Sunday 10 August 2014

Gaza: We march for three things - the children, the children, the children

Thousands of people in London and Edinburgh marched for Gaza on Saturday 9th August in a "global day of rage".

More than 150,000 gathered in London, the third mass march in the city in as many weeks and the biggest, whilst many of the Aberdeen protesters joined the thousands in Edinburgh, to demand an immediate end to the killing, Israel to lift the siege and to abide by UN resolutions; an end to arms sales to Israel and boycott, divestment and sanctions to bring pressure on the Israeli government; and a free Palestine.

In Aberdeen those protesters who couldn't get to Edinburgh, again gathered at the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign stall in St Nicholas Square, to remind the people of Aberdeen that the Israeli assaults on the people of Gaza continues.

In Edinburgh, the marchers came to a halt for a two minutes silence in memory of the people killed in Gaza, and marchers each carried the names of one of the over 2,000 killed by Israel, over 400 of them children.

There were many emotional and moving speeches, including the voices of Palestinians direct from a hospital in Gaza. A Jewish man, brought cheers when he emotionally told the rally, “Nothing Israel does is in my name.”

 And Glasgow Girl, Amal Azzudin (pictured above) urged people to demonstrate again and again until their voices are heard.

"When others ask ‘what is the point of demonstrating? Why are you doing it?’ she urged people to say: “We are marching for three things. The children, the children, the children.”

Click here for a full report of the Edinburgh march and rally

With thanks to John Stevenson, UNISON Edinburgh for report and pictures