NEW RELEASE: 1 MILLION PROTEST IN RABBAT, MOROCCO
More than one million people demonstrated today (Sunday 8 October) in Rabbat, Morroco, against the Israeli massacre of Palestinians. The protestors burned Israeli and U.S. flags and carried banners denouncing Israel, chanting: "Enough, enough of wars, America is the enemy of the people."
Hundreds of thousands of Moroccans came to Rabbat to to take part in the march, organized by the non-government Moroccan Society for the Support of the Struggle of the Palestinian people. Participants in the protest, the only one permitted by the government that had refused to grant permission for similar rallies in other cities and towns in the north African country, included activists from political parties, unions and non-government human rights organizations.
Khaled al-Sufiani, chairman of the Moroccan Society said that protestors were due to head to the U.S. or British embassies to protest against their support for Israel. The demostrators would not demonstrate in front of Israeli business offices because they did not "recognize the existence of the Zionist entity or their representatives."
Al-Sufiani said Sunday's demonstration, which he described as setting an "important precedent because it includes the participation of all the political parties, including the Islamic ones, "reaffirms that the Palestinian cause is a national cause and takes top priority for the Moroccan people."
He said the protest was a "reflection of the popular Moroccan anger and their condemnation of the massacres committed against our Palestinian brethren by the Zionist enemy, which targets to desecrate the Islamic shrines, including holy Jerusalem...We believe that the Arab rulers should be more angry than their people and bear their historic responsibility to protect Palestine and Jerusalem."
The protestors demanded the closure of the Israeli liaison office and Arab governments to sever ties with Israel. Although only Jordan and Egypt have signed peace treaties with Israel, several other Arab countries have commercial ties with Israel.
REPORT: WORLDWIDE SOLIDARITY DEMONSTRATIONS
PICTURES OF GLOBAL INTIFADA
LATEST DEVELOPMENTSThis report was compiled by Hanthala Palestine, 8 October 2000, 20.10 GMT