Istanbul, January 1 (RHC)-- Turkish protesters have staged a protest rally in front of the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul to express their solidarity with Gazans trapped under Israeli fire.  The demonstrators marched towards the US Consulate on Sunday after Islamic NGOs made a call for a protest march on New Year’s Eve to protest the aid to Israel, which has been pounding Gaza since October 7th.

The protesters held up banners reading (Turkish) “We are cursing Israel’s partner in crime, USA.” Another placard read, “Patron of the Zionist gang USA, get out of the Middle East.”  Some protesters were chanting “Murderer America, get out of the Middle East”, “Here is the nest of murderers” and “Commerce with baby killers is not trade, it’s murder.”

A protester chanted “Hey Gaza, we are with you until death.”  One protester blamed the ongoing violence directly on U.S. foreign policy and Washington’s continuous support for the Tel Aviv regime.

“After the global imperialism invaded every part of the world, Gaza is the last point to remain independent. The babies who remain independent are the babies who rebel against this imperialism and fascism, and the main player there is America. That’s why we’re walking to the American consulate. The real devil is America. Their counterparts are Zionism and Judaism. Their (Israel’s) muscle is America,” said Dr. Mehmet Arslan, a protester.

Istanbul Provincial Chairman of Anadolu Youth Association (AGD), Mehmet Yaroglu, released a press statement, saying the US is the patron and accomplice to the occupying Israeli regime.  “We hereby declare that we are on the same side with them, that we are members of the same body. Our heart, body and soul are with them.”

Israel’s brutal military offensive in the Strip has killed more than 21,800 people and wounded over 56,000 others.