Hundreds attend Palestinian solidarity march in Dusseldorf

Hundreds of people peacefully protested in the western German city of Dusseldorf on Saturday to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza, reported dpa.

People paraded through the city waving the Palestinian flag and held signs reading "Save Gaza" and "Free Palestine."

A police spokeswoman said 50 participants had been registered for the event but about 700 turned out.

The mood was sombre as the marchers voiced their distress at the plight of Gazans, about 1 million of whom were told by the Israeli military to flee to the southern Gaza Strip for their own safety.

Israel is edging closer to a ground invasion of the densely populated enclave, a week after its Hamas rulers stunned the world with their massacre of Israelis living in border communities.

The rampage triggered retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza and Israel troops began amassing on the border. Israel says its bombardment is not deliberately targeting civilians and is only going after Hamas sites.

Demonstrations were planned elsewhere in Germany. However, local authorities in some cities - like Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich - have banned Palestinian solidarity rallies in recent days citing fears of violence and anti-Semitism.