Sarajevans Protest Over Bombing of Gaza

Around 400 people marched through center of Sarajevo on Friday, demanding an end to violence in the Gaza strip.

Many of the protesters were from Palestine while others were citizens of Sarajevo who joined them, carrying a big Palestinian flag and banners calling for an end to killing.

After the march from the old town area of Bascarsija, the protesters stopped in the Trg Djece Sarajeva, showing messages that they hoped would get to Gaza.

One member of the Association of the Palestinian diaspora, Nasser Nabil, accused Israel of conducting genocidal politics against Gaza and said their "fascist aggression" reminded him of the events in the 1990s in Bosnia.

“The Israeli aggression is identical to one [done against] Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said.

Nabil came to Sarajevo as a youngster, finished his studies there and is now a cardiologist and lawmaker in the cantonal assembly.

“We have gathered here in Sarajevo to raise our voice against barbarism and savagery,” he said. “Stop, Stop committing war crimes!”

Mirsad Mesanovic, of the Association Svitanje, which organized the protests, said that a message of support should be sent from Sarajevo, which had experienced similar terror in the past.

Meawhile, the Mayor of Sarajevo, Ivo Komsic, sent an open letter to diplomatic corps of Bosnia, urging them to appeal to their governments to end the military struggle in Gaza, where over 200 people have recently died.

Israel has been conducting an 11-day operation against the Hamas-led government in Gaza, which is accuses of being behind spates of rockets fired into Israel.