Carlos Lozano
Sat, March 2, 2024
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather outside L.A. City Hall as part of a global day of action to end the Israel-Hamas war. The watermelon has become an unofficial symbol of Palestinian solidarity. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday as part of a worldwide day of action calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war.
Waving Palestinian flags and banners, the demonstrators rallied outside City Hall about 1 p.m. before beginning a slow march down Broadway chanting and carrying signs that said, "Stop the Genocide," "Free the 2 Million Hostages in Gaza" and "Cease Fire Now."
The crowd of peaceful protesters stretched for several city blocks. Some participants estimated that tens of thousands took part. The Los Angeles Police Department said it did not have a crowd estimate.
An LAPD spokesperson said there were four arrests made at the protest related to vandalism — two for felonies and two for misdemeanors. A fifth person was arrested for trying to free one of the people arrested, the spokesperson said.
A participant in Saturday's pro-Palestinian march in downtown L.A. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
Similar demonstrations took place in large cities across the country, including San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Washington.
Israel launched its airstrikes and a ground invasion of Gaza after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 240 hostages. The death toll in Gaza has since passed 30,000, with most of the casualties women and children, according to the World Health Organization.
Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior U.S. administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt.
International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a pact to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. A deal would also probably allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials say are under threat of famine.
The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes a six-week cease-fire and the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, including the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, the U.S. official said.
United States military planes began the first airdrops of thousands of meals into Gaza, and the militaries of Jordan and Egypt said they also conducted airdrops. Aid groups say airdrops should be only a last resort and instead urge the opening of other crossings into Gaza and the removal of obstacles at the few that are open.
Times staff writer Rebecca Ellis and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
A protester gestures after throwing flour on the front steps of City Hall on Saturday. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Thousands oppose Israeli bombardment of Gaza in Manhattan protest
Rebecca White and Liam Quigley, New York Daily News
Sat, March 2, 2024
NEW YORK — Thousands of protesters opposed to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza rallied in Manhattan Saturday calling for a cease-fire as estimates of the death toll in the conflict climb past 30,000.
The protest, billed by organizers as a “global day of action,” gathered in Washington Square Park around 1 p.m., and its ranks swelled despite the rain.
“I think it’s really cool when folks come out in the rain and the sun and the snow and the sleet,” said protester Tova Greene, 23. “It’s really affirming to see so many folks even though it’s annoying, but we have to do it.”
“It’s packed. It’s like sardines, but in a good way,” Greene said of the crowd.
Many protesters left the park and were marching up Sixth Avenue by around 3 p.m., followed closely by police.
As the march reached Bryant Park in Midtown, police arrested several protesters, according to video posted online. It wasn’t clear what sparked the arrests.
In Washington, D.C., protesters shut down streets near the Israeli Embassy, as global calls for a cease-fire have grown in recent weeks.
Israeli officials “have more or less accepted” a six-week cease-fire proposal, according to a senior U.S. official with the Biden administration, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
Similar pro-Palestinian protests in the city have drawn New York Police Department enforcement in recent weeks. Police made a number of arrests when President Joe Biden visited Rockefeller Center last Monday.
In January, activists shut down the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges and the Holland Tunnel entrance, snarling traffic.
Trudeau's Toronto event with Italy PM Meloni cancelled due to pro-Palestinian protest
CBC
Sat, March 2, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protesters block the entrances to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto on Saturday. (Christian Paas-Lang/CBC - image credit)
A Toronto event where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was scheduled to host his Italian counterpart was cancelled on Saturday evening due to security concerns as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the venue, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said.
Demonstrators outside the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) criticized the federal government's handling of the Israel-Hamas war and chanted that Trudeau was funding a genocide in Gaza.
Police told CBC News there were roughly 200 to 300 protesters outside the AGO on Saturday, but noted it was difficult to estimate the total size of the demonstration as protesters gathered outside several entrances.
"Due to security concerns, the event was cancelled," a spokesperson for the PMO told CBC News on Saturday night via email.
Would-be attendees gathered outside were confronted by demonstrators, with their paths to entry blocked. Some were later escorted to the building's entrance by police.
Police stand guard outside the Art Galley of Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, March 2, 2024 as protesters confront attendees of a reception for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni which was cancelled following the protests. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP) (Photo by GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)More
Police stand guard outside the Art Galley of Ontario in Toronto on Saturday as pro-Palestinian protesters gather. (Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images)
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen tried to enter through the main entrance, but protesters blocked his path and followed him for two blocks as he tried to enter a more secure location while flanked by police.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's prime minister since 2022, was in Toronto for meetings with Trudeau. The two G7 leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including what Meloni called the "very difficult Middle East crisis."
Israel declared war on Hamas following an Oct. 7 attack that saw 1,200 people killed and some 250 kidnapped by the Islamist militants, according to Israeli tallies.
The subsequent military operation by Israel in Hamas-controlled Gaza has now killed more than 30,000 people, most of them women and children, Gaza health officials say.
Canada, which considers Hamas a terrorist group, has repeatedly said that Israel has the right to defend itself, but Ottawa has more recently called for a ceasefire in the conflict due to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Canada, Italy leaders cancel Toronto event for security reasons
Sat, March 2, 2024
Sat, March 2, 2024
By Carlos Osorio
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday canceled a joint visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto for security reasons, according to a Canadian spokesperson.
Two groups of protesters, one against Trudeau's government and another of pro-Palestinian protesters, had gathered outside the gallery. There were also numerous police.
Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Trudeau's office, confirmed the event was called off for security reasons but referred questions to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which had no immediate comment.
Meloni is visiting Canada in Italy's role as president of the Group of Seven nations for 2024 after visiting Washington on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Canada and Italy agreed to enhance cooperation in various areas, including energy security and the shift to a sustainable energy future, over the next three to five years, according to a statement.
(Reporting by Carlos Osorio, writing by Steve Scherer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday canceled a joint visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto for security reasons, according to a Canadian spokesperson.
Two groups of protesters, one against Trudeau's government and another of pro-Palestinian protesters, had gathered outside the gallery. There were also numerous police.
Jenna Ghassabeh, a spokesperson for Trudeau's office, confirmed the event was called off for security reasons but referred questions to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which had no immediate comment.
Meloni is visiting Canada in Italy's role as president of the Group of Seven nations for 2024 after visiting Washington on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Canada and Italy agreed to enhance cooperation in various areas, including energy security and the shift to a sustainable energy future, over the next three to five years, according to a statement.
(Reporting by Carlos Osorio, writing by Steve Scherer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Pro-Palestinian protestors interrupt first lady’s event: ‘This is a genocide’
Filip Timotija
Sat, March 2, 2024
Pro-Palestinian protestors interrupted First Lady Jill Biden’s event in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday as she was giving a speech on women’s issues.
The essence of the remarks at the Arizona event was supposed to be on abortion rights as Biden was performing her “Women for Biden-Harris” tour around the country, but early on during her remarks she was interrupted by demonstrators who were calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
One of the protestors stood up and yelled “Jill, when are you and the president going to call for a cease-fire in Gaza?” She was later removed from the event by security.
Another demonstrator screamed “This is a genocide being committed by our tax dollars – women and girls that matter” as she was also removed from the venue.
President Biden has been regularly confronted with pro-Palestine protestors at his campaign events around the nation, with many activists livid with the way his administration has handled the Israel-Hamas war. The pressure has intensified, especially from the progressives and Democrats in Michigan.
Earlier this week, organizers behind the Michigan campaign to vote “uncommitted” earned a double-digit backing in the Michigan primary, fueling potential for an alternative candidate come November.
On Monday, Biden said during his New York trip that a cease-fire in Gaza could take place before next week, stating that months-long talks between Qatar, Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Hamas are getting negotiators closer to reaching a deal.
Israel reportedly agreed to a framework of a proposed temporary cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza on Saturday, putting the ball in Hamas’ court a day before talks are set to resume in Egypt.
Criticism of Israel has heightened as more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. Biden said that Palestinians need more assistance from the U.S. and others as the conflict crosses into its fifth month.
Hundreds of Pro-Palestine protesters shut down highway overpass during winter storm
Trevor Myers
NY Post
Sat, March 2, 2024
SUGAR HOUSE, Utah (ABC4) — To show support for Palestine, hundreds of protesters completely shut down parts of the highway and an overpass after marching up and down 1300 South in Sugar House on Saturday afternoon.
Even with heavy winter weather on Saturday — weather that caused flight delays and power outages — the rally continued.
READ NEXT: 18-year-old arrested for murder, aggravated assault after allegedly shooting friend
Pro-Palestine protesters shut down roads in Sugar House on March 2, 2024. (KTVX/Christine Napier)
Protesters crossed the street in front of cars at a red light while chanting, and video shows the crowd being corralled by people in fluorescent yellow vests. Protesters were carrying signs and banners that read “Cease fire now” and “Shut it down for Palestine.”
“I know you’re cold, so let’s get our bodies moving,” a rally leader said before being met with a chorus of cheers. “We’re going to follow behind the banner, and let’s get it going.”
The crowd began chanting about the freedom and liberation of Palestine as they marched.
Several c
Sat, March 2, 2024
SUGAR HOUSE, Utah (ABC4) — To show support for Palestine, hundreds of protesters completely shut down parts of the highway and an overpass after marching up and down 1300 South in Sugar House on Saturday afternoon.
Even with heavy winter weather on Saturday — weather that caused flight delays and power outages — the rally continued.
READ NEXT: 18-year-old arrested for murder, aggravated assault after allegedly shooting friend
Pro-Palestine protesters shut down roads in Sugar House on March 2, 2024. (KTVX/Christine Napier)
Protesters crossed the street in front of cars at a red light while chanting, and video shows the crowd being corralled by people in fluorescent yellow vests. Protesters were carrying signs and banners that read “Cease fire now” and “Shut it down for Palestine.”
“I know you’re cold, so let’s get our bodies moving,” a rally leader said before being met with a chorus of cheers. “We’re going to follow behind the banner, and let’s get it going.”
The crowd began chanting about the freedom and liberation of Palestine as they marched.
Several c
No comments:
Post a Comment