VARIOUS: Protesters gather across Europe against the storming of a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza

Record ID: 1547800

  • Title: VARIOUS: Protesters gather across Europe against the storming of a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza
  • Date: 1st June 2010
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (MAY 31, 2010) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED IN CENTRAL PIAZZA VENEZIA DEMONSTRATORS WAVING PALESTINIAN FLAGS DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING 'ISRAEL, HANDS OFF PALESTINE' VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS WAVING FLAGS PALESTINIAN MAKING VICTORY SIGN AT DEMONSTRATION VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ACTIVIST PAOLO CENTO, FORMER LEFT-WING POLITICIAN, SAYING: "The Italian government needs to immediately call back their ambassador from Israel as other countries in europe have done. This is simply extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the history of international diplomacy. We need a new phase of solidarity to recognise the autonomy of the Palestinian state." PEOPLE DEMONSTRATING IN CENTRAL ROME BANNER READING: 'BOYCOTT ISRAEL' SHOWING ISRAELI FLAG WITH RED LINE THROUGH IT VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATION
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2010 00:07
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAHKYYYNGMXU4I8B4ERH7A40CM
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Hundreds of people from across Europe took part in protests on Monday (May 31) to call for a thorough investigation into the Israeli attack on a humanitarian flotilla trying to reach the Gaza strip.
    In the Italian capital, hundreds of demonstrators from the political spectrum gathered in a central Rome piazza on.
    Demonstrations have been called in cities across the country, from north to south, to demonstrate Italy's anger against Israel's storming of the boats which left more than ten dead and has sparked an international outcry.
    Waving Palestinian flags and shouting 'Israel get your hands off Palestine' the demonstrators said they were ready to continue demonstrating until some action was taken against Israel.
    'The Italian government needs to immediately call back their ambassador from Israel as other countries in Europe have done' said activist and former leftwing politician Paolo Cento said.
    'This is simply extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the history of international diplomacy. We need a new phase of solidarity to recognise the autonomy of the Palestinian state' he said.
    In the Belgian capital, about 500 demonstrators shouting 'Israel Assassins' and 'Expel!' also took to the streets.
    "Everyone thinks its shocking. It is an act of war against something ultimately peaceful and that is shocking. I think everyone is shocked I think if we can take the time to have a real mobilisation it will take that before the Belgian government to does anything, really, it will be the people itself who mobilise to make sure they do something" said one of the demonstrators, Anja Deschoemacker.
    They called for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled from Belgium which had 2 nationals on one of the flotilla ships.
    "I hope that all the European countries will expel all the ambassadors of their country for the act and so it will not be repeated," said a Palestinian demonstrator, The sister of one of the Belgian's on the ship, Asmaa el Mourabiti, also demanded that Belgium carry out an investigation into what happened and force Israel to lift the blockade against Gaza.
    "We, Belgian citizens, demand, in the short term: the firm condemnation of this attack by the Belgian government and the opening of an international investigation. The expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Brussels. We cannot accept that a country with which we have a diplomatic relation shoot on our nationals. That our Foreign Minister go on site himself to meet with our compatriots who have shown their solidarity with the Palestinian people and ensure their security" said el Mourabiti.
    She said she was talking to her sister Fatima last night, via facebook, until 3am local time (0100gmt) early this morning when the communication was cut off.
    In Germany, some five hundred demonstrators protested outside Israel's embassy in Berlin, according to local police.
    Chanting and waving Palestinian and Turkish flags, the protesters demanded "break the siege" on one placard.
    Waleed Abu-Shawareb, a participant who identified himself as a representative of the Palestinian community in Germany (PGD), said he was there because "the whole world is closing its eyes and does nothing."
    Abu-Shawareb said he wanted to demonstrate "against Israel's politics, Israel's terror and the murder of nineteen people in the Mediterranean Sea. They don't have one single reason and no justification for this massacre."
    German police in riot gear secured the Israeli embassy in Berlin's leafy Grunewald district and there were no reports of violence.
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