Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Free Palestine Demo Yesterday on Thames South Bank, No violence.
Relatives visited us over the weekend. We decided to take a bus down to Waterloo. Getting off on Waterloo Bridge we walked down steps planning to stroll along the South Bank . Near the bottom was a group of some pro-Palestine demonstrators. I sat down close to them. They chanted a slogan and were entirely peaceful and well behaved. They didn't harangue or abuse me or anyone else there. They weren't scary or threatening.
I'm not a member of the group so I had no say in what they did or chanted. Personally I would have preferred some harsh criticism of genocide, especially killing children.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Capozzola
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Might be a tame splinter group of the usual Pro-Hamas rabble.
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Permalink Reply by Oli Brown
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If Trump is successful in his efforts to help the Iranians topple the mad mullahs, Hamas and the Paliban mob will wither. The protesters will move on to the next thing and our Jewish friends and neighbours will be able to get on with their lives without constant intimidation and threats.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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Hello Oli.
You may have read my reply to Mike Capozzola where I mention how I try to relate to people. From what I post on this website you might assume that I would not agree with your viewpoint concerning Middle Eastern politics.
But whatever my disagreements with another's views, I always hope they would consider it disrespectful and unhelpful to use abusive and demeaning language about other religions and those who are respected figures and leaders in those religions: the priests; rabbis, imams ministers etc etc
And when the abuse and insult extends to disgustingly conflating all Palestinians with an ultraconservative militant Islamic organisation ("Paliban mob") then, in my view, the outcome will be neither constructive nor positive for anyone.
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Hello Mike
May I explain that when I know next to nothing about a group of strangers in London then my custom is to refrain from guessing, nor speculating; nor judging. I sat quietly near these demonstrators.
By the way, they had bikes. But I saw no sign of a rabble. On the contrary. Maybe they were a peleton of polite pro-Palestinian pedal pushers?
If any of the demonstrators read this I hope they will excuse my gentle attempt at humour.I would have liked to chat to one or two of the demonstrating group. But they ended their chanting and left. I walked off to join my fellow Jewish family members and have a coffee at the British Film Institute close by. Then we continued our Thameside stroll.
Returning later over another bridge, Then home on the bus to Tottenham. Incidentally, one of two buses we took that day which as usual in London, we were able to get on and off without any intimidation or threats.
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Alan- these clowns should not even be in our landscape making it so that you have to contend WITH their noise, chants, threats and lunacy.
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Alan the fact that you have to mention that this batch of Pro-Hamas demonstrators were not as bad as usual tells us all that we need.
This is not about politics or geography or ancient grievances. They want all Jews dead.
On a happy note: "Thwarting Antisemitism Through Coffee"
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Mike some - I hope reasonable - requests..
First please stop putting words in my mouth. Or in my posts on this website. I have not written anything about the demonstrators we encountered near Waterloo Bridge on Sunday 28th December which suggests they were Pro-Hamas. What they quite clearly did support was freedom for Palestine.
Nor did I mention .anything about this group of demonstrators being "not as bad as usual." It's a long time since I went on a march. Obviously when thousands of people go on marches I can't be sure that everyone behaved impeccably. But as I remember, where I was the behaviour was pretty good natured and friendly.Which people exactly are you suggesting "want all Jews dead". In my view this appears to be a false belief held or argued by the Israeli State to persuade/propagandise the view that what we see is simply Antisemitism.
Mr Netanyahu and his self-described Fascist political allies would like us all to believe this. Nor of course. taking any responsibility for creating and stoking the hatreds at work.
I first visited Israel and lived there for some months (I think about 1964 or '65.) Relations between Jews and Palestinians seemed more optimistic. I had two younger brothers who lived there. (Now both dead.) What they told me also gave me hope.
More recently I've had time to read a bit more. As you may know Mike, there are some excellent Israeli writers and U.S. writers about Israel/Palestine who fill in or contradict the propaganda story, As Shakespeare didn't quite advise: Get thee to a library of relevant books and videos.
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I preferred the peaceful, trouble-free, beautiful Menorah lighting on the first night of Hanukkah, near Hornsey Town Hall, under the much-appreciated and sadly-essential supervision of the Met Police.
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MIKE,
I note your ;liking for "a peaceful, trouble-free, beautiful" gathering in Crouch End.
Do you really not see the contradiction with the comment you posted to me immediately before.
"Alan - these clowns should not even be in our landscape making it so that you have to contend with their noise, chants, threats and lunacy."
Do you really not understand that you are objecting to the very presence of a group gathering peacefully, trouble-free on the South Bank for a few minutes to democratically express a political view that people should be free.
No noise, no threats, no lunacy. Just a very brief chant. What really upset you? Was it the bikes that makes you want to expel them from "our landscape".
Or simply that some people in London disagree with your views? Well there are around nine million of us. We are from all over the world. That's one reason I love the place.
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Alan
I'm slammed I'll read the transcript from your TED Talk later.
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Sorry, Mike. I don't speak whatever American dialect you're writing in this time. I'm ashamed at my poor ability with foreign languages.
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Permalink Reply by Martin (Woodside)
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A new cause has just been found for the protestors, Venezuela. In anticipation, the Chinese production lines will be printing Venezuelan flags and posters as we speak. Soon, another huge demo in London where Ed Davey and Jeremy Corbyn can share a platform to denounce Donald Trump, and maybe with a nasally song from a guitar-strumming Billy Bragg.
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