Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Pro-Israel Rally London: nice people versus the nasties


We attended the pro-Israel rally outside the Israeli Embassy in Knightsbridge this evening that was arranged only within the last 24 hours as a counter demonstration to the nightly demos by anti-Israel thugs. I understand the demonstration was originally arranged by the Christian Friends of Israel and was going to be fairly low key, but word got around - especially among the young Jewish community via Facebook and the result was a very impressive turn-out that clearly took the anti-semites (and yes that is what the vast majority of them were) on the other side by surprise. Some poor quality images are shown here and don't really give a feel for the size and density of the crowd. which I would estimate as at least 3,000.


When we arrived at Ken High Street tube station we were greeted by a middle-aged white Englishman standing in the street and screaming relentlessly and with total hatred "Murderers" at a small group of elderly people being escorted along the road by policemen. It turned out that this was the first group of pro-Israel demonstrators and was ironically probably mainly the Christian Friends. It was difficult to comprehend the hatred of this guy. I wondered why people like that would not show the same pure hatred at, say, the Sudanese for the massacre of black Africans, the Sunni and Shia groups massacring eachother in Iraq, the Chinese for their brutal oppression of the Tibetans, the Sri Lankans for their treatment of the Tamil Tigers, or dare I say it Hamas for their continmued attacks against civilians or even for the brutal massacre of their Fatah opponents. No, for this guy - and so many like him - none of those real murderers stirred his conscious. Al Quada, the Taliban? No - what consumed this guy with rage was Jews finally defending themselves against terror.

Anyway, we joined the small group and had to pass the violent anti-Israel mob (who had George Galloway apparently leading the chorus). The police described them as a bunch of very nasty people. This was the only time we really got to see them because we were shepherded to the other side separated by a couple of police lorries (and at the end of the rally we were not allowed to go back to Ken High Street tube but had to walk in the opposite direction). The pro-Israel crowd very quickly grew (the slow start was due to the fact that although we had heard
it was scheduled to start at 7.30, most others heard 7.45 or 8.00). We were packed in very tightly about 30-40 deep across a length of pavement about 100 metres long (hence the estimate of at least 3,000). As you would expect, in stark contrast to the other side, our crowd were polite and dignified, singing the occasional Hebrew songs about peace, interspersed with renditions of both the Israeli and British national anthems. On the other side they cursed and threatened, promised death to Israel and honoured the Hamas terrorists. One guy walked along in front of us waving a Hizbullah flag. We heard that on a number of occasions the thugs tried to break through the police lines to attack and that they were verbally abusing the police continually. I guess it was little surprise then, when at the end a policeman came up to us and said that we were the nicest group of demonstrators he had ever encountered.

So there you have it. In the Alice in Wonderland world of the UK and its media, the anti-Israel demonstrators (who glorify terrorism, fight the police and call for the destruction of Israel) are apparently the 'opponents of the war' i.e. the peace lovers. And the pro-Israel demonstrators who sing songs of peace are the fascist Zionists supporting a genocidal war. At least the police (and any other passers-by in Kensington) know different.

17 comments:

Chas Newkey-Burden said...

Very well written. I was there last night. Those pro-Hamas lot were animals.

Anonymous said...

Keep it up if - I am going to see what the average (well educated) Indonesian thinks of all this.

Anonymous said...

well my colleague cannot understand why this issue impacts all muslims. Why are Indonesian muslims worried about what goes on in Gaza when they have home problems of their own. I wait and see the next demo in London - take care.

Anonymous said...

Your being very insulting to animals Chas.

Anonymous said...

Bravo! Great report!

The ranting middle-aged Englishman was probably a teacher!

Anonymous said...

Hey - thanks for reporting. Please encourage many to attend the stand with Israel rally this Sunday morning in Trafalgar Square beginning at 10:30.

Anonymous said...

Edgar, I'm out of the country and won't be able to attend Sunday's rally. Hope to read all about it here on your blog, plus pix.

Thanks
GG

Karen said...

Thank you for posting this report. I intend to attend Sunday's rally.
Anyone reading this who happens to be a T.U. member might be interested to look at www.tufi.org.uk - Trade Union Friends of Israel.

G-d Save The Queen and Shalom.

Karen x

Anonymous said...

An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. Vengeance is MINE saith the Lord, I will repay.
100 Palestinian lives for an Israeli life...disproportionate.
One of the lessons of the Warsaw Ghetto was that you have to go house to house, sewer to sewer to flush out (i.e. kill all) urban fighters with nowhere else to go. Is that what the IDF is going to do?

Unknown said...

The advertising copywriters and spin doctors have been busy..... scribbling fatuous prose..... followed closely by those brave, anonymously
supplied hurrahs that are as patronising to the Israeli Zionist Tendency as was intended towards the real protestors who were representing the victims of criminal Zionist aggression.
Now you have braved an evening of English winter weather, maybe you will let your friend George Bush know that you, along with your warmongering friend Tony Bliar will be happy to scrounge your own, meaningless Congressional Medal of Freedom., for your own recent bravery.
You can put your feet up with a nice cup of tea while the Red Cross and many other Relief Agencies suffer death and maiming at this time, inflicted by the cowardly IDF who now bring shame on the Nation that once fought British Imperialism in ways that really should be remembered at times like this.
Whats good for the treifah goose is just as good for the kosher gander...

BTW, I doubt that our Queen would demean herself to acknowledge Ambassador Prosser any more than Protocol demands... this lickspittle Prosser tries to treat the BBC as if it were his own propaganda department within Kol Israel.

The resentment now being sowed by your holier-than-thou Knesset careerists and their military servants is something you will never be able to blame on anyone else's 'fundamentalism'.
Just look at modern history since cynical, clever Zionists hi-jacked and traded the euphoria that many of us felt immediately following the Six Day War. As I have said elsewhere, it's my belief that IF Israel had returned those newly won Occupied Territories - as Israel's friends were led to believe would happen... then 9/11 would never have happened.
'Nuff said?

robbiehugh

Anonymous said...

im not a jew ..im a christian but i suffered a lot from the hands of muslim when i was in dubai...i support the israel and i hope more power to your country and i know that you are just protecting your country from the real terrorist...the hamas tha alqaeda the taliban the hwzbollah the abusayyaf....

Anonymous said...

viva israel...more power....

Anonymous said...

what happened last jan 8 only shows what kind of people supporting the palestinians...they are not respecting the rules,threatenings and very violent people...israel is not a murderer they are just protecting their country from the islamic terrorist....

Anonymous said...

you are absolutely right Chas Newley those supprting the pro Hamas are animals and those people who post their message agaist Isarel hope u will be a victim of bombing of one of the islamicterrorist attack so you will know who they are....

Anonymous said...

I feel sorry the person who ONLY support Israel only because he/she suffered thanks to some individuals in Dubia.

Poverty IS the root of terrorism, Having people living in the BIGGEST PRISON IN THE WORLD (Gaza) that is now the most densily populated land in the world as your neighbour isn't going to make them good neighbours.
Call them animals if you like but they'll resist the aggression caused by Israel.

Keep poking a tame animal and it will take your eyes out!

Anonymous said...

Those Palestine supporters need to learn manners and dignity. So does that discusting Galloway. The police and local businesses in Kensington nearby the Israeli embassy are suffering a lot because of their brutality.

The Israel rally today was so calm and peaceful. If only those mobs would learn.

Anonymous said...

The west had better wake up. The useful idiots of the left and anti-Isreal lobby are doing militant Islam's work for it. The Mullahs smile as they watch the west fall apart. They might win without a fight, unlike in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th and 17th Centuries (the previous Islamic invasion attempts) - the Crusades were a defensive reaction dimwits!

Islam is a very dangerous, political, bullying religion. It is a religion of hate, war and death. If it wants a fight, it will get one....the governements of the west may appear weak and vacillating but the people see and know the truth. We are waiting....we are ready...we will fight for our freedom!