Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in European cities on Saturday against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, including protesters who hurled shoes at the tall iron gates outside the British prime minister's residence in London. In London, 10,000 people, many carrying Palestinian flags, marched past Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street residence to a rally in Trafalgar Square. The marchers included activist Bianca Jagger, ex-Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and comedian Alexei Sayle. “As a Jew, it's very moving to see so many people who are so outraged at Israel's actions,” Sayle said. “Israel is a democratic country that is behaving like a terrorist organization.” In Paris, 21,000 people marched through the streets, police said, shouting “We are all Palestinians” and “Israel assassin.” Later, about 500 of the protesters turned violent, throwing objects at police, burning Israeli flags, overturning and torching cars, and vandalizing several shops, police said. Angry protests continued for a second day in Turkey, where 5,000 demonstrators shouted “killer Israel” in downtown Ankara. In the Netherlands, thousands of people marched through Amsterdam with banners reading, “Anne Frank is turning in her grave. Oh Israel!” More than 4,000 people demonstrated in Düsseldorf, Germany, 5,000 in Frankfurt and 7,000 in Berlin. Another 2,500 demonstrated in Salzburg, Austria, while scores protested peacefully in Madrid outside the Spanish Foreign Ministry. Hundreds more marched in the Swedish cities of Malmo and Uppsala, while in Oslo, Norway demonstrators marched from the parliament to the Israeli Embassy, calling on Israel to “let Gaza live.” In Athens, Greece - the scene of violent demonstrations by anarchist youths over the past month - a few of the 5,000 protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at police outside the Israeli Embassy. Riot police retaliated with tear gas and stun grenades. In Cyprus, demonstrators pelted riot police with rocks, sticks, shoes and oranges near the Israeli Embassy in Nicosia. A peaceful protest by about 2,000 people turned violent when some protesters tried to break through a line of police blocking the road leading to the embassy. The demonstrators eventually dispersed.
