Cape Town's city centre was almost at a standstill today as around 10
000 people marched on Parliament to protest against the Israeli attack
on Gaza.
This comes as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza reached 704 today, with
more than 3 100 injured since Israel launched Operation Cast Lead on
December 27.
Seven Israeli soldiers and three Israeli civilians have been killed in
combat.
Today's march, which was joined by Western Cape Premier Lynne Brown, was
monitored by a heavy police contingent as the protesters wound their way
from Kaizersgracht in District Six to Parliament shortly before 11am.
Police said they believed that around 10 000 people, most of them
Muslims, took part in the march.
These figures could not be independently confirmed at the time of going
to press.
The protesters marched down Darling Street into Plein Street towards
Parliament chanting religious slogans and reciting Islamic prayers.
"Free, Palestine, free!" they chanted in unison.
Norway
*Demonstrations have now been held in at least 28 cities:*
**
Oslo, Stavanger, Sandnes, Fredrikstad, Trondheim, Hamar, Sortland,
Namsos, Arendal, Norheimsund, Mosjøen, Bergen, Sarpsborg, Tønsberg,
Harstad, Tromsø, Kristiansand, Notodden, Vadsø, Mo i Rana, Alta,
Kirkenes, Røros, Volda, Halden, Gjøvik, Lillehammer, Selbu.
The numbers of participants have never been bigger.
*Union activities:*
**
*POLITICAL STRIKE:* Thursday ALL trains in the whole of Norway, and all
trams and subways in Oslo, will stand still for two minutes as a result
of a political strike organized by the Norwegian Locomotive Union and
the Oslo Tram Workers Union in protest of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
A large selection of Norwegian trade unions and organizations has
endorsed a *new campaign for the withdrawal of all State investments in
Israel.* The call is endorsed by so far 6 of the largest national trade
unions.
*The Union of Trade and Office Workers calls on all members to ask their
employers to remove Israeli produtcts from stores. *The union is the by
far largest union of workers in all types of private and public stores
in Norway.
The confederation of Norwegian Trade Unions (LO), with apr. 1/5 of the
whole Norwegian population as members, condemns the Israeli bombing and
invasion in Gaza and calls for demonstrations.
*The Norwegian Church* has protested Israel's invasion of Gaza and was,
according to media, "called to the carpet" by the Israeli embassador.
22.000 supports the Facebook-group *demanding the embassador* to be
expelled from Norway. The Facebook-group has got attention in all major
newspaper and was hacked by a Zionist hacker-group but is now back on track.
*31% of Norwegians supports the boycott of Israel*, in a survey by the
pro-Israel tabloid VG today. The question was politicaly charged "Do you
support the Socialist Left's boycott of Israel?" If not mentioning the
Socialists the number would probably be much higher. The vast majority
in all groups in the survey is against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
--
Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign - outreach
global@stopthewall.org
www.stopthewall.org
tel.: +972-22971505
