Hundreds of Sudanese demonstrate in front of UN building in solidarity with Gaza

Student demonstrators affiliated with the Khartoum State Students Union, which is controlled by pro-Islamist groups, shout "Down, down USA" and "Allahu akbar."

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
sudanese 88 (photo credit: )
sudanese 88
(photo credit: )
Several hundred Sudanese demonstrated Tuesday in front of a UN building here to show their solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and demand the United Nations intervene. The protesters, many of whom were students, shouted slogans including "No for the killing of Palestinians. No for the killing of civilians." They also handed over a letter to the UN office that was addressed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, calling on him to try to end the Israeli blockade. Student demonstrators affiliated with the Khartoum State Students Union, which is controlled by pro-Islamist groups, dressed in their school uniforms and shouted "Down, down USA" and "Allahu akbar," which means "God is great" in Arabic. "We have taken part in this demonstration to express our discontent with the way the world community is standing by while Palestinian civilians are being massacred, humiliated and killed by the Zionists" Fatahi Khalil, who heads the pro-government Organization for the Support of the People, told The Associated Press. Riot police guarded the UN compound, and demonstrators were kept at bay during the hour-long protest. After Khalil and student representatives handed the letter to the office, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully. On Tuesday, Israel delivered fuel for Gaza's power plant, partially lifting the blockade it had imposed on the Strip last week in response to an increase in rocket attacks by terrorists. Gaza City had plunged into darkness on Sunday night after its power plant was shut down because it did not have enough fuel to operate, cutting off electricity to about one-third of Gaza's residents. The latest round of Israel-Gaza fighting erupted last week, amid a spike in rocket fire on Israeli border communities, and prompted Israel to seal the territory and cut off fuel supplies. International aid groups have warned they may have to suspend food distribution to hundreds of thousands of people by the end of the week for lack of truck fuel.