ACTIVISM – HK Communities Unite in Peaceful Protest for Gaza

Date: 2012.11.18 | Category: Blog, Politics: Activism, Politics: All Posts | Tags: Activism,blog,politics

[Page will update soon with video]

A diverse group of concerned Hong Kongers marched today from Victoria Park to the Israeli Consulate in Admiralty demanding an end to the Israeli occupation and the current bombardment of Gaza…

Hong Kong legislator ‘Long Hair’ Leung Kwok Hung was joined by Rami El-Ashi, one of two Palestinians present at the demonstration. Rami spoke to Reuters and AP about his concerns for his family who remain trapped in Gaza…

As of yesterday, 48 Palestinians – around half civilians, including 13 children and a toddler have been killed in Israeli raids. 3 Israeli civilians have been killed in Palestinian rocket attacks.

The current crisis was sparked when, on November 5th, Israeli soldiers shot dead a 20-year-old Palestinian with learning difficulties near the Gaza border.

In total, since September 2000, at least 48,944 Palestinians and 9,053 Israelis  (UN, Red Crescent, Israeli sources) have been injured and 6,617 Palestinians and 1,097 Israelis (Israeli NGO sources) have been killed. Civilian deaths since 2000 total 731 Israelis and between 3,535-4,226 Palestinians (Israeli NGO sources)…

Up to 75,000 Israeli troops have now been readied for a possible ground invasion, as tanks head towards Gaza. Entering its fifth day, the operation is the biggest since the 2008-9 Gaza War. Israeli NGO B’Tselem reports that at least 762 Palestinian civilians and 3 Israelis were killed during the three week conflict (Israeli NGO source)

Israel is preventing much-needed medical supplies from reaching hospitals in Gaza.

Foreign expats, the local Muslim community and local Hong Kongers marched peacefully through Causeway Bay, Wanchai and Admiralty to hand in a letter to the Israeli consulate.

The turnout included demonstrators from Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Ireland, Britain, Palestine, Pakistan and Hong Kong…

Like Hong Kong, Gaza has one of the highest population densities in the world…

Chanting ‘Free, free Palestine’, ‘End the occupation’, and ‘Break the silence’ – the demonstration represented the most diverse show of Palestinian solidarity Hong Kong has yet seen.

Despite the disproportionate tally of casualties on each side, diplomatic reactions around the world have focussed almost solely on Palestinian rocket attacks with little criticism of Israel.

Meanwhile, US academic Noam Chomsky directly called for mainstream journalists to cover the conflict more fairly…

At the end of the march, Gazan Rami El-Ashi read aloud, and then handed over, a letter to a representative of the Israeli Consulate…

Activists promised to mobilise hundreds to march on the US consulate next Sunday should the bombardment of Gaza continue into next week.

Ambassador Amikam Lev
Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong and Macau
701 Admiralty Centre Tower II
18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong

Dear Ambassador Amikam Lev:

We write to ask Israel to stop bombing the illegally occupied territories of Palestine.  Since your Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gave the green light for these attacks earlier this week and despite confirmation of civilian casualties your Prime Minister has allowed the number of bombs to increase and continue.  You, as a representative of the Israeli government, are now liable for the deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians and this responsibility will increase as the bombs continue to rain on Palestine.

Israel, as a signatory of all the main international treaties on human rights, has a responsibility to stop these heinous acts of violence against Palestine.  The laws of war forces Israel to take all feasible precautions to ensure that attacks are only carried out against military targets, not civilians, and attacks should be canceled if it becomes apparent the target is not military. Moreover, it is unlawful to carry out an attack in which the expected civilian loss is disproportionate to the anticipated military gain.  With civilian casualties confirmed, Israel must stop this murder and  stop the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

We are a concerned group of people from all over the world living in Hong Kong, ask you, Mr Ambassador, to pass our letter of protest on to Israeli Prime Minister.

Yours,
Hong Kong citizens

Press coverage:

Reuters, Al-Jazeera English, Yahoo, Hong Kong Inmedia, Global Voices. A video and extended local coverage over at Oriental Daily (Chinese).

Reuters

InMedia

• Full, unedited high-resolution gallery here.
• Full-res JPG Press Pack: (82mb)