Twenty thousand demonstrators or more gathered in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square Saturday night in a rally to show solidarity with Israel's gay community, including the victims shot at a TA center for gay and lesbian youth a week ago, which left two dead and a dozen wounded.
President Shimon Peres addressed the crowd, saying the shots fired at the gay and lesbian community "hurt all of us - as people, as Jews, as Israelis." Peres, who spoke against a background of a rainbow flag, mentioned the two Israelis killed in the attack, Nir Katz, 26 and Liz Trobishi, 17, saying "the person who pointed a pistol barrel at Nir Katz and Liz Trobishi pointed it all of you, all of us, at me."
The president said: "The Creator of the world did not endow anyone with the power to murder his peer." Peres added that "every person must fight against murder." Chen Langer, who was wounded in the shooting at 28 Nachmani Street, spoke before the rally. He was released from hospital shortly before the event. "It has been a bad week for Israeli society," he said.
Ori Gil, who was also wounded in the shooting, said that "no killer will leave us in the closet."
Organizers said the rally drew 70,000 people, but police estimated the number at 15,000. Several musicians performed at the gathering, including Rita, Dana International, Ninette Tayeb, Amir Fay Guttman, Keren Peles, Corinne Alal and Ivri Lider.
more...See also:
Livni to gay Israelis: Don't let hate crime stop you living your lives and
U.S. gay Jews rally in solidarity with T.A. shooting victimsX-posted from
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