Protesters chant “money for health and education—not for Israel’s occupation!” while marching down Broadway in Greenwich Village, NYC on Friday, July 11, 2014.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Union Square in New York City on Friday to call for Americans to end their support of Israeli impunity in Palestine. Demonstrators held a rally outside Max Brenner Chocolates—a target of boycotts for their financial support of the Israeli army’s Golani Brigade, often cited for their involvement in war crimes in the occupied territories—then marched down and back up Broadway to rally again in the Square.
The US sends over $3 billion a year in taxpayer money to Israel. Many millions more in American money is invested in companies that are involved in the occupation.
Around the world, thousands continue to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people and demanding an end to Israeli aggression. Cities such as Paris, Oslo, Chicago, Jakarta, Rome and San Francisco have played host to demonstrations within the last week. In London alone, participation is said to have been around 10,000.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that “no international pressure” would stop him from continuing to strike Gaza. He also said that “there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan,” thus expressing the intent to occupy Palestinian territory indefinitely.
As of Saturday morning, at least 135 Palestinians have been killed in this latest round of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, including 23 children. No Israeli fatalities have been reported.
Photos of the Union Square event follow.
