Palestinians organize demonstartion in Syria devoted to 5th anniversary of uprising

More than 5,000 Palestinians chanting anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans marched in al-Yarmouk refugee camp near the Syrian capital Wednesday to mark the 5th anniversary of the uprising against Israel.

The marchers, including representatives of radical, Damascus-based Palestinians groups, carried posters of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the late Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the AP reports.

Members of the militant Islamic Jihad group carried fake models of missiles the group fires against targets in Israel.

A banner raised by the marchers read: "The Palestinian uprising must continue because it is the only road to liberation."

The uprising followed a Sept. 28, 2000 visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, then in opposition, to the Aqsa Mosque compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam. The compound also is sacred to Jews as the site of the ancient Jewish temples. AM