Feature Archives

Schachaf Polakow, a member of Anarchists Against the Wall, will give presentations in the Bay Area on February 5th and 6th that will include film and photos, and will focus both on AATW's recent work in solidarity with Gaza and their ongoing work in the West Bank. Anarchists Against the Wall is a direct action group that fights against Israeli apartheid and oppression in all its forms, most recently the atrocities in Gaza. For five years the group has waged a constant struggle against Israel's Wall.

On January 15th, about 45 Palestinian, Jewish, immigrant rights and prison abolitionists chained themselves to the Israeli consulate in San Francisco to protest Israeli apartheid and its current attacks on Gaza. The protesters called for an immediate ceasefire; the opening of land, sea, and air borders to allow in emergency supplies; and an end to US financial and political support for Israel.

Sunday, January 11, a rally protesting U.S. torture at Guantanamo and around the world took place at Market and Powell Streets in San Francisco. A march through the surrounding Union Square shopping district with a line of orange-clad "prisoners" dramatized the plight of people caught in the U.S. detention system, and was followed by concluding remarks at the Powell Street cable car turnaround. The rally was part of a National Day of Protest: Close Guantanamo and End U.S. Torture Policies Everywhere.

On Saturday, January 10th there were nationwide protests against the atrocities and occupation perpetrated by the Israeli government in Gaza. The San Francisco protest started in Civic Center at 11am and then thousands of protesters marched through the downtown. More then 850 people have died and thousands have been wounded in Israel's attacks on Gaza. 1.6 million Gazans are living without access to basic services and face constant Israeli attacks in one of the most densely populated areas of the world. On January 8th, the UN accused Israel of purposefully killing its aid workers. The UN has also reported that Israeli troops ordered Palestinian civilians into a house in Gaza City, and then shelled the building 24 hours later. The ICRC has also accused Israel of restricting access to thousands of wounded civilians, including several young children who the Red Cross found living for several days among the corpses of over a dozen dead relatives.

On Saturday January 3rd, Israeli ground troops moved into Gaza, cutting the territory in two and surrounding Gaza City. At least 600 Palestinians have now been killed with thousands wounded and an even larger number left without water and other basic services. As protests occur around the world and many world leaders denounce the massacre, the US is trying to delay a ceasefire and US politicians like NY mayor Bloomberg and Democratic Congressman Gary Ackerman have flown to Israel to show their support for the continuation of the killing.

In San Francisco, an emergency protest took place Saturday at Powell and Market. Over one thousand protested in San Jose Sunday. On Monday morning in San Francisco, a thousand protesters marched from Market and Montgomery to the Federal Building, demanding that Israel halt its invasion of Gaza. A small delegation attempted to enter the Federal Building to deliver a message asking the US government to stop supporting the Israeli military.

Protests against the attacks on Gaza have been taking place around the Bay Area and across California. On December 28th, a San Francisco protest took place at Powell and Market at noon. On December 29th, there was a protest at Feinstein's office and hundreds of protesters took over the intersection of Montgomery and Market to protest the Gaza massacre. There was also a protest Monday in San Mateo. On December 30th, as part of a National Day of Action, there were demonstrations at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco and in downtown Sacramento. On Friday, January 2nd, protesters gathered at Powell and Market at 2:30pm and marched to the Israeli consulate.

On December 27th, 28th and 29th, Israeli air strikes targeted Gaza killing over 364 people and seriously injuring thousands more. As Israeli tanks mass on the Gaza border, thousands of Israelis are protesting. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, an umbrella group of Arab organizations, declared a national strike and a mourning day in the Arab sector beginning Sunday morning. There have also been large protests across the Middle East and in Europe.