Peace march in London today
Well, wow, is all I can say. I think over 50,000 – 70,000 people attended today’s march in London against the fighting in Gaza. Impressive, considering it was so cold I couldn’t feel my hands half the time.
This pic was taken once I was back safely in a coffeeshop. More pictures below the fold.
Blog coverage: septicisle and Jamie Sport have commentary and pics.
More: fridgemagnet, bigbluemeanie, lenin’s tomb,
Of course there were the usual gaggle of rudeboys, Islamists, socialists and utterly batty people. But generally I thought the crowd was good natured.
According to the BBC, some 200 people made trouble in front of the Israeli embassy. Idiots. It doesn’t help the cause, but anyway.
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I was heartened by the size, sincere passion and diversity of the demonstration today (The biggest Pro-Palestine one in the UK ever I’m told) and I think the numbers of ‘12,000′ as quoted by a few news agencies is complete and utter bollocks (try 80-90,000), but I thought it was more than just a ‘gaggle’ of rudeboyz…..there were tons of them screaming ‘Takdir, Allah Akbar’ as if we were all on a religious march or inside a mosque!
They were ruining it for everyone in typical selfish fashion, monopolizing the event, seemingly unable to comprehend that there are a LOT of non-Muslims that felt disconnected and separate from the unified spirit of the demonstration when the non-stop religious chanting won’t stop. Palestine is not a religious issue, it’s a human issue about land and oppression, and I don’t think what I saw today helped create a greater sense of brotherhood amongst the people there at all. I don’t remember this scale of religious fervour at the Iraq demonstrations.
and as for Azam Tamimi and his ‘We are all Hamas’ speech, what was that about? What is he implying when he says we’ll see that Israeli embassy turn into a Palestinian one?
Otherwise, I left before they smashed-up Starbucks, did anyone catch that? Was it done from inside?
I’m reading reports on AJE about demonstrations all over the world today, I’m glad I went today, in some respects, I really do feel we see the best of Britain on these marches using their time and energy standing up for justice. It’s a fractional part of the effort, but something that I feel is still important to the overall mission.
PS: Sunny, Leon..I must have missed you guys! I showed up at Hyde Park Corner at about 12.50 but the march didn’t start for ages afterwards, and I couldn’t see you, though I did try looking around. Sunny, I must still have your old number, because I called and couldn’t get through. Great placard!
and as for Azam Tamimi and his ‘We are all Hamas’ speech, what was that about? What is he implying when he says we’ll see that Israeli embassy turn into a Palestinian one?
I just can’t imagine.
It was a good protest, apart from the idiots making trouble. A bit cold too!
The Israelis started this conflict historically, and more recently too in breaking the ceasefire in November 08.
These Zionist Israelis who suffered at the hands of Hitler’s Nazi regime, have now increased their own Holocaust and Ethnic Cleansing against Palestinian people. Not all Zionists or Israelis support these atrocities, but those Zionists and Israelis that do War on Palestine are effectively the new Nazis, the real Terrorists!!
Even when this invasion ends, the Israeli War on Gaza and Palestine will continue under another excuse no doubt, with whatever missions its corrupt leaders want to accomplish under the surface there. Its good the global community is speaking up and demanding that this violence and oppression ceases?
World Leaders must listen and immediately act to cease Israel’s bombing, siege, invasion, oppression, occupation and apartheid of Palestine and Gaza.
Israel, with use of sanctions and declarations of War against it if necessary, must return to its pre-1967 borders, withdraw from ALL Palestinian occupied territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem), allow Palestine to control its own borders and recognise Palestinian rights, including the rights to life, freedom, movement and the return to homelands.
Until this is achieved all political, economic and military aid, trade and support to Israel need to cease (including cultural and sporting isolation), that the Palestinian causes be defended, that the brutal Israeli/Zionist War crimes be denounced and that the oppressive Israeli policy of illegal expansion and oppression in Palestine be criticised.
Petition to Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine and Gaza.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Fr33Gaza/petition.html
..and yeah, Nyrone’s correct, the chantings over the top and not needed as it divides people.
This won’t do ANYTHING. The Majority of London is Pro-Israel and anti-brown in general, watch how many people are at the Pro-Israel march.
“Otherwise, I left before they smashed-up Starbucks, did anyone catch that? Was it done from inside?” – Nyrone
…
“This pic was taken once I was back safely in a coffeeshop” – Sunny
…
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth” – Sherlock Holmes
Safely from the cold, not the idiots.
Having known more than a fair share of rudeboys over the years, they don’t really faze me. I would have seen more if it wasn’t so cold.
No I meant that as Nyrone asked if the Starbucks smashing was an inside job … and you were in a coffee shop at the time…
It was an attempt at humour.
I claim the photocredit for taking that first picture of Sunny on top of the page.
It was a good demo – shame I didn’t spot you would have been interesting to hear your thoughts
I did text you with my reason for not attending. But thanks for the ‘joke’ nonetheless.
Can I call SE an arse?
If not feel free to delete me.
If so, then SE, your an arse.
Thanks , Sunny. Nice to see the pictures, not sure how many pictures i saw of the demo on the media so good work!
As with any demos i remember being on anti-racist ones in london and paris and there’s always a few that cause trouble – especially youths who are out to cause mischief regardless, but we tend to do the sensible thing of IGNORING them.
How many people will turn up today? About 5,000 tops and they’ll all be Jewish.
Over at Harrys Place they are portraying the march as being awash with Hamas banners and people shouting “Allahu Akbar” – I was there and this is clearly a grotesque distortion- these were a handful of people in a crowd of tens of thousands.
There was also a contingent of Jews for Justice in Palestine.
What did you expect from Harry’s Place!!!!!!
They’ll portray todays march as as the complete opposite.
The fact is that many Jews and this is increasing in number do not support the continuing actions of Israel and want the Palestinians to egt their long overdue statehood.
I had high hopes for Livni and she spoke sense but recently she is disappointing and has gone back to the stale statements of the past.
At least we are reaching a point where Israel and Hamas are tentatively saying they may talk. Thank goodness Bush can’t derail that as that idiot is hugely responsible for much of this mess.
Chairwoman – “How many people will turn up today? About 5,000 tops and they’ll all be Jewish.”
It really depends what they say and the early statements are not good.
Blind support for either side is what is making the situation worse.
Lets hope and pray that the leadership of the Jewish Community at today’s march make some profound statements to guide people to peace rather than blind support and bashing the other sides opinion.
That I think would help immensely.
Also I really think the Israeli Ambassador is failing in his duty and simply peddling the same old lines. He needs to speak more about peace today than anything else.
Interestingly he was invited then uninvited and may possibly be reinvited to appear on Islam Channel which is interesting given the frequent statements made against them. He was unvited due to a last minute change in programme possibly because they started to raise money for the people in Gaza. However he is keen to go on and they have said they will try and get him on.
That is progress in my mind and again he needs to show some leadership when he is on there and speak of the way to peace not his usual lines.
What we really need is an event to show how Jews and Muslims have lived together to bring them to some form of common ground – don’t you think?
Yes I do
I went down, first political rally of my life.
I’m glad i went, it was worth the 3 hour coach ride, the lack of sleep, the freezing cold, to get my message across.
The turn out was utterly amazing, it took me near enough 2.5 hours to get from Hyde Park to the Embassy. I don’t know where we went, but according to google maps it’s like only a mile or two.
There were no Hamas flags, there were some Hezbollah flags. There were Pakistan flags, Algerian flags, Lebanese flags, Flags for Azad Kashmir.
I totallu understand how some of you guys feel when people shout Allah-hu-Akbhar. I was near a group of some arab guys chanting and they started doing some chanting in arabing, and i kinda felt like i was missing out as I didn’t understand.
BUT…
On the other hand, for Muslims, the religious element of the conflict is intertwined by the humanitarian one, whether anyone likes it or not. Some people might thinks then this is our crusade to liberate the holy land, and to an extent it is yeah, BUT the main focus is that humanitarian side, the link we feel with the people of Palestine, because we share the same religion. As muslims the concept of Ummah does not end at politics and single statehood, it’s more like a family. Not that the sectarian violence around our world would represent that very well.
At one point some girls behind me were chanting Palestine do not cry, we will never let you die, and I swear I nearly cried, the thought of that moment still upsets me even as i write this, because i so want to stop them from dying but I can’t. I don’t know whether other non Muslim people feel that feeling of helplessness to the same degree? Maybe some feel it even more than me.
In that helplessness we turn to god, hence you’ll hear cries of Allah hu Akbhar, because when nobody in this world can help, maybe he can and will.
Similarly I expect the arabs feel the same sort of brotherhood in terms of race, and hence i can understand them doing some chants in their native tongue.
I hope this message goes some way to help you all understand.
Some of the Jewish Leadership is now calling on Israel to stop. Interestingly amongst them is Rabi Tony Bayfield whose earlier statement was far from helpful.
An open letter has been written to The Observer:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/11/gaza-israelandthepalestinians
This a day after Israel vowed an increase:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7822786.stm
In other developments the Board of Deputies also appears to be backing off a bit from its position of total support for Israel, from the above BBC link:
“BoD chief executive John Benjamin said despite support for Israel’s position, the events are primarily a call for peace.
He said: “Certainly I think the people who will be there will understand that Israel has felt it necessary to take action to stop the many thousands of rockets that have been launched from Gaza in the last several years.
“We’re not just talking about the last two weeks but over the course of years I think there have been something like 8,000 rockets.
“So, there is an understanding of that position but it’s not a rally that is either commending exactly what’s going on on day by day, or even, as British Jews and British Christians and others who are coming together, making a statement about the military action – it’s a call for peace.” ”
I think the march yesterday and the numbers have now started to have an impact on the Jewish Leadership here that blind support is no longer acceptable which is good.
Ed Hussein is even critical and siding with the Palestinians which has to be a major shock:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/11/israel-palestine-islam
I really think the Chief Rabbi and the rest of the Jewish Leadership have really let down the Jewish Community by taking them down the road they did. It was a lack of leadership and blind support which with events emerging of the actions have really put them in a poor position and hasn’t helped Anglo-Jewry.
There is a glimmer of hope that these statements have come before the march so hopefully the march today can be something positive and send a signal to those in the region that we all want to see peace if they don’t do that it will backfire on them. Lets see and pray.
Whats obsession with ‘rudeboys’ on this thread? You guys make it sound like as if you are the only one who have a right to protest and only ones that set the standards on how to march for Palestine.
So far as the takbir goes, its all good. The muslim element of the march call the takbir in an attempt make themselves feel at one with the ummah. In one breath you talk about how you love the diversity and then in the next breath how you would love to eliminate the Islamic element of the march? The only bit of diversity you want to accept is the none islamic one. Which isnt diversity at all.
Stop your whinging about the ‘rudeboys’, they at least make their feelings known in no uncertain terms.
From what i saw at the march the police caused alot of trouble at the embassy by trying to prevent a bunch of people chucking shoes at the embassy (like as if those shoes wouldve hurt anyone!) Wouldve been far better to simply let those shoes fly!
And sunnys banner, such poor taste. At least Hamas is democratically elected. No matter how unpalettable for you, they represent the palestinians in GAZA.
Ha ha ha It was a lot more than 200, if the BBC are saying that they are being very nice. The Police charged with horses and everything. I only stayed for a bit and filmed only a small bit of the riot training excercise everyone becaome part of. It was funny, coming up to the Israeli embassy it was like everyone was backed up waiting for their turn to riot. Bloody dangerous considering how many kids there were in prams. I only saw one really bad bit of riot policing myself with a couple of them pushing a kid around who if I were them I would have first checked if he was looking for his mummy.
I will put the video online later. I also filmed a very pissed debate about the “trouble” with some mates of mine who were charged.
Sorry I missed you, I thought “meet you at Hyde park corner” would be a bit optimistic considering the numbers. Hell were there a lot of people. The “Allah ho Akbars” didn’t bother me. Muslims are going to shout “Allah ho Akbar” others shout “Free free palestine” you shout “no to IDF no to hamas free palestine”. It is all democratic right in the street.
I only shouted “riot!!!” and “Barak Obama TERRORIST!!” but I was only joking!
Good day, bloody cold. Thousands of people. All the speeches at the beginning were like fingers down a blackboard to me so we got a bit of culture in the serpentine gallery before joining the march. We disapeared into a coffee house in Notting hill for half an hour, came back and the march was still passing, so there must have been thousands of people.
I like the shoes. Downing street last week and the Israeli embassy staff this week could set up a shoe shop eh.
Dave,
Good shout there dude. Fully agree, anyone and everyone who passed the embassy one way or another wanted to show their disgust, and considering the anger in the crowd, i thought it passed off relatively peacefully (that includes the ‘rudeboys’).
The ‘Allah ho Akbars’ again fully agree, its all about diversity, if people feel alienated then that isnt cos of the takbir itself, its probably because they dont like the people who do the takbir….muslims!
Stop reading after that, you can fuck off back to it.
… which is a shame, from your point of view, because he went on to say that in his opinion the HP coverage was a “gross distortion” of what happened. Who’s the racist fuckwit now, SE?
BTW for those of you who don’t know much about me, I won’t be at the Rally this afternoon for the same reason as I wasn’t there yesterday; I don’t think it’s the place for an old broad on a three-wheeler mobility scooter.
I only shouted “riot!!!” and “Barak Obama TERRORIST!!” but I was only joking!
Lol!
Both Dave and Genghis are spot on about religious chants – let them express themselves that way, I get the impression you don’t like it because you don’t like religion – which is up to you and you have just as much right to express that as they have to express their beliefs.
I don’t believe it gets in the way of building wider coalitions, although that is an issue itself that needs looking at. I wonder what advice this website would provide in building a wider coalition of support for causes, beyond the discouragement of religious expression. Also, “rudeboy” is a crude coded word – again, it hints at a dislike of something which is not being disclosed.
lol at dave bones.
I have to say, and septicisle said this in the other post too, that the police showed a lot of restraint near the embassy (the fake embassy in notting hill that is)… because the idiots starting burning their own banners and setting off fireworks.
It wasn’t just about throwing shoes was it? They were acting like dickheads.
But it was about 100 of them, out of a march more than 100 times that.
The Hizbullah flags came from the fact that there are so many Lebanese people in London I think. And they love smoking weed too… we smelt it almost all the way through the march.
Poem on Gaza was the best contribution made to the suffering of Palestinan People. I wonder if anybody has a copy or video.
i got a recording of the poem, will youtube it when i get a chance.
This is the poem recited by lowkey yesterday (and 3rd March)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ucuroPg2JUo
Powerful stuff
blab
thanks.
Joking apart I don’t believe in throwing things at Policemen. They are a fairly intimidating looking physical distraction but they are still just a distraction aren’t they. If you are anti-capitalist and allow your energy to be focused on Policemen capitalists are laughing at you. Same goes here eh.
Yeah and what was that business going on at the Russian embassy in Notting Hill? Confused people.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wViLvx9SRG0
this was from the demo sat when we finally made it to the israeli embassy