Gaza demo: thoughts and pictures (EU Socialist peacecreeps and Muslim terror sympathizers)

Pickled Politics ^ | January 3, 2009

[2ndDivisionVet]

The demonstration for solidarity with the people of Gaza was earlier today. A few points, and more pictures if you continue reading.

1) I know some people will be disappointed, but I saw no mention of Jews, a bit of shouting of ‘down with Israeli terrorism’ and rare, scattered Hizb ut-Tahrir flags. Didn’t see anyone carrying the sign ‘We Are Hamas’ (and rightly too, because I’m bloody well not expressing solidarity with terrorists).

This reminds of the controversy around the earlier ‘March for Free Expression’ demo, following the Motoons, whereby various Muslims were accusing free-speechers of siding with the BNP because they were also at the march. Yet, with the shoe on the other foot, the comments boxes of Harry’s Place is overflowing with people asking if I was comfortable marching with ‘Nazis and fascists’. Love the hypocrisy. Also, bizarre that when all Muslims get accused of being fascists, those comments don’t get deleted.

2) This Guardian report says there was a sea of Hamas and Hizbullah flags. Its absolute bollocks - I saw hardly any, and you can see the pictures as proof. 90% were Palestinian flags. Some website called Insider (or something) had the Hizbullah guy’s picture, but they were easily outnumbered by the ‘Free Palestine’ MAB signs.

3) George Galloway MP, the pompous fool, was speaking. Hardly anyone cheered when they announced him. Oh dear… I even overheard a bunch of religious looking Muslims asking why they keep getting him to speak. Heh. The SWP stands were not very popular.

4) I estimate around 10,000 people attended. The atmosphere at Trafalgar Square was friendly, though full of ‘brothers’ bussed down from the north. I’ve heard there were altercations at the embassy demonstrations after (which I didn’t bother going to).

5) One thing did annoy me about the whole thing. As were heading back down the tube, two hijabi girls tried to get people to shout ‘We Are Hamas’…. but were almost immediately drowned out by ‘Free Free Palestine’ before I even had the chance to get annoyed. Then they started shouting ‘Allah Hu Akbar’. This also happened a bit in the march.

Listen up people. If I want to hear religious cries, I’ll go to the Mosque. Kapiche? I don’t, because I’m not a Muslim. I came to the march to express solidarity with Palestinians, not hear religious chants. Any wonder why more non-Muslims don’t come to these rallies? Because they think they’re dominated by religious nuts.

Muslims aren’t alone in this - go to any rally on Sikh human rights / 1984, and you get people shouting ‘Khalistan Zindabad‘ or ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’… which has no relevance to the fact that its a human rights issue not a religious issue. I wish brown people were more politically mature, honestly.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Funny how most of the real racists and bigots are on the left, not the right (as the media would have you believe).

[Colonial Warrior]