(The Times, 14 October 2000)
More than 200 protesters gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Britain on Saturday to voice their anger against the continued killing of Palestinians in the Middle East.
They included a mixture of Palestinian refugees, British students, and other members of the public.
Their message centred around the killing of Mohammed Dura, 12, who was shot dead by an Israeli sniper earlier this month. Millions of television viewers around the world saw film of him and his father Jamal attempting to shelter from gunfire after becoming caught up in a gunbattle between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.
Despite 45 minutes cowering behind a small wall with the father screaming "the child, the child" to the Israeli soldiers, both were then shot - the boy fatally. An ambulance driver who attempted to save them was also killed.
The protesters gathered in London today held aloft a giant banner carrying photographs from the film of his killing. It also bore the slogans: "A Child's Terrifying Last Moment," and "Israeli State Sponsored Massacres."
A small but significant police presence reminded the gathering to maintain a peaceful protest as around a dozen officers stood guard outside the Embassy in Kensington High Street, London.
The protesters, made up of all ages and different nationalities, insisted they would maintain a peaceful protest as they shouted chants against the Israeli security forces. A significant presence of Socialist Worker members was also in attendance, handing out banners bearing the slogan "Stop the massacre. Free Palestine".
The protest organiser Rabee Sahyoun, of the Palestinian Right of Return Coalition, said his organisation had no intention of letting the demonstration turn violent.
"If anything starts to happen of that nature we are going to immediately try to defuse it," he said. "We are co-operating heavily with the police and we do not want any trouble.
"We just want the right to peaceful protests," said Mr Sahyoun, a Palestinian refugee studying at the London School of Economics.
The protesters are calling for an end to the violence in Israel and immediate end to the killings. They were also demanding an independent inquiry into the killings of Palestinians by Israeli troops and international protection for Palestinian citizens.
The Palestinian Right of Return Coalition estimates that more 90 Palestinians have been killed since violence erupted earlier this month, including at least 23 children.
It also claims that 14 Palestinian citizens living in Israel have been murdered in politically motivated attacks by government forces and armed civilians.