WASHINGTON D.C
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have marched on the White House in Washington DC to protest against Israel's ongoing military offensive on Gaza.
Approximately 20,000 people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds gathered outside the building in the U.S. capital to oppose Israel's bombardment and incursion into the Gaza Strip, in which more than 1,700 civilians have been killed and over 9,000 wounded.
"Free Palestine, let Gaza live," thousands of people shouted outside the White House on Saturday.
Led by the Washington-based anti-war coalition ANSWER and a broad coalition of Muslim-American organizations including the Council of American-Islamic Relations, American-Muslim Alliance, New York Muslim Legal Fund of America and Islamic Circle of North America, demonstrators came from different cities and states from across the U.S.
Many carried banners declaring: "Israel has terrorized the region and world since 1948" as well as "Stop genocide in Gaza" and "Free Palestine."
A Turkish demonstrator named Ali told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that he had come about 150km from Delaware State with his family to voice his feelings over the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
Another demonstrator named Thomas, carrying a banner reading: "Free Palestine, let Gaza live", said: "The diversity in this square shows the great desire for justice and compassion toward the humanitarian crisis in Gaza."
Other demonstrators protested against what they said was the unconditional support of the U.S. to Israel with banners reading: "Obama, responsible for massacre" and "Stop all U.S. aid to Israel."
Wearing a Palestinian flag, a 36-year-old American-Palestinian demonstrator named May, said: "We are here to call for the administration to stop its support for Israel and to stop the Israeli occupation of Palestine."
Describing as "barbaric" the approval by the U.S. Congress on Friday of $225 million of financial support to Israel, she said that Obama should halt the flow of fund.
The protesters marched to the building of the American daily newspaper The Washington Post to protest against what they said was a pro-Israeli editorial policy.
The executive director of Council of American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, told the AA: "We protest the editorial vision of the Washington Post, which continues to promote Israeli occupation and apartheid policies that are the root of the conflict."
At the gate of the newspaper's headquarters, which was guarded by U.S. police, the demonstrators protested against the daily shouting: "Shame on you!"
Passing by the construction vehicles' producer, Caterpillar Corporation, the demonstrators protested against the corporation for providing the Israeli state with tools and equipment for demolishing Palestinian homes and building Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory.
A group of orthodox Jews were among the demonstrators, carrying banners declaring: "Judaism rejects the Zionist Israeli State and its atrocities."
Jewish demonstrator rabbi David Fieldman said: "The Israeli state has been perpetrating genocide against the Palestinians which Judaism would never accept."
Another group of demonstrators burned an Israeli flag nearby. The demonstration ended peacefully.
www.aa.com.tr/en
