Stockholm: 12,000 demonstrated for Gaza!, Demonstrations throughout Sweden

Just back from today's rally. We were 12,000! At least, some estimated it to 15,000. Police sources claimed the number 8,000. The march began at Sergels torg and ended outside the Israeli embassy. Overall the mood positive, marked by a massive condemnation of the Israeli aggressions and the cowardness of the Swedish government.

HD.se writes "Sergels Torg was completly packed around 1 p.m. on Saturday. Several thousands had shown up in a demonstration against the war in Gaza. Lots of Palestinian flags wave over the rally and the protestors chants "What shall we do? Stop the massacre!"

Speakers called on freezing the trade agreement between the EU and Israel, stop military exports to Israel, mobilize for a complete boycott of Israeli imports and kicking Veolia (who's building railways on occupied Palestinian land) out of the Stockholm metro.

Present in the demonstration where, amongst many prominent personalities, opposition leader Mona Sahlin and Trade Union Confederation (LO) Wanja Lundby-Wedin.

Some photos from a friend;




Other pro-Palestine demonstrations took part throughout the country. In Malmö thousands had gathered (3-4,000 according to police sources). In Göteborg, around 4,000 people took to the streets according to Göteborgs-Posten. Fadia Ayad had been evacuated and arrived at Göteborg's Landvetter airport on Saturday morning, a few hours later she marched in the demonstration and spoke out about the ordeals of herself and the Palestinian people.

Hundreds gathered in Uppsala.

In Borlänge, 200 people demonstrated. In Söderhamn 100 people protested. In Varberg, a public meeting was organized by the local Palestine Group. In nearby Halmstad, a protest gathered hundred people. In Helsingborg, a protest demonstration was held for the third Saturday in a row. Likewise, a rally was held in Kristianstad with 200 participants. In Borås, hundreds protested (article with video & photos).

In Norrköping more than 500 demonstrated (blog post, en castellano). In the front of the rally marched Social Democratic politician Lars Stjernkvist and Left Party MP Torbjörn Björlund. In nearby Linköping a protest was held in the centre of the town (Web-TV link) on Friday. Speakers came from the Social Democrats, Left Party, Green Party and the Palestinian Association.

In Östersund a broad manifestation was held to condemn the aggression against Gaza, organized by the Network for Global Peace and Democracy. Speakers came from the Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party, Green Party, Muslim Association and the local UN Association. Around 200 people took part in the protest. Protest will be held at Stortorget (Main Sq) of Östersund every Sunday as long as the Gaza aggression continues.

In Luleå, northern Sweden, seventy people protested under the slogans 'Stop the massacre. Long live Palestine!'. In Umeå, 500 protestors were assembled.

In Karlstad, hundred people gathered at a demonstration organized by the Left Party. The poet Bengt Berg read out a poem, titled 'Jewish Partisan Song', which had been written by the Norwegian poet Georg Johannessen during the 1943 siege of the Warsaw ghetto.

Yesterday, 200 people demonstrated in Karlskrona. Another demonstration was held in Eskilstuna. At the rally, Firat Nemrud of the Left Party called for an immediately lifting of the blockade of Gaza. In nearby Nyköping, 200 people gathered to protest (see video).

Protests also took place throughout other European countries. Barcelona and London were some of the places were thousands gathered.

Also, noting that a pro-massacre, pro-genocide and anti-Geneva Convention rally was held simultaneously in Copenhagen. 250 participants. Large part of the them had travelled from Sweden.

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News report on manifestation in Malmö, Januari 9, "Stop the massacre in Gaza", Appeal of 1,000 Swedish cultural workers, News report on the Stockholm rally in HD, Dagen, Trelleborgs Allehanda, Ystads Allehanda, Skånskan, ETC