European protests erupt over Israel convoy raid
Share
Demonstrations took place throughout Europe yesterday in protest at the Israeli raid of an aid ship headed for the occupied Gaza Strip. Protesters from London to Sarajevo called for their governments to condemn and take action against Israel, after at least ten activists were killed.
In London, more than a thousand pro-Palestinian protesters chanting, “disarm Israel” demonstrated outside the Israeli embassy, while in Manchester, marchers attempted to break into BBC offices, which critics claim offers a biased version of events in Israel and the Occupied Territories.
In Sarajevo, several hundred activists let their feelings be known outside the Bosnian parliament. “Maybe this time 700 people went [to deliver aid to Gaza], but next time there will be 7,000 and after that 70,000. Israel will be defeated,” Yasin Karameclik, a Turkish protester, told journalists.
Israel has said that its troops were acting in self-defence when they opened fire on the aid flotilla, claiming that weapons were on board at least one of the six ships.
This morning, over 500 taxi drivers gathered with their vehicles in front of the Israeli Consulate General in Istanbul, while yesterday, thousands gathered in Taksim Square in the Turkish capital to protest the attack.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters in Warsaw that the EU will seek an international investigation into the matter. She also appealed to Israel to open its border with Gaza, which has been under a blockade since 2007.
Several EU nations, including Greece, Sweden, Spain and Denmark summoned Israel's ambassadors, demanding explanations for the violence.
