Thousands march for Gaza

4000 people have marched on the US consulate in Edinburgh in support of Palestinians trapped by the Israeli assault on the Gaza strip, and to demand an immediate end to hostilities.

Despite being planned and executed as a peaceful protest, violence flared outside the consulate, with a handful of protesters hurling missiles—most notably shoes—at police manning crash barriers protecting the diplomatic mission.

In a statement, Lothian and Borders Police said: “While we recognise people's right to protest, this should be done in a lawful manner, and we are extremely disappointed at the violent behaviour shown today by the minority whose obvious intention was to cause trouble.

"At the same time, we would like to praise the conduct of the vast majority of protestors, whose behaviour was commendable."

Sticks, shoes—recalling the recent attack by an Iraqi journalist on US President George Bush in Baghdad—and, in one case, a ski boot were all directed towards police by roughly 60 protesters. Three officers recieved minor injuries; no arrests were made.

Further protests are planned for this week as student groups and activists put mounting pressure on the UK government and international bodies to intervene in the Gaza conflict. Wednesday 14 January will see the first weekly silent vigil in Bristo Square by Palestinian women dressed in black in honour of the casualties in Gaza. The following day at 1:30pm, a one-off protest rally hosted by the Edinburgh University Palestine Solidarity Society on the same site will be open to all.

As the Israeli offensive in Gaza against Hamas escalates, a number of academic associations have lent their voice to the growing public outrage at the conflict’s mounting civilian toll. The Scottish Committe for the Universities of Palestine (SCUP), an association of academics calling for a boycott of Israel in solidarity with fellow university lecturers and staff in the occupied territories, has called for a grassroots campaign of activism to demand action to end the conflict.

“We call for all members of Scottish civil society to support all demonstrations against this atrocity, to join lobbies and write to representatives, and to contribute to medical aid through various organisations,” a statement, published on the Birzeit University Right to Education Campaign’s website, reads.

The SCUP statement and campaign group Action Palestine also highlight the lack of transparency regarding human rights abuses in Gaza caused by Israel’s ban on international journalists entering the conflict area. On its website, Action Palestine alleges that Palestinian journalists operating within Israel have been targeted for reporting the conflict.

International correspondent Khader Shahin of Al Alam TV was arrested by Israeli police in Jerusalem on January 6, along with producer Mohammad Sarhan and cameraman Ahmad Jalajal, on the charge of "breaching the media code of ethics" for reporting on the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) ground offensive in Gaza before it had been officially announced. While Mr Jalajal has now been released, Mr Shahin and Mr Sarhan now face trial for their activities.

Action Palestine maintains that their treatment is in contravention of the right to a free press outlined in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 79 of the 1977 Additional Protocol, stating that “journalists are entitled to the same protection as civilians and may not be deliberately targeted.”
The SCUP statement also attacks Israeli media policy: “We seriously urge the BBC to speak out against the Israel's concealment of its atrocities, away from the world's media.

“Again Israel defies international law and its own legal system. We say this is not the action of a democracy. Israel cannot be allowed to conceal its war crimes.”

On 9 January, 300 academics from across Canada called on their government to condemn the Israeli incursion, on the grounds that “the attack constitutes a war crime in that it is completely disproportionate to the threat posed, and violates international humanitarian law on at least three grounds: collective punishment; targeting civilians; disproportionate military response.”

Israeli strikes in Gaza have repeatedly targeted universities and other educational institutions. On the first day of Israel’s air assault, an air-to-ground missile destroyed the Gaza Training College, killing eight students and injuring twelve. The Islamic University of Gaza—the territory’s largest higher education institution—was bombed on December 29, allegedly due to the use of its science lab as a “research and development centre for Hamas weapons.”

Other educational infrastructure damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks include the American School of Gaza—where a security guard was killed by an airstrike—the Agricultural School of Beit Hanoun, and the Omar Ibn Al Khattab School in Beit Lahia.

In addition, on 6 January, 42 civilians were killed in airstrikes on three United Nations Relief and Works Agency school buildings which were being used as shelters.
As The Journal went to press, the number of casualties in the Gaza conflict stood at 846 Palestinians killed—mostly civilians, including over 125 children—and roughly 3,200 wounded. Israeli civilian casualties from rocket attacks and military casualties in Gaza combined numbered 13 dead and 62 injured.