"No Xmas as Usual" Protests Shake up Downtown SF

Photos: Leon Kunstenaar / Pro Bono Photo

As downtown San Francisco attempts to muster Christmas shopping and holiday cheer this Sunday before Christmas, cries of "bombs are dropping while you are shopping" resonated in front of Bloomingdale's on Market Street near Powell and later in Union Square.

It was big. Several thousand people gathered on the sidewalk, formed a picket line and then flowed into Market Street, halting traffic. Huge banners demanded "Stop the Genocide" followed by "No Military Aid for Israel", "Until Return & Liberation", "No Pride in Apartheid" and "Permanent Cease Fire Now" led the march to Union Square.

Many demonstrators had sign proclaiming "No Xmas as Usual in a Genocide' and "The World Stands With Palestine". Palestinian flags abounded and keffiyehs were ubiquitous (Amazon has a huge collection). A Geary street sign was amended with "Free Palestine"

Union Square was packed full with protesters except for the the big ice skating rink which was filled with people skating to "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" mixed with "Bombs Are Dropping While You Are Skating."

Israel, bereft of any plausible negotiating claim, can only 'win' by either driving all Palestinians out of Palestine or attempting a Hitlerian "final solution." They are losing support even among the US population. There were several other anti-Israel actions in San Francisco the same day.

While the US was able to absorb defeat by a Vietnamese liberation movement, Israel might well be a very different story.

See all high resolution photos here.