was family groups and various Palestinian organisations that made up the march. There was chanting throughout the speeches and a great shout and applause when it was announced that 100,000 were marching in London. There was another great moment when 1000 people arrived from Florida, which is a 10 hour drive (at least!) So all in all it was very impressive because – on account of America’s sheer size demos tend to be in the various regional cities, like today there were marches in New York, Chicago. On Sunday, over 10,000 people took to the streets of San Francisco to show their solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The march did not go all the way to the White House unfortunately, instead did a full circle from Lafayette square back to Lafayette square. There was not as major a police presence as one might expect. What really really stood out though, was the criticism of Obama. Why hasn’t he spoken out against the Israeli atrocities? Why is he not calling for an immediate ceasefire? What will he do when he gets into office? These were the general calls made by the platform and those throughout the march.
It seems that the honeymoon period is starting to fade already with politically progressive people. He seems to be really showing his true colours by his silence and by appointing right-wing pro-Zionists to his White House team. With just over a week till his inauguration the city was beginning to build all the stands and seating etc, which the demonstrators made excellent use of, by jumping on top of them and waving Palestine flags. This received great cheers and strangely little attention from the police.
Whilst marching past the offices of the Washington Post the demonstration stopped, and protesters shouted things like ‘the post prints lies.’ The paper gives totally biased pro-Israeli coverage and resolutely ignores protest activities in the United States. Revolution USA had a lively contingent and distributed copies of its newsletter which attracted interest.
All in all, the demo was a very impressive show of force. However I predict that the media will, as usual,fail to report the true size or energy of the demo. For me it was a great introduction to the American antiwar activist scene!
Austria; Vienna
9 January – over 4,000 people march against Israel’s war on Gaza
At the demonstration in Vienna once again thousands of people participated. According to figures published by the police there were 4,000 participants, though in all probability the actual number was higher. The demonstration was an initiative of the Alliance “Gaza must live!”, joined by the numerous Muslim organizations. The alliance includes – in addition to League of the Socialist Revolution (LSR) and the Youth organization REVOLUTION – the Anti-imperialist Coordination, the Arab Palestine-Club, the Jewish voices for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Women in Black and individuals such as Leo Gabriel, Paula Abrams-Hourani and Peter Melvyn.
The combined contingent of the LSR and REVOLUTION was particularly large with hundreds of people. (see the photos at the LSR’s website) The experience of past demonstrations shows how completely wrong the attitude of many of the Austrian left is to hold back from joining protests mainly supported by organisations of migrants. It is not a natural law that such demonstrations will be dominated by political Islamists. We have shown in recent weeks that it is indeed possible for revolutionary socialists to participate at the heart of these demonstrations, with a clear anti-imperialist, internationalist stance and to intervene to win hundreds of migrants for a common contingent.
At the conclusion of the rally in the Ballhausplatz – in front of the Austrian Federal Chancellery – Michael Pröbsting of the Austrian section of the League for the Fifth International stressed that in this war we could not be neutral, but must clearly be on the side of the Palestinian resistance. He criticized the attitude of the Austrian Federal Government for supporting the sanctions against the Gaza and characterising Hamas as a terrorists, whereas in reality the terrorists were the state of Israel.
He held up the example of the Norwegian Unions, who called a symbolic general strike in solidarity with the Palestinians. Similarly many unions support a boycott of Israel. He called on the workers’ movement and the solidarity movement to organize a boycott of Israel in Austria too.
Sweden
Jens-Hugo, Stockholm reported: In Stockholm, popular outrage at the Israeli assault on Gaza has been shown repeatedly, starting on the day after the first bombs. Several demonstrations at short notice drew some 500-1000 angry protesters.
On Saturday January 10th, the first protest to be prepared for a week in advance, was attended by some 12,000 people – the biggest demo in Sweden since February 15th 2003. The protesters – socialists, Palestinians, Muslims and just people upset by the slaughter – gathered at Sergel’s square in the centre of town. According to reports, Mona Sahlin, leader of the Social-democratic party, and Wanja Lundby Wedin, leader of the TUC, also paid a visit.
This shows that the pressure from rank and file social-democrats must have been huge, as the party leaders reject cutting off military cooperation with Israel – even during this murderous assault! The demo marched to the Israeli embassy, or as close as the cops would let us, shouting “Boycott Israel” and “Stop the massacre”.
A large part of the demo also shouted more radical slogans, like “Long live the Intifada!” Revolution and Arbetarmakt (Swedish section of the League for the Fifth International) marched behind Revo’s brand new Victory to the Intifada-banner, carrying our red Revolution flags that some reformist Stalinists had wanted to ban from the demo.
We also carried shoes to throw at the embassy. We didn’t manage to get close enough to even see it, but we were given a Livni model to aim at – and unlike our heroic Iraqi comrade, Revolution and Arbetarmakt didn’t miss.
Thousands more marched in cities like Gothenburg and Malmö, showing the widespread outrage at Israel’s massacre.
A Pro-Palestinian activist Irfan reported a huge rally in Västerås, Sweden, with several thousand in attendance. Details of the demonstration are on his blog.
France
Marc Lassalle from Paris: In France, three demonstrations took place 30/12, 3/1 and 10/1. The last two were really huge with over 50,000 people attending in Paris alone. Yesterday, organizers said 100,000 marched in Paris (30,000 according to police). More than 80 demonstrations took place all over France with over 90,000 in total. There are undeniable signs that mobilisations are growing a a tremendous rate. People attending this demo were to a large extent from the Arab community (Palestinian, Lebanese, but mainly from Maghreb (North Africa. Apparently, the imams in the mosques called for the demo; in any case it is clear that the demo was also called by all the main immigrant associations and relayed by the community.
The striking points were the fact that
– a great many of these people were on a demo for the first time
– these were the largest mobilisations of the immigrant community I have ever seen on any issue
– young people from the banlieues formed a very large proportion of the demo
– most of them indeed supported Palestine, I have seen no antisemitic slogans and few religious emblems.
On January 3, the atmosphere was very tense. In front of the demo a barrier of CRS in riot wear blocked and slowed down the march. Was this a provocation? Or just fear of youth rage destroying the posh shopping districts of Paris? In the end, several cars were burned, close to the boulevard where main departments stores are located. Police charged several times and used tear gas. We were close to a major urban riot.
On January 10, the prefect had sent a small army of police. However, clashes were minor. It is clear that a whole generation of young fighters marched supporting Palestine but also expressing, for the first time since the banlieues uprising of 2005 and the anti-CPE wave of demonstrations, their hatred against police and the state.
The workers movement supported the demo without mobilising much. Mainly political parties attended, the Communist Party (PCF), he Lambertistes (the first time I have seen them in several years, now they are called the Parti Ouvrier Independent(Independent Workers Party) and the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) in the process of formation. Its most prominent leader Olivier Besancenot stated “we want to point to the hypocrisy of an international community which votes for tonnes of resolutions that it never enforces.”
However on a different note in my own NPA local committee, local leaders (members of the Ligue Communite Révolutonnaire-LCR) expressed worries about the ‘religious character’ of the demo, the fact that people really did not care about Palestine, the fact that the left was not in control of the demo and that therefore it was politically dangerous, the risks of “communautarism” etc. Really this kind of secularist cretinism is quite shameful.
So to sum up there are good perspectives of mobilising a large fraction of banlieue youth and our task, the task of the NPA should be to give the them a political antiimperialist and revolutionary perspective.
Pakistan
Baght Singh from Workers Power Pakistan reported: In Pakistan, several thousands demonstrated in Islamabad and Lahore. Security forces used tear gas and batons to repel protesters from U.S. consulate in the port city of Karachi Protesters burned U.S. flags and chanted militant anti-Israel slogans, However the demonstrations were less sizeable than could have been the case if the Islamist political parties had really mobilised. They seem frightened of unleashing a mass movement that they could not control, given the acute political crisis in the country.
Britain: 150,000 march for Gaza in London
John Bowman from Workers Power reported: Up to 150,000 marched against the Israeli massacre of Gaza in London on January 10. Thousands poured into the starting point at Speakers Corner despite sub-zero temperatures, the coldest January day in London for ten years.
The demonstration in London was marked by:
1. fury at the scale and brutality of Israel’s assault, the lies of the media and the treachery of the Arab leaders
2. the drawing in of yet another generation of youth – many but not all Muslim – unaffected by the ‘demo fatigue’ the antiwar movement showed over the last years. But as Respect MP George Galloway correctly said at the closing rally “the antiwar movement has not gone away.”
3. the deepening recession and political changeover in the USA demonstrates that the imperialist world order is growing disequilibrium and that the situation is open and as some demonstrators chanted in response to the question can we defeat Israel and the US- Yes we can!
As more and more protesters entered Hyde Park it became clear that the demonstration was on the scale of those not seen in Britain since the strongest days of the anti-war movement in 2003-4.
A large proportion of those arriving were Muslim teenagers, both young men and young women shouting anti-imperialist slogans at the top of their voices as crowds moved towards a rallying point in the park to hear speeches.
Although the rallying point was only a short walk away contingents of demonstrators started to form. Workers Power and REVOLUTION, the socialist youth group, started to form a contingent next to a very young and very militant Action Palestine group. On the way we passed a group holding Jews for Justice for Palestine placards, who many demonstrators stopped to talk to.
As the over an hour long opening rally finished, demonstrators again formed contingents for the march and it wasn’t long before fiery anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine chants warmed everyone up in preparation for the route organised to finish at the Israeli embassy.
As we approached the gated street which leads to the Israeli Embassy, objects were thrown over the fence whilst police cameras snapped away. Some Stop the War stewards were too eager to channel people into the finishing rally to hear George Galloway, Tony Benn and other speakers past the embassy, urging people to move on. More radical Muslim youth eager to get at the embassy ignored this plan and stayed to protest, looking for an opening to get to the gate. Other stewards seemed happy to let them do so.
But as numbers swelled around the embassy, the street narrowed by police fencing, a couple of protesters fainted as police fired smoke grenades. There could have been a severe crush. It was at this point protesters started to remove fencing to widen the street – but when they did so the police brutally attacked them with batons. Not surprisingly, many protesters vigorously defended themselves using what they could find to hand on the streets. The police then locked down the remaining demonstrators for a considerable time, taking their photos and names before dispersing them. Demonstration organisers and the contingents of the left should make sure that the police do not attack the movement. They should organise a proper defence for the future demonstrations against Israeli’s intensifying genocide.
This demonstration was remarkable for its size and militancy. Young people led the way and the demonstration clearly attracted a new layer of people unaffected by the failures of the anti-war movement after 2003 and ready to do everything in their power to help Hamas and other Palestinian fighters hold out against the fourth strongest war machine in the world. At the same time as the London demo 10,000 people marched in Edinburgh, passing the American embassy where shoes were thrown.
Germany
Martin Suchanek reported: In Berlin 20-30,00 marched in support of Gaza demanding an end to the bombardment and the blockade the largest demonstration so far. In addition there were marches in other cities, the largest being in Duisburg where over 10,000 took part. In Hamburg and Munich several thousand marched and in Freiburg 2000 marched whilst in Köln (Cologne) 1000 demonstrated.
Reports drawn from the world’s media:
Norway and Denmark
Demonstrations against the Israeli attack on Gaza have taken place all over Norway (and a political protest strike held by train crew. On 11 January 10,000 demonstrated in Oslo. During the evening street fighting took place between police and more than 1000 demonstrators protesting against a pro-Israel demonstration, At the same time 4000 demonstrated in Stavanger, 3000 demonstrated in Bergen, 1000 in Trondheim, etc in all at least 28 cities. In Denmark 2000-3000 demonstrated in Copenhagen with many green Hamas banners. Unfortunately the main forces of the Danish left were conspicuous by their absence, leaving things overwhelmingly to the migrant communities. In Finland there have also been demonstrations.
Spain
Across Spain major demonstration solidarised with the people of Gaza. In Barcelona 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. In Madrid on Sunday 11 January 250,000 marched and another one in Seville 10,000 demonstrated. 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.
Belgium
In Brussels 30,000 people marched according to police figures, ending with serious clashes with the police force.
Italy
Surprisingly, only few thousand people marched in pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the Italian cities of Rome, Naples and Verona. However larger demonstrations are planned for next weekend.
Western Austria and Switzerland
In Innsbruck in western Austria a march of 3,500 people took place under banners saying “Stop Israeli terror. In Bern, Switzerland, there was a demo of 7,000 people.
Bosnia
In Sarajevo, over 1,000 demonstrators heard peace activist Svetlana Broz declare that their city knew better than others “what happens when the world remains silent at a time when innocent civilians suffer,” referring to the bloody siege of the city in 1992-95.
Greece
In Athens, more than 2,000 people took part in a militant protest, whilst 1000 demonstrated in Thessaloniki and protests took place in other Greek cities.
Egypt
The Egyptian government of Hosni Mubarak has played a treacherous role in the whole Gaza situation. As leader of one of the two Arab states that recognise Israel, Mubarak was informed ahead of the Israel onslaught as to what was coming. Far from warning the legitimate elected Hamas government in Gaza it seems he deliberately misinformed them that there was no immediate danger of such an attack. This accounts in part for the initial high casualties amongst Gaza state employees, especially the Gaza police force. Mubarak wants to see Hamas crushed just as much as Ehud Barak. To add insult to injury he has accused Hamas of being guilty for the war by “provoking” the Israelis. Since the Israelis attacked he has kept the border closed, apart from the most severely wounded. He has done all in his power to stop the Egyptian masses publicly expressing their support for the resistance in Gaza. The demonstrations in Egypt on 9 January are a big step forward.
More than 50,000 Egyptians protested in the city of Alexandria against Israel’s assault on Gaza. In addition 1,500 demonstrated in El-Arish, the largest town in the Sinai. Cairo was under virtual occupation to prevent protesters getting onto the streets. In Alexandria, however news agencies report that riot police tried to prevent the protest going ahead but eventually gave up because of the number of demonstrators led by opposition MPs linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, chanted slogans condemning the war and the failure of Arab nations to tackle the crisis. The government of US puppet Hosni Mubarak was abused by the demonstrators, “Down with Israel, and with it every collaborator,” they chanted. Demonstrators demanded the severing of diplomatic ties with Israel, and that the Egyptian government open the Rafah crossing to ease the siege on Gaza.
Jordan
Jordan is the other Arab state that recognises Israel and is a puppet of US foreign policy in the region. In the capital Amman, security forces stopped protesters carrying Palestinian and Jordanian flags from marching to the Israeli embassy. The protesters chanted “no Israel embassy on Arab territory” and “Arab rulers are cowards.” Both Sunni and Shia Muslim worshippers in Baghdad staged rallies condemning the offensive following Friday prayer services. Demonstrators were prevented from reaching the Israeli embassy by riot police, who fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Despite the repression, protesters continued to push forward, demanding that Jordan expel the Israeli ambassador and cut its diplomatic relations with Israel.
Lebanon
20,000 demonstrators carrying Lebanese and Palestinian flags marched through the streets of the market town of Nabatiyeh in a rally organised by Hizbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israeli in 2006 at the end of which the Israeli forces had to withdraw, defeated in their aim of crushing Hizbollah.
The West Bank
Demonstrations on the West Bank are growing despite severe repression from Israeli forces, which have opened fire on demonstrators, and from those those of Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority. Over the weekend of 9-11 January Israel placed the West Bank on a 48-hour lockdown, prohibiting movement into and out of the Palestinian territory. In Ramallah and Hebron Palestinian Authority police clashed with demonstrators who raised green flags and chanted slogans supporting Hamas. The Palestinian police beat the demonstrators with cudgels and barred them from chanting against the Israeli occupation.
In Hebron, the Palestinian police also used violence – clubs and and tear gas – against demonstrators and forcing them to cancel their demonstration. Dozens were injured and hospitalised. When the demonstrators took refuge in the old city (under Israeli police control) they faced rubber bullets, tear gas and live bullets, causing several injuries amongst them. This is the favoured regime of the “western democracies.”
South Africa
A 15,000 strong demonstration took place in Cape Town to condemn the slaughter in Gaza. Two thousand people laid siege to the Egyptian embassy in Tshwane on Friday, and thousands marched in Durban, and Port Elizabeth. Protesters called for the South African government to expel the Israeli ambassador, sever all diplomatic ties with Israel, and impose a total boycott, divestment and sanctions against the Zionist state.