Protesters from U.S., Paris to Istanbul denounce deadly Gaza flotilla raid
CNN-Turk and NTV televisions protesters scuffling with Turkish police guarding consulate building in central Istanbul.
By Natasha Mozgovaya, News Agencies and Haaretz Service Tags: Gaza flotilla IDFDozens of people outraged by a deadly Israeli commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip have protested outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
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Demonstrators wait in front of the Israeli consulate, May 31, 2010 |
| Photo by: Reuters |
Demonstrators formed long lines and walked in circles Monday afternoon, chanting End the siege in Gaza now and Shut down the embassy! Stop Israeli piracy!
Some held large Palestinian flags and signs reading One more Israeli massacre.
Israel said the activists attacked its commandos as they boarded the six ships taking tons of supplies to Gaza, while the flotilla's organizers said the Israeli forces opened fire first.
The group gathered later Monday in front of the White House, chanting, Hey
Obama, can't you see? Palestine will be free.
Earlier, pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in cities from Istanbul to Paris on Monday to protest a deadly Israel Navy raid on a flotilla of international activists attempting to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
At least nine of the activists were killed in the clashes that ensued.
Dozens of protesters surrounded Israel's consulate in Istanbul from the early hours of the day until well into the evening, hurling stones and burning Israeli flags.
CNN-Turk and NTV showed dozens of angry protesters scuffling with Turkish police guarding the consulate in downtown Istanbul.
"Damn Israel," the protesters shouted.
Swelling demonstrations were underway outside the Israeli embassy in Paris, where riot police forcibly drove back scores of protesters. The demonstrators blocked traffic as they charged toward the building, leading officers to respond by firing tear gas.
In Jordan, hundreds urged their government to follow Turkey's lead and cut ties with Israel. Dozens of Egyptians protested outside the foreign ministry in Cairo criticizing the Egyptian government holding pictures of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Dozens of angry students pelted the UN offices in Teheran with stones and eggs in protest, burning Israeli flags and chanting, death to Israel and down with U.S. Police blocked them from reaching the building. The president of Iran, a key supporter of Hamas, called the raid an inhuman act.
In Baghdad, an estimated 3,000 Shiite followers of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr shouted "Death, death to Israel!" and "Death, death to America!"
In Beirut, about 500 Palestinian and Lebanese activists protested in front of the UN headquarters, setting Israeli flags on fire. In neighboring Syria, more than 200 Syrian and Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in before the offices of the United Nations.
There were also demonstrations in Rome, Cyprus and more than 20 cities in Greece, including Athens and Thessaloniki, where some 2,000 people were marching.
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You Turkish prime minister is blowing cold and hot wins. He loves Iran, and Syria, even if they are all un-democratic! What is chocking me? More than 600.000 Kurds and 1.500.000 Armenians were killed by Turkey, until today and tomorrow everyday Kurds are killed by Turks, but Erdogoan is blind, never see it! So Mister Turkey, try to do peace with 20 millions Kurds of Turkey before showing off in the world! a.serhat@laposte.net
In Turkey all people vewaken up with two important news first 6 naval soldiers had been killed by terrorists at the same hours flotilla had been attacked by IDF soldiers and at least 16 people majority Turkish had been killed.All Turkish media had focused to these news probably our PM will cancell South America trip.
About ten I'd say, one was a repeat.
of course it is very wrong of people to protest israel. It is a shame for these people. israel has all the right to kill anyone in any where on earth. this case israel killed some peace ctivists interntional waters on a foreign flagged ship. So what? What Israel does is holy and always right. Everyone should understand this. Israel starves Gazza to death, Israel is right. Israel assasinates people on other countries, israel is right. israel deports arabs out of jerusalem and settles fundemantalist jews. Israel is right. whats wrong with you Turkish people. Acknwledge Israels unquestionable rights to do whatever illegal thing they may see neccesary.
Protesting is fine. Grab your picket sign and protest. Bringing aid the murderous enemies of the state of Israel is not protest. It is collusion. As far as starving the Gazans to death, what a crock of crap. The Gazans are starving themselves by continuing ths retarded war. Israel has a long history of not maikng war on a state which is not making war on it or amassing troops to attack it. No bombs, no missles, not gunfire, no rocks, etc, etc, .....no siege, no war, ne separation fence, no battles. Stop waging war to get land back that you lost in a war of aggression against israel, and Israel will do all it can to help you succeed. If Israel were to act like the Islamic war dogs it would have anniilated the Pals a long time ago, Israel is not like the Islamics. Israel has morals the highest of which is to preserve the rights and safety of its own people. Killing people who treatened the sovereignty of the state is absolutely within Israels right. It has that right whethe the Commandos bord the ship or not. If the "activists" has kept their hands to themselves (a first grade skill by the way) then 10 people would still be alive so cut out the leftwing liberal childish (redundant I knw) rant.
I condemn İsrael.İsrael has to stop the violence to human aid ships and Gaza residence.No more ,Enough to İsrael outrages.
the only language that the zionist entity understands is finance and embargo. 10 years of embargo for israel, 1 year for each murder.
Even so, a state has the right to defend itself.
sad what happened, but they were warned. its as simple as trying to cross the border and expecting to not be shot when trying to run through armed guards
To protect international shipping from violent piracy a redirection of the Combined Task Force from Somalian coast to Eastern Mediterranean is urgently warranted
Whoever kills innocent unarmed activists, can also use nuclear weapons. The truth has unveiled. Israel is a threat to the world.
Wait?...when Israel asked the Turks for help on this situation the Turks told Israel that it's not their business but it was a private action. So,now they are involved?..i don't get that one.
""The interception on the convoy) is unacceptable" What is unacceptable is Turkey's support for this provocative shenanigan. As for the casualties I won't take it seriously as the statement was released before anyone even knew who what where or when. Now we know someone managed to steal a weapon from one of the soldiers which started it all.
Does anyone else notice the similarity of Israel's Gaza blockade and the British Madate era blockade of Palestine's coasts against Jewish immigration? The stress and violence are the same, I wonder about the outcome?
That's all!
I am not surprised by the action of the Zionist regime. Everybody knows that the Jew state is a law on its self. Just because they have the most satanic regime U.S supporting them they always feel they can do whatever they wish. I believe the day of reckoning is coming soon!
I love to see such peaceful sentiments being published. With statements like this we truly have a vision for peace, cooperation and brotherly love in the Middle East!
Turkey surely will retaliate. Israel would not easily get away with it
How will Israel now protect their citizens in Turkey?
no need to protect man. We are not their kind. these are just protests agains the officials to send them back to their country. as for the individuals i bet no slight of chance of getting hurt.
the so-xalled international media and diplomats of states friend to Israel are in emergency. Objective: damage control of Israel image in the world. What has all marks of state-conducted piracy in international water against peaceful protesters of an injust, long and inhumane blockade of Gaza. Whatever the outcome, history is made. An outlaw regime is at work protected and supported by 'the international community''. For Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims and world public opinion, Israel is a brutal regime that ought to be stopped and brought to justice. UN and world credibility is in severe decline for allowing the poor people of Gaza and Palestine to be at the merci of unchecked atrocity. Arab regimes, Egypt leading, are clearly behind the seige and siding with the ennemy.
WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? Israel is hurting itself only.
Israel did not wait until it had a legal justification for it's actions. Netanyahu 'don't need no stinking international law.' Why did Israel choose to engage in an act of piracy and murder instead of waiting until the flotilla had committed a legal violation by entering Gazan waters? Answer that question and you will have the answer to why Israel just defamed itself. Israel IS the LEGAL OCCUPYING AUTHORITY in Gaza. Thus ISRAEL HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO CONTROL ACCESS TO GAZA. So, If an international flotilla seeking to land aid in Gaza were to ENTER the legal costal waters of Gaza then Israel WOULD be legally justified in stopping them and seizing them if they did not leave Gaza's costal waters. EVERY Israeli should ask WHY did the Netanyahu government chose criminal action over legal action? What made Bibi turn a bad, no win situation into a MASSIVE FAIL? It was the act of a man who is incredibly dangerous to Israel. The men who ordered this fiasco are a far greater threat to Israel than that flotilla ever was.
I think the justification is more likely to be along the lines of: - "Israel is a very small country who needs to defend itself from being overrun by peace ...", or some such.
I would welcome the idea of throwing out all Israeli diplomats from Europe and similar counts for all the organised pro-Israel lobbyists. The moral standards of Israel do not match with the Europeans and therefore it would be a good idea to ship all Israeli diplomats back to Israel.
I don't think Europe's in any position to give anyone lessons on morality. Look at the treatment of Roma in central Europe; of the Muslim population in France (hijabs outlawed, they comprise 11% of the population but there are no senior French Muslim civil servants or diplomats); Turkish minority in Germany (no citizenship granted, despite three generations having lived there). Fine, talk to us about the practicality of boarding a hostile ship; talk to us about having to deal with an extremist neo-fascist entity on our borders who launch ball-bearing packed missles at us - but please, please don't lecture us on morals.
8am in Istanbul, and people are waking up all over the world. More embassies to come.
The capital city of Turkiye is Ankara; Istanbul and Bursa had been the imperial capitals - to make little history fix.
i can't believe what i see up there! Istanbul the capital of Turkey?! the people in front of Israeli Ambassadorship are just shocked! the flotilla is inhumane!
and it must be punished. They are a big threat to world peace.
Yes,yes....
The American will protect them, the UN is useless,the Arab countries are hypocripts. The whole incident wil be forgotten and back to normal.
Surely Israel can't expect much sympathy from the international community. Maybe this will be the turning point at last.
Istanbul is not the Turkish capital. It is Ankara.
At least 10 people have been killed and all you can say is Ankara is the capital of Turkey, tell us something we didn't know.