600 denounce Israeli 'terror' in town protest
8:10am Tuesday 6th January 2009 in Video By Julian Thorpe
ANGRY: Some of the protesters who joined the demonstration outside the town hall last night
HUNDREDS of protesters gathered on the steps of Bolton Town Hall last night to voice their anger at the fighting in Gaza.
More than 600 people chanted and waved banners as they condemned Israel’s actions as terrorism.
Protesters held aloft placards showing pictures of Arafat al Khawaja, a 21-year-old student who was shot dead in Gaza. They also used megaphones to shout pro-Gaza and anti-Israeli slogans, as well as “Gordon Brown — shame on you”.
There was a large police presence in Victoria Square to ensure that the event passed peacefully.
Officers, who had been expecting crowds of up to 4,000 people, watched from the edge of the square.
Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South-east, and David Crausby, MP for Bolton North-east, attended the demonstration and addressed the crowd, expressing their support for Palestine and condemning killings by the Israeli government.
The event was organised by the Bolton Stop the War Coalition and the Bolton Council of Mosques.
