Palestine solidarity supporters have launched a petition after police imposed tight limits on protests outside an Israeli shop in Manchester.

For a month Palestine supporters have been mounting a daily demonstration outside the Kedem shop in Manchester city centre. The shop sells cosmetics made from minerals taken from the Dead Sea in Palestine.

The demonstration has been part of worldwide protests against Israel’s vicious military attacks on the people of Gaza.

In Manchester “rolling pickets” have been staged of city-centre businesses which have links with Israel, including two branches of Barclays bank.

The demonstrations outside the Kedem shop have drawn counter-demonstrations from zionists.

Manchester City Council has opposed the Palestine solidarity demonstrations, while zionist demonstrators outside the shop have accused Palestine-supporting protesters of being “anti-semitic” for opposing the bombing of Gaza.

Police have now decided to limit the number of protesters from either side to 10.

They have also been told to move away from the front of the shop.

The daily demonstrations have been organised by Manchester Palestine Action, which has launched a protest petition against the police decision.

The petition reads: “We the under-signed call on Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police to take no action against those protesting in Manchester city centre against the Israeli massacres and siege of the Palestinians in Gaza. The demonstrations taking place in Manchester city centre against companies complicit in the Israeli state’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land, their racist policies and the mass murder committed by the Israeli army in Gaza are a duty of any person of conscience.

“Our stance is an opposition to racism in all its forms and those who protest and endorse our campaign derive from various genders, ethnicities, beliefs, ages and sexualities, including prominent MPs of Jewish origin such as Sir Gerald Kaufman. Manchester has a long history of protest that helped bring justice and freedoms to many. It is not only a lawful right but a duty to stand up for justice for Palestinians on the Manchester streets.”