Originally published on January 13th 2009

Over 3000 protestors took to the streets of Edinburgh on Saturday in protest at the recent escalation of violence in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.

Cries of “Occupation is a crime, killing children is a crime, - free, free Palestine!” and claims of an “Israeli apartheid” rang out during the march which began at 1pm from Market Street and culminated with a gathering in Princes Street Gardens.
The route of the march saw protesters pass the US consulate on Regent Terrace where many on the march threw shoes at its doors, inspired by an Iraqi journalist who recently threw his at President George W. Bush. 
The protest was organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with representation also from The British Muslim Association, Stop the War Coalition and Scottish Jews for a Just Peace.
The march was one of a wider set of protests throughout the UK, with an estimated 50,000 turning out in London, while demonstrations were also held in other major UK cities. 
At Princes Street Gardens a number of speakers expressed their views on the situation.  SNP MSP Sandra White claimed that Scotland was behind the Palestinian people and claimed that: “the US state is the biggest terrorist state in the world today.”  Another speaker campaigning for the human rights of the Palestinian people drew parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany.
Allison Philips, a retired teacher and participant in the march who worked as a humanitarian worker in Gaza, told Student: “It is important to make a stand - when will the world listen? Ethnic cleansing has been going on for sixty years.” 
There were no reports of trouble during the protest, with a police spokesperson commenting that the event had gone “very smoothly.”  Another protest in Edinburgh is planned for January 20th to coincide with Barack Obama’s inauguration as US President.