Activists protest against 'Shimon Hitler' in Brazil

Dozens of demonstrators voice strong disapproval of the Israeli President's visit to Brazil and of Tel Aviv's crimes against humanity during weeks-long military aggression on the Gaza Strip.

"War criminal, go home" the protesters shouted at Peres as he arrived in Sao Paulo, where he was due to speak at a conference of local industrialists. The protesters waved Lebanese as well as Palestinian flags and carried banners condemning Israel.

Some placards showed Peres beside the Israeli flag with a swastika drawn on it and the president drawn with a mustache similar to that of Adolf Hitler and captioned: "Shimon Hitler". Other signs showed pictures of Palestinian children killed during 'Operation Cast Lead'.

More than 1,500 people were killed during three weeks of Israeli land, sea and air assaults in the impoverished Palestinian coastal sliver. The offensive also inflicted $ 1.6 billion damage to the Gazan economy.

"We are here to protest against the Brazilian government's hosting of the president of the state that occupies and murders children. We will come to every event where there is an Israeli representative and we will tell everyone that Israel is a state that ruthlessly kills innocent children. This is only the beginning," one of the protesters said.

There are reports that Peres' security would be reinforced during his visit to Argentina amid concerns of protests. Thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators are expected to demonstrate around the world's eighth largest country, including sites where Peres is scheduled to appear.

It now seems that fears of anti-Israel protests during Peres' visit to South America are being realized sooner than expected.