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BBC: Riot Disrupts Iraq Expat Ballot [Protesters]
BBC News ^ | Saturday, 29 January, 2005

Posted on 01/29/2005 1:53:38 PM PST by West Coast Conservative

A riot has broken out at a polling station in Sydney, Australia, between expatriate Iraqi voters and protesters opposed to the poll.

The disturbance broke out when a group of 20 protesters started to shout insults at voters leaving the centre.

Iraqis around the world have been going to the polls in a second day of voting.

Almost 30% of those registered to vote in 14 countries around the world turned out on Friday. Voting will continue until Sunday evening.

About one quarter of the estimated 1.2m Iraqis living abroad have registered to vote.

"If we don't vote, who else would come forward to define the future of Iraq?" said Leo Bahribeh, voting with his father at a military base in California.

Bernie Hogan, head of Australia's overseas voting programme, said the protesters held flags similar to those seen in videos released by Iraqi insurgents.

An Iraqi adviser to the International Organization for Migration, which is organising the out-of-country voting, said the fight was sparked when protesters took pictures of people who had voted.

"This is scary for the people," said Thair Wali.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: antiwar; expats; iraq; iraqielection; iraqiexpats; iraqis; liberals
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1 posted on 01/29/2005 1:53:39 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative

It would be interesting to know a little about who the anti-vote protesters were. Were they Iraqis or islamic Arabs of some sort, or were they Australian leftists?


2 posted on 01/29/2005 1:58:12 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: West Coast Conservative

I would imagine the Aussie authorities were expecting this and will be watching these jihadiis in their midst. I'd hate to see a replay of the Copt episode, here. I was surprised to not hear of anything like this here.


3 posted on 01/29/2005 1:59:19 PM PST by monkeywrench
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To: Yardstick

My bet is on some Iraqi Sunnites.


4 posted on 01/29/2005 2:06:09 PM PST by Marguerite
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To: Yardstick
It would be interesting to know a little about who the anti-vote protesters were. Were they Iraqis or islamic Arabs of some sort, or were they Australian leftists?

I'll take an unholy alliance between the two.

5 posted on 01/29/2005 2:07:06 PM PST by steveegg (The secret goal of lieberals - to ensure that no future generation can possibly equal theirs.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

They were waving Jihadist's flags and no word is said about their identity, so it's obviously Muslims.


6 posted on 01/29/2005 2:08:35 PM PST by sumocide
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To: Yardstick
Were they Iraqis or islamic Arabs of some sort, or were they Australian leftists?

Good question, the article does not make it clear; unless I am badly misreading it. One would think if they (the author or authors of the article) did not know the reason they would admit it, and if they knew the reason they would have provided it.

Bad reporting.

7 posted on 01/29/2005 2:14:05 PM PST by Friend of thunder (No sane person wants war, but oppressors want oppression.)
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To: Friend of thunder

The first thing I was looking for in this story was who the protesters were. Strange that their identity wasn't reported.


8 posted on 01/29/2005 2:18:57 PM PST by mainepatsfan
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To: West Coast Conservative
between expatriate Iraqi voters and protesters opposed to the poll.

Poll? You mean the VOTE?

These reporters make their bias so easily known...so very transparant.

I imagine if a bunch of communists showed up at a voting place here in Idaho, with communist flags waiving and began insulting and intimidating American citizen voters on election day that some significant fisticuffs or worse would develop as well.

9 posted on 01/29/2005 2:32:20 PM PST by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: Yardstick

This must be a logistical nightmare.


10 posted on 01/29/2005 2:32:50 PM PST by evad
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To: Yardstick
It would be interesting to know a little about who the anti-vote protesters were. Were they Iraqis or islamic Arabs of some sort, or were they Australian leftists?

Anyone know the whereabouts of Ted Kennedy?

11 posted on 01/29/2005 2:36:37 PM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative (Have you visited http://blog.c-pol.com?)
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To: Yardstick; All

Here's a little more information:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1331214/posts


12 posted on 01/29/2005 2:37:36 PM PST by DB (©)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Given that this is a BBC article, I'm assuming that the protesters were white, Australian leftists and the BBC didn't report it because they know full well that the Iraqi's leaving the polling places after voting had all the moral authority they needed to shoot the protesters dead where they stood.
13 posted on 01/29/2005 2:39:13 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (“I know a great deal about the Middle East because I’ve been raising Arabian horses" Patrick Swazey)
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To: Yardstick
I'm guessing the "protesters" are the usual mob of anti-capitalist,anarchist,enviro-whacko, animal rights, pro-abortion kooks.
14 posted on 01/29/2005 2:40:09 PM PST by BenLurkin (Big government is still a big problem.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

After reading the article I guess they weren't white but still should have been shot.


15 posted on 01/29/2005 2:40:24 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (“I know a great deal about the Middle East because I’ve been raising Arabian horses" Patrick Swazey)
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To: West Coast Conservative

Orchestrated by the BBC?


16 posted on 01/29/2005 3:00:31 PM PST by OldFriend (America's glory is not dominion, but liberty.)
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To: mainepatsfan
"The first thing I was looking for in this story was who the protesters were. Strange that their identity wasn't reported."

When something crucial to the story is left out, they've decided that you don't or shouldn't know. In this case the protesters would be Muslims.

It's gotten where reading/looking/hearing the news is like a game show.

17 posted on 01/29/2005 3:13:45 PM PST by blam
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To: Yardstick
Were they Iraqis or islamic Arabs of some sort, or were they Australian leftists?

Or Michael Moore-Ted Kennedy Democrats?

18 posted on 01/29/2005 3:41:08 PM PST by aculeus
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To: Yardstick
It would be interesting to know a little about who the anti-vote protesters were.

Michael Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Brian Becker, Gael Murphy, Suzie "Medea" Benjamin, Ramsey Clark, Barbara Boxer, Robert "KKK" Byrd, AlGore, John Effin' Kerry, Peta Lindsey, Susan Sarandon, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroeder...

No wait... they are on their way to Iraq to act as human shields, protecting Iraqi voters against the terrorist bombers at polling places.

No, wait again... they are on a conference call with Bin Laden and Saddam, getting their latest talking points/marching orders.

The "protesters" are no doubt your typical, garden variety Islamists.

Every country's got 'em.

19 posted on 01/29/2005 3:51:29 PM PST by tgslTakoma
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To: evad
This must be a logistical nightmare.

Nah. They contracted it out to Washington State.

20 posted on 01/29/2005 4:04:19 PM PST by Grut
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