Latin AmericaPalestine

Chileans gather outside US embassy to protest Trump’s al-Quds move

 

Chileans have staged a large rally in the capital, Santiago, in protest at US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel.

Around 2,000 people demonstrated in front of the US embassy in the capital, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners reading “Trump, Jerusalem [al-Quds] is Palestine.”

Police used water cannon to disperse the protesters, who blocked city streets.

Chilean protesters clash with the police during a protest against the US and Israel,in front of the American embassy in Santiago on December 11, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

 

The rally was organized by members of Chile’s Palestinian community, one of the largest in Latin America.

On December 6, Trump sparked international outrage as he declared that Washington was recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and that he had instructed his administration to begin the process of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the ancient city.

Chilean protesters clash with the police during a protest against the US and Israel,in front of the American embassy in Santiago on December 11, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

 

Trump’s move upended decades of American diplomacy, causing an overwhelming global diplomatic backlash and sparking protests by Palestinians and their clashes with Israeli forces.

Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the core of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians hoping that the eastern part of the city would eventually serve as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.

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