With the current escalation of Israel's military offensive in the West Bank and Gaza, there have been many demonstrations and marches throughout the world calling for Israel to immediately withdraw from Palestinian cities and for both sides to end the violence. Some of these protests have resulted in arrests.

In Israel and the occupied territories, Israeli, Palestinian and international activists have been beaten, tear-gassed, shot at and arrested while demonstrating for peace and/or attempting to deliver food and medicine to sealed off Palestinian cities and villages. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers are refusing to serve in the occupied territories, and as a result, some are serving jail time instead.

Following are reports of several actions that have recently taken place in the U.S., U.K. and Israel.

From Liat Weingart, Tikkun Community coordinator

On Thursday, April 11, the Tikkun Community convened a rally in Washington, D.C. in front of the State Department with hundreds of people. Both Rabbi Michael Lerner and Tikkun Community co-chair Cornel West explained that the need at this moment is for full Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza, or at the very least for an international force to separate the two sides and immediately stop the killing...

After the rally, covered by some of the national media, Lerner, West and 18 others sat down in protest of the Bush Administration's policies so far and were arrested. They were handcuffed with plastic cuffs, which cut many of their skins, and turned many fingers blue. After two hours of pain, the cuffs were removed, and they were put in to a holding cell. Lerner and West were the last to be released after posting funds for a fine ($100 each) -- at 11 p.m. that evening.

From Penny Rosenwasser, A Jewish Voice for Peace

This is to let you know about a very amazing action that we of Jewish Voice for Peace pulled off on Wednesday, April 10 at the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco... In our many media interviews, I believe we were able to condemn Israeli government policies, while also showing our support and care for the Israeli peace movement, Israeli people, and Israel itself. Our key message was "Jews to Bush and Sharon: End the Occupation!"

In terms of the action itself, after strategy meetings and careful planning, thirteen of us were able to weave our way into the office building housing the consulate Wednesday morning, arriving together at the Consulate on the 21st floor at 10:30 a.m., and peacefully sitting in, blocking the three entrances. Once there, we threw on t-shirts which read "Jews say End the Occupation (Jewish Voice for Peace)" on the front, and "Security for Israeli Requires Justice for Palestinians (Jewish Voice for Peace)" on the back. We tried to deliver a letter to Consul General Yossi Amrani, explaining that we wanted to meet with him, and we would stay there until he issued a statement calling for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas...

When it appeared that the Consul General was not going to meet with us - in fact, those inside the Consulate pushed their way past us and left, effectively closing the Consulate for the day! - and the police were not going to arrest us, we left the Consulate. Racing downstairs, we joined those who had spontaneously begun blocking the building entrance outside where the rally was in full swing, with a multitude of major media...After more chanting and singing, we took to the street itself, streaming through the traffic onto Montgomery Street in front of the Consulate, blocking the street and shutting it down...

Eventually 16 of us were arrested - two of us going limp and shouting "Not in my name!" as they were carried off; we were taken to the station, booked and released. We have a May 15 court date.

From Indymedia U.K.

On April 12, British activists entered the Caterpillar headquarters in Desford, Leicestershire with leaflets outlining the Israeli Defense Force's use of Caterpillar bulldozers in the Occupied Territories. The leaflets talked about the bulldozers being used in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps to demolish the homes of Palestinian people and create roadblocks. Leaflets were put on people's desks, on bulletin boards, in magazine racks and inside machinery. Activists managed to gain access to all parts of the site, including the Managing Director's office, other offices, warehouses, factories and parking lots. Some supportive workers took bundles of leaflets to hand out to their colleagues. Two women who managed to gain access to the Managing Director's office were arrested on suspicion of "burglary" and were released on bail after nearly 15 hours in custody.

While this action was taking place, reports were coming in saying that Caterpillar bulldozers were destroying the refugee camp at Jenin, and were digging huge mass graves to bury the bodies of the untold number of Palestinians who have been murdered there.

Excerpts from and summary of a report of the March in White to al-Ram, April 3, from Israeli peace activist Rayna Moss

More than three thousand Israeli Jews and Palestinians marched, with a women's contingent leading, to deliver food and medicine to the people of Ramallah. Eventually the group was met by lines of police and soldiers four thick across the road, barring their way. The protesters stood, chanting and singing in Hebrew, Arabic and English until the first supply truck arrived. When protesters grabbed sacks of rice, flour and sugar and tried to approach the checkpost, tear gas grenades were fired directly into the crowd. As they fled from the gas, people were clubbed by police and soldiers.

After taking a few minutes to regroup, the protesters again approached the checkpoint. This round was even more violent. Soldiers were everywhere, firing again and again, using tear gas and also stun grenades. People were beaten as they ran away. A lot of people fled into a field, where they fell in mud, but still the border guards kept firing. Palestinians from the neighborhood threw onions into the crowd to help counter the effects of the gas, or placed onions on cars that were parked in the street. Several protesters were arrested.

Moss wrote about one point in the demonstration, "I was standing behind the soldiers and a bit to the side, with a few other women, and decided to act. I took a loudspeaker from someone and started to speak to the soldiers: 'Soldiers, policemen, we are nonviolent peace activists, we are unarmed. You are our sons, our spouses, our fathers; we are your mothers, your wives, your neighbors, your daughters. We came here to save lives - the lives of the children in Ramallah and your lives. The government is willing to sacrifice you for the sake of the settlements, but we want to keep you alive. We are unarmed, nonviolent demonstrators, we are not endangering you. The orders you received are war crimes. Don't let Sharon and Peres take you with them to the Hague.'"

She later continued, "Come home with us, your mothers are waiting at home. Come out of the Occupied Territories and come home."