Occupation is a crime, killing children is a crime - was the chant that filled the downtown streets of Portland Tuesday afternoon, as hundreds of local residents gathered with handmade signs and megaphones to voice their outrage at the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that have continued for the last four days.
In Arabic, protesters chanted, Palestine - maintain your dignity, Gaza, stay steadfast.
Israeli authorities say that the first stage of their long-planned assault is ending, and the second stage is about to begin - a ground invasion of the besieged and imprisoned Gaza Strip.
This recording contains excerpts of Tuesday's protest in Portland. Voices include Ali Barakat, speaking via megaphone, Mazin Malik, a Palestinian-American who has lived in the Portland area for decades, Elijah Smith, who held a sign at Tuesday's downtown Portland protest reading 'Free Gaza dot org', Alison Weir, the director of 'If Americans Knew', David Evans, a Vietnam Veteran who stood on the corner during the rally with a large sign encouraging passing motorists to 'google gaza youtube', in order to see videos posted by besieged residents of Gaza to the video sharing website, and organizer Hala Gores.
An estimated 500 people attended the Portland protest, which was just one of dozens held worldwide on Tuesday, in solidarity with the besieged population of Gaza. The protesters pledged to return to downtown Portland on Friday to throw their shoes at Senator Ron Wyden.
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Just found your station on the internet. Like what I have heard. I am in Albany,NY. I have never been to Oregon, one of the few states I have not visited.
Thanks Bob