Rally denounces actions by Israel
Hundreds who back Palestinians demonstrate at S.F. consulate
Saturday, April 13, 2002
A sea of Palestinian flags fluttered in front of the Israeli Consulate
in downtown San Francisco yesterday as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters
gathered for a lunchtime rally. Shouting cheers like "No more Israel" and
"No justice, no peace," the group peacefully gathered at the consulate
on Montgomery Street to denounce Israeli actions in the current Middle
East crisis. A small skirmish erupted in the middle of the rally when a
man carrying an Israeli flag was surrounded by shouting protesters. Police
and some of the protesters tried to form a shield around the man, but the
crowd around him continued to grow, prompting police to escort him out
of the area for his own safety. As he was leaving, a protester ripped the
man's flag off its pole, and a group of men began stomping on it. Despite
the skirmish, the rally was otherwise peaceful. Father Labib Kobti, an
organizer of the rally, said that most of the Palestinian supporters at
the rally did not support the suicide bombings against Israel but feel
passionately about the rights of Palestinians to defend themselves against
Israeli aggression. "I think that everybody is worried about the killings
of innocents on both sides," Kobti said. "Violence only produces more violence.
We believe in the resistance against the (Israeli) occupation of the Holy
Land." Fayeq Oweis, 40, a Palestinian who immigrated to the United States
20 years ago, said he is worried for his family who live just outside of
the city of Ramallah. He said he wanted to do whatever he could to protest
the Israeli invasion in the West Bank. "At the least, I can support Palestinian
people for the fight and freedom," said Oweis, a resident of South San
Francisco. "I was born and raised there. It's the least I can do." E-mail
Ray Delgado at rdelgado@sfchronicle.com.