Sana'a/Amman - Demonstrators in their thousands took to
streets in the Arab world following Friday prayers to show their
support for the people of the Gaza Strip and denounce the nearly two-
week Israeli military offensive there.
Demonstrators in Doha, Baghdad and Amman carried Palestinian flags
and chanted slogans in support of Gaza. Others decried the Egyptian
government, accusing it of indirectly supporting Israel by keeping
its border to the salient closed.
The largest demonstrations took place in Sana'a, the capital of
Yemen, where eyewitness accounts say about 200,000 demonstrators took
to the streets, calling for 'Death to America and Israel' and saying
that 'Islam would win.'
In the southern port city of Aden, police had to fire warning
shots and tear gas to disperse tens of thousands of protesters after
they tried to access the diplomatic quarter.
In Amman, tens of thousands of demonstrators carried photos of
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who expelled his country's Israeli
ambassador.
Demonstrators gathered near the Israeli embassy, but were
prevented by security forces from reaching the building. They
demanded that the Israeli ambassador be kicked out of Amman.
Clashes later erupted and police had to use clubs and tear gas to
disperse the crowd. Some protesters threw rocks at the police. There
were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Friday demonstrations were called by prominent Egyptian-born,
but Qatar-based, Islamic scholar Youssef al-Qaradawi.
He called for Friday to be a 'day of support for Gaza' and has
urged imams around the Muslim world to deliver their Friday sermons
on the Gaza situation.
Qaradawi delivered the Friday prayer sermon in one of Doha's
mosques in which he attacked US 'double standards' and Washington's
'involvement in the Zionist scheme.'
Demonstrators then came out of the mosque onto the streets
carrying Qatari and Palestinian flags and wearing the traditional
Palestinian keffiyeh, or scarf.
In Baghdad, thousands of demonstrators marched in Baghdad and
chanted slogans like 'Where are the Arab leaders?' and carried
placards reading 'Gaza martyrs, you are going to heaven' and 'The
attack on Gaza is an attack on humanity.'
The demonstrators then gathered at the Muslim Youth Association,
where speeches were delivered and songs sung in support of Gaza.
Police tried to stop protests by 100,000 people in the Egyptian
city of Alexandria, but eventually decided to let the protest
continue. Proteters decried Egyptian policy. In clashes in the Sinai
peninsula city of El-Arish, eight demonstrators and multiple
policemen were injured in clashes. More than a dozen demonstrators
were arrested.
Also, about 3,000 people protested in Ramallah in the West Bank at
the urging of Hamas. Protesters chanted 'Hamas, Hamas,' but, unlike
previous demonstrations, did not wave Hamas flags. The protest was
dispersed by authorities after about half an hour.
Demonstrations also took place in Bahrain and support marches were
expected in the United Arab Emirates.
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