[WCUSP] Tel -Aviv demonstration

[Tura Campanella Cook]

> From: yvonne simmons <roweenayvonne at yahoo.com>
> Date: August 6, 2006 7:05:31 PM CDT
> To: wisewomen at wilpf.org
> Subject: [Wisewomen] Tel -Aviv demo
> Reply-To: wisewomen at wilpf.org
>
>
> The biggest demonstration against the war held in
> Israel until now took place today (5.8.06) in the
> heart of downtown Tel-Aviv, an area that is considered
> especially right-wing.
> Close to 10 thousand demonstrators from all over the
> country, among them many Arab citizens, marched from
> Ben-Zion Boulevard, along King George Street, to Magen
> David Square. There, at the entrance to the Carmel
> market, a stage was set up. The thousands that did not
> find place in the square flowed over into Nahlat
> Binyamin and the other neighboring streets.
> When the demonstrators were still waiting for the
> start, a salvo of eggs was thrown at them from the
> balcony of a building. The perpetrators fled before
> the police could reach them.
> More serious was another act of sabotage. It had been
> decided to carry a mass of black flags. One of the
> activists brought the flags to the assembly point
> before the demonstrators arrived. Suddenly a car
> stopped, three youngsters got out, seized the flags by
> force and disappeared. The demonstration had to take
> place without them.
> During the march, the demonstrators shouted (in
> Hebrew): "Jews and Arabs / refuse to be enemies!" -
> "We shall not die nor kill / in the service of the
> USA!" - "Children want to live / in Beirut and Haifa!"
> - "Peretz, Peretz resign / peace is more important!" -
> "A million refugees / that's a war crime!" - "Olmert,
> Peretz and Ramon / Get out of Lebanon!"
> The two most popular stickers were Gush Shalom's
> "Bring the Soldiers Home" and the Israeli-Palestinian
> Bereaved Families' Forum's "It will not End Until we
> Talk!"
> Some conspicuous posters: "We shall all lose!" -
> "Occupation and War are a disaster!" - "Just Peace =
> Security!" - "39 Years are enough - End the
> Occupation!" - "There is no military solution!" -
> "Cease-fire NOW!" - "Stop the war! Stop the massacre!"
>
>
> All peace organizations took part. Besides Gush
> Shalom, participants included the Women's Coalition
> for Peace, Ta'ayush, Anarchists Against Walls, Yesh
> Gvul, the Israeli-Palestinian Forum of Bereaved
> Families, feminists, many parents with their children,
> veteran and young peace activists as well the
> political parties Hadash, Balad and the United Arab
> List.
>
> A sign of the ferment in the political system was
> provided by members of Meretz, who took part in spite
> their party's pro-war position. They were led by
> former MKs Naomi Hazan abd Ya'el Dayan.  Dayan's
> speech caused an incident, when she sent greetings to
> the soldiers fighting in Lebanon. Her words aroused
> heated protests, and some activists tried to storm the
> stage, but were held back by their friends.
> Among the speakers were the secretary of the Arab
> Citizens' Monitoring Committee, a representative of
> the Russian immigrants, a conscientious objector about
> enter prison, a peace activist whose housed has been
> hit by a rocket, and others.
>
>
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