Greeks Set Banks On Fire In Protest At Gaza Attack

The protesters carried banners that read `Free Palestine` and `Support to the Intifada`.

Greek demonstrators set fire to banks, threw rocks and fired flares at police in the capital Athens, one of several protests worldwide against Israel's offensive in the Gaza strip.

Tens of thousands have protested against Israel's two-week offensive and its weekend land assault into Gaza. In some Western countries smaller protests have been staged in favour of the action which Israel says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks by the Islamist Hamas group towards its southern towns.

In Greece, protesters burnt flags and hurled shoes and rocks at the Israeli embassy during a march by about 3,000 people organised by local Palestinian groups, left-wing parties and anti-war groups.

"Police fired teargas to disperse protesters that had started throwing rocks and firing flares at police after the conclusion of the rally," said a police official who requested anonymity.

"After the rally, which was mostly peaceful, some protesters then proceeded to smash cars and set fire to banks near the embassy. Three bank branches were set fire to."

The protesters carried banners that read "Free Palestine" and "Support to the Intifada" -- slogans which were seen on the streets of the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

"Allah Akbar (God is Great). We are all with Gaza," chanted thousands of Moroccan protesters, many of whom were women wearing hijabs and Islamic headscarves.

The demonstrators, joined by some government ministers, criticised Arab leaders for what they said was a failure to support Hamas in Gaza.

More than one thousand people demonstrated in the Belgian capital Brussels, with smaller demonstrations in other cities, and in Poland protesters called for an end to "the slaughter in Gaza" outside the Israeli embassy in Warsaw.

In Paris, where more than 20,000 people took part in a march on Saturday to protest the bombardment of Gaza, several hundred people gathered at the Israeli embassy to express support for Israel and to condemn Hamas rocket attacks.

"I have come here to defend peace in solidarity with our children at the front who are fighting Hamas, a criminal, extremist movement", said a 50 year-old teacher who declined to be named because she had pupils from Arab families in her class.