A-Infos (en) US, Boston, Anarchist journal - BAAM #17 - Anti-Zionist Protest at Israeli Consulate by Sublett

On January 16, a march and a rally were held to protest the ongoing genocide by Israel in the Gaza 
Strip. Approximately 300 people gathered in front of 20 Park Plaza, home of the Israeli consulate, 
to express their outrage and revulsion at Israel's massacre of the Palestinian people. For over 
three weeks, the Israel "Defense" Force deployed advanced military weapons against a strangled 
civilian population while blockading Gaza against any relief or escape. White phosphorus and 
experimental high-density explosives, as well as conventional missiles, bombs and artillery have 
been used on one of the most densely populated cities in the world in defiance of the Geneva 
Convention, international treaties and basic morality. The result has been a humanitarian crisis.
Hospitals are over-flowing with wounded, many of them with horrible, un-treatable burns from
white phosphorus.
Starvation and malnutrition are rampant. This 22
day seige finally came to an end when Israel stopped
bombing on the 18th and withdrew forces on the 20th,
leaving 1,330 palestinians dead (65% of which were
civilians and 437 of which were children), 5,450
wounded and 100,000 displaced or homeless.
     The Boston protest on the 16th followed the
usual pattern of rally-speeches-march. After
nearly an hour of marching up and down the
sidewalk chanting and holding signs, the mi-
craphone was handed to the people. Despite
the fact that the crowd was made up almost
entirely of liberals and socialists, the Zionists
inside did not dare to come out and confront
it. Instead, a pair of offensive notes came flut-
tering down from above telling protesters to
"go back where they came from." One Pal-
estinian woman took the microphone to re-
ply that she would love to do just that, if only
Israel wasn't occupying her home. Another
speaker suggested that the Zionists should re-
turn to their own countries of origin. After the
people spoke, everyone marched to the State
House, keeping carefully to the sidewalk, to
protest Governor Deval Patrick's appearance
at a pro-Israel event. From there it was on to
the JFK Federal Building for more chanting
and speeches.
    Protests across the Atlantic have been hun-
dreds of times larger and far less peaceful than
in Boston. Hundreds of thousands have taken to
the streets of Athens, Madrid and London, among
other cities, to demand that Israel withdraw
from Gaza. In England, protesters vandalized an
arms factory in Brighton that makes parts for
Israeli missiles. In Greece, the government
refused permission for an arms shipment des-
tined for Israel to use the port of Astakos for
fear of reigniting the anarchist-driven insur-
gency that erupted in December.
    Meanwhile in Boston, the protest on Janu-
ary 16 attracted only 15 police on bicycles,
with another ten or so in cars, and on foot di-
recting traffic. Even this was excessive.. Me-
dia attention was similarly muted, with only a
single camera from a local TV station, and no
mention in the next day's papers. No one was
arrested. This depressing trend will surely
continue until local activists find the courage
to do more than carry signs and march on the
sidewalk. Remember, it's not civil disobedi-
ence if you do everything they tell you.
_________________________________________
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