Dozens of people outraged by a deadly Israeli commando raid on ships taking humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip have protested outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington.

Open gallery view Demonstrators wait in front of the Israeli consulate, May 31, 2010 Credit: Reuters

Demonstrators formed long lines and walked in circles Monday afternoon, chanting End the siege in Gaza now and Shut down the embassy! Stop Israeli piracy!

Some held large Palestinian flags and signs reading One more Israeli massacre.

Israel said the activists attacked its commandos as they boarded the six ships taking tons of supplies to Gaza, while the flotilla's organizers said the Israeli forces opened fire first.

The group gathered later Monday in front of the White House, chanting, Hey

Obama, can't you see? Palestine will be free.



Earlier, pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in cities from Istanbul to Paris on Monday to protest a deadly Israel Navy raid on a flotilla of international activists attempting to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

At least nine of the activists were killed in the clashes that ensued.

Dozens of protesters surrounded Israel's consulate in Istanbul from the early hours of the day until well into the evening, hurling stones and burning Israeli flags.

CNN-Turk and NTV showed dozens of angry protesters scuffling with Turkish police guarding the consulate in downtown Istanbul.

"Damn Israel," the protesters shouted.

Swelling demonstrations were underway outside the Israeli embassy in Paris, where riot police forcibly drove back scores of protesters. The demonstrators blocked traffic as they charged toward the building, leading officers to respond by firing tear gas.

In Jordan, hundreds urged their government to follow Turkey's lead and cut ties with Israel. Dozens of Egyptians protested outside the foreign ministry in Cairo criticizing the Egyptian government holding pictures of late President Gamal Abdel Nasser.



Dozens of angry students pelted the UN offices in Teheran with stones and eggs in protest, burning Israeli flags and chanting, death to Israel and down with U.S. Police blocked them from reaching the building. The president of Iran, a key supporter of Hamas, called the raid an inhuman act.

In Baghdad, an estimated 3,000 Shiite followers of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr shouted "Death, death to Israel!" and "Death, death to America!"

In Beirut, about 500 Palestinian and Lebanese activists protested in front of the UN headquarters, setting Israeli flags on fire. In neighboring Syria, more than 200 Syrian and Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in before the offices of the United Nations.

There were also demonstrations in Rome, Cyprus and more than 20 cities in Greece, including Athens and Thessaloniki, where some 2,000 people were marching.