WASHINGTON, Dec 31: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in scores of US cities on Tuesday evening to protest against the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

Earlier, a coalition of civil rights and Muslim and Arab activists had urged their supporters to observe Dec 30 as a national day of action to support the people of Palestine.

In Washington, about 5,000 people gathered at the State Department and marched to the White House. Those taking to the streets included many children and teenagers demanding an immediate end to the bombing of Gaza. As the night-time march entered the White House grounds, it filled all of Pennsylvania Avenue with young people raising Palestinian flags at the White House fence.

Over 10,000 protesters filled the sidewalks in front of and across the street from the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.

In New York City, thousands demonstrated at the Israeli Consulate located on 2nd Avenue and 43rd Street.

In Dearborn, Michigan, thousands braved below-freezing weather to demonstrate. In San Diego, 500 people protested.

Demonstrations were also held in Anchorage, Alaska; Phoenix, Arizona; Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa, California; Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Ocala, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Chicago, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; Ann Arbour, Flint and Kalamazoo, Michigan; Concord and Portsmouth, New Hampshire; New Brunswick, New Jersey; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, New York state; Cincinnati, Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Knoxville, Tennessee; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington state; and scores of other cities and towns in US.

Protesters even lined the street in front of US President-elect Barack Obama’s vacation compound in Kailua, Hawaii.