San Diego Protests as Israel Invades Gaza

Local Palestinians and supporters have held a series of demonstrations over the past week+ in downtown San Diego and Balboa Park to protest Israel's air and ground attack on Gaza.

Since the offensive began on December 27, almost 800 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, including over 250 children, and more than 3000 wounded, with the vast majority being noncombatants. The Israelis have targeted women and children, schools, the Islamic University in Gaza City, mosques, medical personnel, at least four UN facilities, including a UN school, civil police and elected officials.

The attack comes in the context of Israel blockading humanitarian aid to Gaza for years, occupying Palestine for decades and ethnicly cleansing the Palestinians for over 60 years.

Solidarity actions have included widespread demonstrations in the West Bank, the occupation of the Toronto Israeli Embassy by Jewish Canadian women, and graffiti in San Cristobal, Chiapas.

January 1/Balboa Park, 200 people, candlelight vigil and demonstration: "What we hear on our local media in the United States doesn't give equal information on what is happening and the facts on the ground for a million and a half population, people living in Gaza, under siege, no electricity, no medical aid, no water, no schools, no hospitals. This is the time to raise our voice and educate our public for the facts on the ground in Gaza."

January 2/Federal Building Downtown, 300+ people, demonstration: Signs included: Stop the Massacre in Gaza, Stop Israeli Terrorism, US Taxes Pay the Bill for Israelis to Kill, We are All Gaza, Stop the Holocaust in Gaza, No Justice No Peace, End the Illegal Occupation of Israel in Palestine, In 2007 US Gave $6.8 million per Day to Israel, Justice Now, American Media = Biased Against Truth, Boycott Israeli Terrorism, Over 2000 Palestinian Children have been Killed by Israelis since September 29 2000, Gaza Massacre 400+ Gazans killed in 5 days vs. 28 Israelis killed in the past 8 years, 1 Israeli is being held prisoner by Palestinians while 10756 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel, Stop Israel's Cowardly Massacre in Palestine, End Gaza Siege Now, Stop Israeli Terror, Stop the Occupation, Honk 4 Peace, Stop the War in Gaza, Oppression Must End, Israel's Agression: Your Tax $$ at Work, Daily US Taxes: $6.8 million per day for Israel and $0.3 million per day for Palestinians, We Will NOT Give Up, Free Free Palestine.

January 4/Balboa Park, 300 people, demonstration: "We know the impact that walls of apartheid have on a people. And we also know the deaths that these walls can create. And while they may be two different walls that divide our people, our struggle is one struggle. Union del Barrio stands with Palestine and its people in this struggle and we know that it is the courageous resistance of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli state-sponsored terrorism that is giving hope to millions and millions of displaced and conquered people all over the world."

January 9/Balboa Ave+805, 150+ people, demonstration:

January 13/Federal Building Downtown, 150 people, demonstration: Protesters spread the message on all four corners of Broadway and Front about Israel's war crimes and the courageous resistance of Palestinians in Gaza with signs showing the human cost of the bombs and energetic chants. SDPD was attempting to restrict where the protesters stood on the sidewalk, and one cop showed his weakness by arbitrarily detaining one person. That person was handcuffed, walked to a cop car, placed in the car for 20 minutes, cited and released.