Date=10/13/2000
Type=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
Title=CHICAGO MIDEAST PROTESTS (L-O)
Number=2-267920
Byline= MICHAEL LELAND
Dateline= CHICAGO
Internet=YES
Content=
Voiced At:
Intro: The violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East is also increasing tensions among the groups elsewhere in the world. The Midwest U-S city of Chicago has seen both protests and violence linked to events in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. VOA's Michael Leland has more.
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Long live Palestine! (fade under text)
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Several hundred members of Chicago's Palestinian and Arab-American communities marched downtown Friday afternoon, calling on the United States to put more pressure on Israel to stop the increasing incidents of violence in the Middle East. Abdul Ghafer Arouri was among the marchers.
/// Arouri act ///
It is the least we can do. We have to show our support for our people. We are trying to get our message across that what is happening there is a massacre against our people.
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Jews in Chicago held a rally of their own Thursday, in which they called on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to do more to stop Palestinian violence against Israelis. Thursday night in Chicago there were two incidents police say could be linked to events in the Middle East. Three Palestinian teenagers were arrested after using a slingshot to shoot marbles at Jews walking home from a synagogue. Later Thursday evening, a gunman in a car opened fire on a rabbi sitting in his vehicle. The rabbi was not injured.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is urging members of both communities to stay calm.
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We should not bring the problems from around the world here. We can not bring them here, with the violence that has afflicted the rest of the world, whether Northern Ireland, from Serbia, parts of the Middle East, we should not bring it here to this country.
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Chicago Rabbi Michael Seigal says the city's predominantly Jewish neighborhoods are unfortunately becoming more familiar with violence. Sixteen months ago, several Jews were shot at by a white supremacist in the same neighborhood where Thursday night's attacks occurred.
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The Jewish community has understood that we have a responsibility in all of our institutions to protect those who enter. We have increased security across the board.
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The Chicago Human Rights Commissioner says he plans to meet with Jewish and Palestinian community leaders within the next few days, to find a way to keep the respective community's emotions under control. (signed)
NEB/MJL/PT
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