Hundreds of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators clogged downtown San Francisco late last night with competing protests devolving into a testy shouting match over the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
San Francisco police erected metal barricades to separate the two demonstrations, at which protestors vented their growing rage over suicide bombings in Israel by Palestinians and Israel's invasion of Palestinian territory in its declared war on terrorists.
A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups last week planned the protest, one of several across the United States yesterday. But more than 300 supporters of Israel arrived two hours early at the San Francisco protest to stage a counter-demonstration.
The pro-Israeli demonstrators carried large blue-and-white Israeli flags and signs that said "Ariel Sharon, We Are With You," while one placard read: "Terror Targets: New York. Tel Aviv. San Francisco?"
For their part, pro-Palestinian activists countered with chants of "shame, shame, shame on you".
AFP