Over 7,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Khartoum Wednesday to protest against Israel and in support of the Palestinian uprising or Intifada.
The march, organized by a grouping of trade unions, professional organizations and student groups, progressed from the central Martyr's Square to the UN offices in the east of the city, journalists at the scene said.
Protesters chanted "Qassam Qassam, burn down Tel Aviv" and "Revenge, revenge, oh Qassam brigades," in reference to the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, according to AFP.
Marchers demanded that Arab leaders back the Palestinians and called for implementation of UN resolutions to oversee Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories.
The organizers of the demonstration handed UN official Roger Guarda a message of protest to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the "UN silence on the Palestinian issue."
"No one with a living conscience in the world, let alone the Arabs and Muslims, will accept anything short of full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," the message said, according to the News Agency.
Demonstrators demanded that Arab states "open the borders" to let them "join the Palestinian struggle", and shouted in a positive manner when asked by an organizer, "Who of you is ready to gain martyrdom for Palestine?"
The two-hour demonstration was monitored by police and broke up with no reported incidents. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
