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DAAWN! - MAY 18th PALESTINE DEMO

DAAWN | 13.05.2002 20:53

DAAWN! - anti cap block this saturday

The next big National Rally for Palestine will be happening on Sat 18 May. D.A.A.W.N is organising an Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Militarist, Anti-Racist solidarity bloc for the march. Meet at 12 noon @ Speakers' Corner, Hyde Park

A new round of suicide attacks seems likely to provide a pretext for a massive Israeli military assault on the West Bank and Gaza. In the name of peace and security, the Israeli government will massacre civilians, bulldoze whole neighbourhoods, use helicopter gunships and tanks against lightly armed Palestinian security forces, target electricity and water supplies, and hold a gun to the head of every Palestinian - man, woman and child.

Yet the last major Palestinian demo in London attracted only a handful of anti-capitalists and Western peace activists. Many stayed away for fear of associating themselves with anti-semitic and "fundamentalist" factions on the demonstration. In the absence of a wider critique of the capitalist system, these factions are beginning to assume a disproportionate influence within the Palestinian diaspora.

The May 6th pro-Israel rally on Trafalgar Square saw a large Palestinian counter-demonstration. The Israelis held up placards reading "Yes to peace, No to terror" while listening to an inflammatory speech by former PM Binyamin Netanyahu. Some Palestinians chanted "Nuke, nuke Israel" and "Bomb, bomb Tel Aviv" - comments that were duly reported in the following day's newspapers to brand all Palestinian smypathisers as potential terrorists.

Our failure to engage with the wider Palestinian community has left the field clear for religious extremists, bigots and zealots of every kind to propagate their sectarian agendas. We, as anti-capitalists, do not claim a monopoly on the truth. But we do have a viable alternative to this kind of hate propaganda - a world-view that encompasses peace and justice for all communities, in every part of the world.

DAAWN
- Homepage: http://www.daawn.cjb.net

Comments

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13.05.2002 22:49

I have never seen any anti-semitism at pro-palestinian demos. I was at the counter-demo at the Zionist rally and didn't hear anyone shouting "Nuke, nuke Israel" and "Bomb, bomb Tel Aviv", though I heard this was written in the racist, xenophobic Daily Mail.

I would like to see more dialogue between anti-capitalists and Muslims, as I believe they have much in common, with Islam emphasising social justice and community.

P.S. I'm looking forward to Saturday!

Dr


yah yah

13.05.2002 23:01

peace,
I agree we gotta get a LOT of people marching, more people on the streets this weekend than those ZioNazi bastards did before (where was everyone when we were on the counter-demo?).
As for the religious 'zeolots' hijacking it, I don't think you need to worry about that mate. lol The anti-Capitalist movement is logistically a midget compared to a group like Hizbullah marching beside us, it's THEIR flags that strike fear into the enemy, not your socialist alliance banners (although socialism is cool).
As for people chanting utter shite, I'm afraid that's going to happen no matter what you do. I mean "Nuke, nuke Israel" is a plainly moronic statement (I didn't actually hear it myself). What you have to remember as 'anti-capitalists' is that the true Islamic agenda is also VERY anti-capitalist, but with a workable (tried and tested) societal system attached. When you speak of bigot and fundamentalists, be careful not to tar all Muslim activists with the same brush as those few ignorant ones who don't even know their religion. Islam is against hate, against bigotry, it seeks to eliminate nationalism, and embrace all cultures and people's, regardless of race or creed (I'm not a Muslim, btw). Perhaps it's time you read the Qu'ran and research a little before you talk about 'fundamentalists', trust me, the Taliban were Wahabi (nutcases) and they DEFINITELY were not in attendance. In fact, wahabi Taliban would probably try to kill the Hizbullah guys because they are Shia. Crazy s***, eh?
All I'm saying is, when you guys have the power to drive Israel and the US out of Lebanon, and sustain a social security network (including hospitals, etc) and have your own satellite tv station, then you can talk like you own the place. Right now you ain't got diddly squat when it comes to Palestine. The Muslims are in charge.


Jimbob

Jimbob


True

14.05.2002 02:13

Good point Jimbob.
I'm hoping to attend the demo myself, fingers crossed.
I hope there is a good attendance, we need the numbers.
Did anyone see Dispatches on channel four tonite?

daniel gurney


uh, wait a bit

14.05.2002 08:51

As a member of DAAWN I don't think that the posting was trying to tar all muslims with the same brush, but there is a certain amount of extremists who attend these demo's. DAAWN support the liberation of the palestinian people otherwise we wouldn't be coming to the march. The main point of the posting was that there are a great many non-muslims who believe that palestine should be free but refuse to come to the marches because they don't want any connection with people waving Hizbullah flags. What DAAWN would like to see is people looking past whoever else is turning up to the march and supporting the issue in question. If everyone who disagreed with the people who advocate nuking Israel stopped supporting palestinian liberation that would be stupid. People are losing sight of the goals for the sake of petty points between groups. there may well have been neo-fascist anti-capitalists at mayday (the police would have us believe that anyway), but that wouldn't stop the radical left turning up. There may have been black bloc'ers turning up but it SHOULDN't have stopped pacifists from going. there needs to be more open mindedness amongst the protest community or whatever you might want to call it.

NTG


Clear Agenda

14.05.2002 13:07

Before we can turn up we need to know what the main message the demo is trying to put out to the public. If the central theme is that we support a peaceful solution to ending the occupation, then it will succeed. If its anything else a negative image will be reported and the extremists will win.

Joel