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Americans rally against attack on flotilla
Published: 02 June, 2010, 00:20
Edited: 06 June, 2010, 11:26
US, Los Angeles : Demonstrators protest against the Israeli commando raid on a flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian relief supplies to the Gaza Strip, outside the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, California on May 31, 2010. At least 10 and as many as 19 people were killed in the incident on the high seas 70 miles off the Israeli coast. (AFP Photo / Robyn Beck)
(24.0Mb) embed videoTAGS: Conflict, Scandal, Middle East, Protest, USA
Although Americans are not known for their interest in world affairs, Washington residents turned out on a holiday weekend to protest Israel's attack on a humanitarian flotilla headed to Gaza.
Five hundred people gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in northwest Washington, clad in Palestinian flags and signs remarking on the perceived treachery of Israel. Many hoped the events hours before would be a “turning point” in American sentiment towards Israel. The crowds demanded that the embassy be closed, the recall of the US ambassador from Israel and a stop to US aid to the country.
The actions hours before in the Mediterranean Sea – extraordinary in its own right – was just one instance of a larger human rights problem in the Gaza Strip, according to the crowd. They demanded the blockade be lifted on a group many claim are apolitical and suffering unnecessarily from the cruel injustice of Israel's blockade, which keeps out food, water and building supplies.
The truth of the story is there’s still no clear answer as to what started the melee on the flotilla. Self-described humanitarians aboard – mostly from Turkey, but from other countries as well – say the Israeli commandos used excessive force, pulling out guns and firing on a defenseless group of people. Israeli commandos say they encountered an angry mob able to steal their guns and use the weapons against them while they only fired paintball guns on the unruly crowd. Israel’s defense is that it had warned the flotilla not to try and break the blockade days in advance. But questions remain, including why the raid took place in international waters.
The questions will continue… and the answers will continue to be sought over what touched off an already tense relationship between Israel and Palestine. But in the minds of the people in northwest Washington, DC on Memorial Day Monday, where the fault lies is clear. And they’re certainly not apathetic about it.
01.06.2010, 09:45
3 comments
US protesters take to streets against Israeli attack on Gaza aid shipsWashington has voiced concerns over the recent conflict off the Gaza coast. Yet US authorities have stopped short of outright condemnation. Meanwhile, US citizens are taking to the streets to denounce Israel’s actions. |
02.06.2010, 01:20
1 comment
Civil society must expose Israel’s policies to the worldIsrael has blocked eight ships carrying 10,000 tons of aid and 800 activists and politicians on its way to Gaza by using military force and boarding ships in international waters. |
C, "Unlike Russia, we don't have the police punishing our people for speaking out!" What pathetic rubbish. Its about time that Yanks gave their heads a good shake and finally admit that: 1) The USA is no more free than any Western democracy, and with the ludicrous "war on terror", political freedoms and protections from government mendacity are being steadily eroded. 2) That Russia is a democracy, and that Russian public have as much freedom to gather, complain, demonstrate, and voice their concerns to the government as any Amerikan has. Russia is no longer a Stalinist dictatorship, and the KGB/NKVD don't kick in peoples doors in the middle of the night to arrest people who compain about the lack of bath-plugs in the local stores. You complain that RT journos need to travel more (presumably to overcome what you see are their ignorance) yet you indulge in the most tawdry and outdated stereotypes imaginable.
Thank you everybody for showing me the truth. Everything that Putin's cheerleading media tells you, must be correct! Never believe in the evil lies that the Western media tells you. Trust me - there are lies on both sides! As for Artyom - "you" are posting in the wrong place, because this article is called "Americans rally against attack on flotilla." What part of my free speech comment that you didn't get? As for the comment "We saw grandma's being tasered for sitting in the wrong seat at a sports game." Where is the proof on that story? Did you see that on youtube? You and your comrades are totally drinking the Kool-Aid of the biased Russian media. It's time to expand your minds, that maybe there are two sides to a story if you do your research.
Are you nuts? In case you have not studied the American society we have people from all parts of the World that are citizens or visitors or on working visas. Our citizen are from virtrually every corner of the Middle East, China, Japan, South America, Mexico, Virtually every European country just to mention a few countries. Having said this how dare you say we Americans are not interested in World Happenings.