U.K.: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCH THROUGH LONDON IN SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Record ID: 647695

  • Title: U.K.: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCH THROUGH LONDON IN SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
  • Date: 18th May 2002
  • Summary: (W6) LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 18, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN UP: PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS MARCHING, WAVING FLAGS 0.16 2. LAS: MARCHERS CHANTING "Sharon, Sharon you will see, Palestine will be free." 0.27 3. SV/SCU: ORTHODOX JEWS MARCHING (3 SHOTS) 0.44 4. WS: MARCHERS IN PICCADILLY CIRCUS 0.52 5. SV: PEOPLE BEATING DRUMS AND CHANTING "Palestine" 0.58 6. SV: ISMAIL PATEL OF THE FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA ORGANISATION, MARCHING 1.06 7. SV: PEOPLE CHANTING 1.10 8. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) ISMAIL PATEL OF THE FRIENDS OF AL-AQSA ORGANISATION SAYING: "The aims (of the rally) are to highlight the Palestinian oppression which has started from the al-Nakba in 1948, the Catastrophe, up until Jenin in the year 2002, and the ongoing oppression which has been unfolded in front of us and the chapters have not been shut yet. We are trying to highlight this and, hopefully, request the world community to come to the aid of the Palestinians." 1.29 9. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) HARRIS BOKHARI OF THE MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF BRITAIN SAYING: "This is not a Muslim versus Jews issue. This is an issue of human rights. And what we're trying to highlight particularly in this rally today is that we're calling for human rights to be upheld." 1.38 10. PAN: MEMBERS OF MILITANT MUSLIM GROUP AL-MUHAJIROUN HOLDING BANNER READING "Jihad against the pirate state of Israel" and chanting: "We want more Bin Laden". 1.41 11. SCU: WOMAN CHANTING: "Bomb, bomb Israel" 1.47 12. SCU: LITTLE BOY CHANTING: "Arafat go to hell" 1.53 13. SCU: MAN HOLDING BANNER READING "Israel: The Illegitimate Child of the British" AND CHANTING: "No peace, only war" 2.00 14. PAN/SLV: MARCHERS IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE (2 SHOTS) 2.18 15. SLV: NAWAL SAADAWI, EGYPTIAN WRITER, SPEAKING TO CROWD 2.24 16. MV: POSTER READING: "Zionism and Judaism are extreme opposites" 2.29 17. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER, A TEENAGE GIRL, SAYING: "We're supporting the Palestinians even though they can't help themselves, to show that we're here with them, they're not alone." 2.35 18. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER SAYING: "Well I'm Jewish, I live in England and I wanted to come and support a Palestinian state. But I was also with the pro-Israeli rally two weeks ago because I also feel very stronly that, for me, Zionism is the right to self-determination and the same way the Jews need a state and the Kurds, Palestinians also need a state." 2.52 19. WS: CROWD IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE, SEEN FROM STAGE 3.02 20. SCU: LITTLE GIRL WATCHING SPEAKER 3.08 21. SV: PEOPLE WATCHING SPEAKER 3.14 22. PAN ACROSS CROWD 3.22 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA6Q4FHOMYTCWCVNF1KIPCOY5EV
  • Story Text: Thousands of people have marched through the centre of
    London to show support for Palestinians in the Middle East,
    and protest against what they see as human rights abuses by
    Israel.


    Protesters filled London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday
    (May 18) after marching through London banging drums, sounding
    whistles and waving flags and banners.

    "No justice, no peace" chanted marchers, many carrying
    placards calling for an end to Israeli occupation in the West
    Bank and Gaza, and the formation of a Palestinian state.

    One placard showed photographs of a dead baby and an
    Israeli helicopter gunship underneath the slogan "Israel's war
    against terrorism".

    The rally was organised by the Palestinian Solidarity
    Campaign, and supported by the Muslim Association of Britain
    and other Muslim and non-Muslim orgnisations. Muslims wearing
    Palestinian headbands marched alongside Orthodox Jews,
    Christian clergy and members of the Orthodox Church.

    "This is not a Muslim versus Jews issue", Harris Bokhari
    of the Muslim Association of Britain said. "This is an issue
    of human rights. And what we're trying to highlight
    particularly in this rally today is that we're calling for
    human rights to be upheld."
    One protester said that he was Jewish and also attended a
    previous pro-Israeli rally in London. "I'm Jewish, I live in
    England and I wanted to come and support a Palestinian state."
    he said. "I was also with the pro-Israeli rally two weeks ago
    because I also feel very stronly that, for me, Zionism is the
    right to self-determination and the same way the Jews need a
    state and the Kurds, Palestinians also need a state."
    Ismail Patel of the friends of Al-Aqsa organisation said
    that the central issue of the rally was the oppression of
    Palestinian people by Israel.

    "The aims (of the rally) are to highlight the Palestinian
    oppression which has started from the al-Nakba in 1948, the
    Catastrophe, up until Jenin in the year 2002, and the ongoing
    oppression which has been unfolded in front of us and the
    chapters have not been shut yet. We are trying to highlight
    this and, hopefully, request the world community to come to
    the aid of the Palestinians" he said.

    Organisers said 50,000 people attended the march; the
    Metropolitan Police said the figure was 8,000. Trafalgar
    Square, according to police estimates, can hold 17,000 people.

    Police said the rally was peaceful, with only one arrest
    for a public order offence, involving threatening words and
    behaviour.

    A small group of militant Muslims from the Al-Muhajiroun
    group held banners reading: "Jihad against the pirate state of
    Israel" and "Israel: The illegitimate child of the British".

    They chanted "We want more Bin Laden" and "No peace only war."
    A small boy wearing a Palestinian headband shouted "Arafat, go
    to Hell; PLO go to Hell".

    The rally included several groups of young people. One
    teenage girl wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf, told
    Reuters "We're supporting the Palestinians even though they
    can't help themselves, to show that we're here with them,
    they're not alone."
    Speakers at the rally included Egyptian feminist writer
    Nawal Saadawi, Afif Safieh, head of the Palestinian mission in
    London, and Ismael Patel, head of the Friends of Al-Aqsa
    organisation.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register