Gaza Solidarity Rally in Malmö

A manifestation, commemorating the 2009 Gaza massacre, was held this Saturday in Malmö, southern Sweden. One speaker, member of parliament Marianne Berg, called for boycott of Israel. Newslink in Sydsvenskan.

What about the bulldozers?

Egypt and beyond has an interesting commentary on the ongoing organ-harvesting-Israel vs Scandinavia-brawl;

In an ironic twist, some Israelis are now calling for a boycott of Swedish products. I'm tempted to say: Go ahead, and why don't you start with the Volvo-bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied territories... And if even Israelis themselves accept boycott as a legitimate way of putting political pressure on countries whose policies we dislike, this should give a boost to the international BDS-movement and the international boycott of Israeli products.

Meanwhile, At Electronic Intifadah Matthew Cassel has an article titled "Baseless organ theft accusations will not bring Israel to justice". Cassel argues that Boström's reporting damages more serious efforts by Palestinian human rights organizations. I think that Cassel's description of the Aftonbladet article is somewhat tilted though.

From a Swedish perspective, at this point we have to appreciate Boström's work. The article might not have been a journalistic masterpiece, but the subsequent development have pushed the Israeli government into a state of frenzy and the Israeli cause are rapidly losing friends in Sweden as a result. Pro-Israeli political commentators are increasingly cornered in the public debate, as the vast majority of Swedes finds the Israeli demands for a formal apology hillarious.

And it might be so that Bostöm's article lacks the stringent accuracy of the reports of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or Palestinian human rights organizations. In any case, the article has brought the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians to the centre-stage. Regardless of whether the organ harvesting accusations are true or not, the article still has a brutal reminder of the realities of occupation; the brutal killing of a young Palestinian man whose body was mutilated by the occupation forces (an incident to which Boström was a first-hand witness).

Did the Israeli soldiers carve up the body of a murdered 19-year old Palestinian for the sake of organ harvesting or did they mutilate his corpse just for fun? In any case, it illustrates the nature of the occupation forces, it reveals the reality of Israeli occupation.

Cassel asks why the story wasn't published in 1992. The answer is that Boström's editor at the time refused to publish it. It was however published in a 2001 book, Inshallah.

Read also KABOBfest, Esbati
Newslinks: VG, ETC, Fokus

Quote of the day (2)

Golda Zandman, an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor, who arrived in Israel largely thanks to the Swedish government, was amazed by this statement. "It's simply not true – the Swedes are not anti-Semites," she told Ynet on Sunday. "There is no such thing in Sweden. But what would Lieberman know about it? He emigrated from Russia."

Full article at Ynet.

Boycott?

Apparently there is an online call to boycott IKEA, as some sort of cyber-retalition in the organ-harvesting-feud between Sweden and Israel. I welcome such calls, hoping that IKEA (and other companies not adhering to the call for a total economic boycott of Israel as long as occupation persists) will be pushed to pull out of Israel. BDS is the way to go.

Newslinks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

IOF opened fire at European diplomats in Gaza

Several Swedish newspapers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) run a story today on an incident on Tuesday, when Israeli Occupation Forces shot warning shot in the air when a convoy of European diplomats was approaching an Israeli checkpoint. The convoy, which included the French consul and the Swedish consul in Jerusalem, had first been forces to negotiate the conditions of their exit from Gaza (in breach with diplomatic code of conduct) and then after several hours been given a go-ahead signal from the IOF. That's when shots were fired, probably in the air.

It's not hard to conclude that opening fire, warning shots or otherwise, consists of a clear breach of the diplomatic code of conduct. The Swedish Foreign Ministry has however still not even issued a diplomatic protest on the incident. No surprise that Israel keeps violating international laws and human rights, as long as Western powers is willing to reward Israel with impunity at all times.

News links: 1, 2, 3,4, 5

Sweden: Photos from January 24 protests

Malmö:



Göteborg:



(photos: Jöran Fagerlund)

Stockholm:

Sweden: Solidarity protests throughout the country.

Gaza solidarity manifestations were held throughout Sweden today. In Helsingborg, 1000 people gathered to protest.

In Stockholm attendance at a rally that marched to the Israeli embassy was above 2,000. Lower than last week's 12,000, but a good turnout considering that the rally had been announced just three days earlier. Mobilizations are underway for a big rally on Sergels torg, 13.00, Saturday 24 January.

In Malmö a demonstration was held at Gustav Adolfs torg, organized by the Palestinian Association, Lebanese Association and other organizations. At the rally, local Social Democratic MP Marie Granlund.

Protests were also held in Göteborg (5,000+ participants), Kristianstad, Lidköping, Halmstad, Luleå, Varberg and Lund, amongst others.

Report from manifestation in Piteå.

Sources: DN, HD, SvD12, Sydsvenskan

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

Daily candle light vigils in Växjö, southern Sweden

Every day, at 3 pm, candles at lit at the main square in Växjö, southern Sweden. On January 2, a sizeable manifestation with hundreds of participants was held in the town in support of Gaza. Member of European Parliament, Eva-Britt Svensson spoke at the rally.

Amongst the people suffering the siege and attacks in Gaza is a family from Växjö, local newspaper Smålandsposten has a report on their plight.

1,200 protested in Uppsala

On Saturday 3 January, 1,200 people demonstrated in Uppsala (pop 190,000), Sweden.



Photos by Miro Anter.




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Article in mainstream daily UNT.

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Report at FiB website from an earlier Uppsala rally, December 29, 2008

"500 challenged the weather to show support for Gaza" - rally in Helsingborg

Article in HD, 3 january.

A demonstration marched from Gustav Adolfs torg tol Stortorget, where Charlotta Land was one of the speakers. She pointed out that 58% of the population in Gaza are children.

Helsingborg is a town in southern Sweden, population 93.000.

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Video from youtube

Demonstration in Göteborg, western Sweden, 2000 participants

Demonstration against Israel's attacks in Gaza, article in Göteborgs-Posten, January 3, 2009;

Around two o'clock on Saturday afternoon a long demonstration began marching from Götaplatsen towards Gustav Adolfs Torg.