Source: Los Angeles Times

On October 14, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that "more than 15,000 people marched to the United Nations on Friday to protest Israel's crackdown on Palestinian demonstrators and to urge President Clinton and others to take a balanced approach to the Mideast dispute. The noisy but peaceful rally, which included grocers, cab drivers, teachers, religious leaders, activists and others from the Muslim community, filled Dag Hammerskjold Plaza. Many displayed grisly photos of children killed in confrontations with Israeli soldiers; others waved Palestinian flags and chanted angry slogans...The New York gathering lasted five hours and was notable for the absence of political VIPs -- such as First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani -- who attended a similar rally here Thursday for Israel. The irony was not lost on organizers. 'Of course we feel neglected and overlooked by American politicians,' said Akhmed al Hatib, president of the National Muslim Merchants Assn. 'But politicians and the media must remember--we vote and we do not forget.'"