Global marches protest Israeli offensive
Pastor Dale Morgan
Global marches protest Israeli offensive *
By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press Writer
Sunday, August 06, 2006 12:37 a.m. ET
LONDON (AP) -- Thousands of people marched in Britain, South Africa and
Egypt Saturday to protest the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, some
demanding an immediate halt to the fighting and others pressing for
sanctions against Israel.
Protesters in Cairo demanded that Egyptian authorities let them fight in
Lebanon with Hezbollah militants battling Israeli forces.
Police in London said 20,000 people joined a march past the U.S. Embassy
to Parliament. Organizers _ a coalition of peace, Muslim, Palestinian
and Lebanese groups _ put the turnout at more than 100,000.
"There should be an immediate cease-fire," said Jeremy Corbyn, a
lawmaker from British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party, adding
"the government's line is incomprehensibly wrong."
Blair has faced domestic criticism, particularly from inside his
left-leaning party, for not calling for an immediate cease-fire. The
United States and France agreed Saturday on a draft U.N. Security
Council resolution that calls for a halt to the fighting between Israel
and Hezbollah, but would allow Israel to defend itself if attacked.
Veteran peace campaigner Bianca Jagger, former wife of rocker Mick
Jagger, said the British protest was not anti-Israel.
"I support the existence of Israel and I think we are wrong to say
otherwise," she said. "But watching the images of innocent children
dying as we have been for the last 24 days does not promote a peaceful
solution in the region."
In South Africa, thousands marched through Cape Town to Parliament to
demand sanctions against Israel.
Demonstrators carried pictures of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan
Nasrallah. Some carried posters declaring, "Israel the new Nazis."
Protesters urged the South African government to recall its ambassador
from Israel and sever diplomatic ties, impose trade sanctions, and
prosecute South Africans who serve in the Israeli defense force.
Hundreds of Indonesians protested Sunday in at least two cities in the
world's most populous Muslim nation, which has seen almost daily
anti-Israel demonstrations since the fighting began.
"How many more children will have to die again?" said cleric Rita
Cecirapanin, addressing about 500 protesters in the East Java provincial
capital of Surabaya.
More than 2000 people marched in downtown Cairo, demanding authorities
allow them to fight in Lebanon, police said.
The crowd shouted anti-Israel slogans and vowed to support the guerrillas.
"We will all be resistance in the Arabs' struggle against Israel!" they
yelled. Some set Israeli and U.S. flags on fire.
The protest was organized by Egypt's banned, but tolerated, main
opposition Muslim Brotherhood and the Lawyers Syndicate, the national
attorneys' union.
The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohammed Mahdi Akef told
a local weekly edition newspaper Thursday that his group was prepared to
send 10,000 "holy warriors" to help Hezbollah if the government permits.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said Egypt will not be dragged into
the conflict militarily.
In Austria, about 350 people marched through central Vienna to protest
Israel's military campaign.