Thousands of people gathered at the US embassy in Jalan Tun Razak to protest against the ongoing Israeli brutal 13-day attack in Gaza, Malaysiakini reports.
Eye-witnesses said that about 5,000 people started their march from the Tabung Haji building, located less than a kilometre away from the embassy, right after the Friday prayers.
The march was organised by the Coalition of Concerned NGOs - COMPLETE (read here) . The marchers - which included PAS supporters - shouted anti-USA and anti-Israel slogans.
Among the leaders that attended the rally were PAS Kuala Krai MP Dr Hattta Ramli, Youth chief and Kubang Kerian MP Salahuddin Ayub, PAS vice-presidents Mohammad Sabu and Husam Musa, PSM president and Kota Damansara assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim and the party’s secretary-general S Arutchelvan.
They carried Palestinian flags, anti-US and Israel banners. Most of the male protesters were seen wearing the traditional Palestinian scarves 'kaffeiyah' in a symbolic show of solidarity with the victims of the conflict.
One female protester was seen carrying a baby doll wrapped in white cloth with smudges of red paint. Nearly a 100 children and infants have since perished in the conflict. Unlike past demonstrations at the embassy, police presence this afternoon was at a minimal with only members of the Light Strike Force deployed.
The police however stopped the protesters from gathering directly outside the embassy but allowed a 15-member delegation led by Husam to submit a memorandum to the embassy officials.While the delegation met with embassy officials, protesters were seen burning, spitting and stomping on the Israeli flag.
Addressing the protesters after submitting the memorandum, Husam called the US ‘hypocritical’ and said the ‘global police’ would have reacted immediately if the victims were US citizens.“I told them just now, if the victim was President George W Bush's daughter, the whole nation would act immediately. But since this is just ordinary Palestinian women and children, nobody cares,” he added.
The PAS leader also took a swipe at newly elected US president Barrack Obama for his ‘silence’ in this matter.
This group was largely made up by Umno Youth members from the Titiwangsa division. who started their gathering after the Friday prayers and were led by an exco member from the division, Mohamed Muizz Shadik Mohamed.
Meanwhile, about 200 people gathered at the Kampung Baru mosque to protest against the Israeli invasion, and burnt American and Israeli flags to show their anger.
And at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad addressed some 500 people in condemning the Israeli invasion into Gaza.
He repeated his calls for a boycott of American products and their currency.
"People should boycott McDonalds and Starbucks for a month," he said.
He also urged people to leave their jobs from American firms.
The Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association also launched their boycott US campaign at the gathering. - Malaysiakini
Friday 9 January 2009
Thousands in anti-Israel protests in KL - Malaysiakini
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2 comments:
Mahathir is asking common folk in MacDonald and Starbucks counters working hard for small money to leave their jobs and their customers to stop buying these productions
Does mahathir see , these people are working because they need their job , unlike Mahathir and his friends who never had to do jobs like these
further he wants to pressue closure of these outlets which are francises - held by SME type business man to face bad sales - ie still net result push the Small Medium scale business man out of a job
The parent company of Mac Donald and Starbucks do not really anything to do with US or Israel Govt? that like Saying if we found Ayam Mas in US could be boycotted if US was Angry with Malaysian Govt
Mahathir - wants to make a point by making common malaysian's poor and deliquent
People must stop listening to this man
The leaders of Hamas should have given a thought to what is happening to Palestinians now, especially the sufferings of the women and children.They had persisted in firing ineffective home-made rockets into another independent country.What did they expect to achieve?Did they really believe that the Isrealists will not do anything when their security is affected?
Everybody is deeply touched and affected by the human side of the situations.What we can do is to try and ameliorate the sufferings of the Palestinian peoples...especially in the form of humanitarian help.Boycotting American goods is not going to help.It will only affect our weakened economy adversely.The Middle-East conflict has been there for years, and as we all know the end is not in sight.If there is a message that need to be sent, it should be directed at the apathy of the Arab nations and not at local businesses selling American products!The rich Arab nations like Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, to name only three, can do a lot to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinians brought about by the inept Hamas leaders!
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