Palestinians mark day of catastrophe

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/13EDCEDD-8574-455C-BAFC-8FC29FFA615A.htm

Palestinians have observed the blackest day in their history with warnings that there will be no Middle East peace until they get independence and the plight of their refugees is solved.

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"Millions of Palestinians at home and in the diaspora on Sunday commemorated the 57th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe).

The term denotes the loss of Palestine to Zionism, the creation of Israel and the expulsion of most of the Palestinian people from their historical homeland."

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"Sirens were sounded throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians were asked to stand silent for a minute in memory of the anniversary.

Marches and rallies were organised throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, with speakers reasserting commitment to the right of return.

Children, many of them descendants of the estimated 750,000 refugees forced to leave by Jewish forces in 1948, carried large keys symbolising their right of return to former homes and villages in what is now Israel."