Over 100 on Iran Embassy demo...
pirate | 11.08.2005 16:19 | Gender | Repression | Social Struggles | South Coast | World
Over 100 LGBT people attended the OutRage! and Peter Tatchell led demo outside the Iranian Embassy in London this pm. (one of 5 such demos around the world). The protest(s) were over the recent (19 July) execution of two gay teenagers and the general dire human rights record of Iran.
People in attendance incl reps from the Labour LGBT groups, the SWP, The Workers Communist party of Iran, even some Iranian royalist. Several gay Iranian asylum seekers were also there. One, wearing a mask (for fear of being recognised) was stopped ans searched by the police under the Terrorism Act ! (typical plod over-reacting).
Many OutRage supporters also attended along with many ordinary LGBT people- some who had never been on a demo before.
Chants were hurled at the Embassy, including 'murderers', stop killing kids and queers, close the embassy down, Smash the Iranian fascist state and several others.
Demo was filmed by Sky News and covered by several newspapers.
Offical Press release from OutRage! & hoepfully pics will be issued asap- poss early tomorrow.
pirate
Comments
Hide the following 17 comments
Count the anti-Iranian stories!!!
11.08.2005 17:57
Don't worry, Outrage- you bunch of MI5 stooges, once Blair attacks Iran, i'm sure that wish will come true. I don't quite understand how you will reconcile your stated concerns with all the thousands of Iranian gays that will die amongst the millions killed in the bombings, but perhaps you believe in 'Better Dead than Muslim' or some such crap.
Anyhoo, people, try counting the Anti-Iranian posts on Indymedia across the next days and weeks. THIS is living history, like being in Germany in the 30's watching the increasing anti-jew propoganda.
I know, from looking at the stories posted, and the replies, that this server is 90% Blair psy-ops, and, given the times, I would expect nothing less. However, even those of you on Blair's side (just as with Hitler's supporters) have to have a good reason why you support the coming mass use of nuclear weapons, and the depopulation of this planet. Will your lives really be better than now, with Billions dead, and the infrastucture of the planet ruined for generations? It seems to me that it is YOU that has the most to lose, not your Muslim victims.
twilight
twilight
11.08.2005 19:22
Not any more - theyre Islamists of some sort. Notice how they latch on to any muslim-related topic.
moss
Puppets ?
11.08.2005 19:30
I have no evidence but there are a few little things strongly hinting at it for me :
Iran apparently massively uses a US software they legally buy, Smart Filter, to censor the Internet countrywide.
The world leader of the Shia muslims, the Iranian Grand ayatollah Ali Sistani who lives in occupied Najaf in Iraq gets heart surgery in London (with all it might mean in terms of fitting him with a device by MI6 during the operation) and not in Teheran or even Kuwait. He is hierachically superior to any of the Iranian leaders. His word his the word of the prophet himself. But the word of the prophet could simply quite easily be the word of London considering his personal circumstances.
eidenk
Outrage! are now shills for Iranian terrorists
11.08.2005 20:45
Tatchell is now a shill for the Neocons and Israel Firster's, just like the Guardian's Nick Cohen (who adores the convicted embezzler Chalabi), David Aaronovitch and Johann Hari, three dangerous fools who argued for an invasion that has painted a bloody great target on the UK.
More on the executions in Iran and how idiots like Tatchell misrepresented events -
B.I.G.
Belief
11.08.2005 22:18
A few months ago, a woman was executed in Iran for the "crime" of "behaviour incompatible with chastity". She was hanged by the neck from a crane. The official reports set her age at 22 - that was, until he parents produced her death certificate which proved she was only 16.
Whether you like it or not, the photos show two teenagers who met a similar fate. If you want to be an apologist for child executions then go right ahead.
It is people like you who refuse to give support and solidarity to the Iranian opposition that will eventually provide the "excuse" for an US invasion. The US will cynically claim that regime change cannot be achieved through political means. Why not? Simple... because people like you act as apologists for the facist Iranian regime instead of supporting the political disidents and Iranian democrats and workers who want to bring about change through non-military means!
Qwerty
Qwerty
11.08.2005 23:36
But if you want to be an apologist for terrorists, go right ahead. We'd all love to know just how you express your support for this group and I'm sure other parties would be most interested too.
B.I.G.
unconvinced
12.08.2005 00:50
Somehow I don't think that was the reason for the demonstration. There are many states with dire human rights records and there was no demonstration there. China with it's thousands put to the death penalty for example.
"It is people like you who refuse to give support and solidarity to the Iranian opposition that will eventually provide the "excuse" for an US invasion."
No it will be only the United States that will be to blame if there is an invasion. Not Peter Tatchell and not those concerned about/opposed to an invasion of Iran. Although of course any media hysteria over Iran (like we are now seeing over Muslims following the 7/7 bombings) will not help. Obviously Peter Tatchell will (not!) be active in opposing an invasion of Iran if it is proposed or if it actually happens.
"The US will cynically claim that regime change cannot be achieved through political means."
Yes it would be cynical and therefore no-one to blame but the invaders.
"Simple... because people like you act as apologists for the facist Iranian regime instead of supporting the political disidents and Iranian democrats and workers who want to bring about change through non-military means!"
No. They can oppose the state policies whether they are supported or not. How could posting an article on Indymedia (or demonstrating outside an embassy) change whether the normal people of Iran bring about change in their governments policy anyway.
cynic
Well done
12.08.2005 08:26
He escaped. His partner was stoned to death in public by a mob.
J&P
BIG Bollocks
12.08.2005 08:32
Incidentally, according to the Human Rights Watch report, it is the US State Department that defines them as a terrorist organisation. Does this now make you an apologist for the US State Department? It might if you follow your childish line of reasoning.
The photos speak for themselves. Two dead children hanging from ropes.
In the last year, at least two gay Iranian asylum seekers have committed suicide - one by setting himself on fire outside a refugee centre - rather than face deportation. How can you support other Iranian asylum seekers if you don't draw attention to the crimes of the Iranian regime?
In fact, BIG, you could get a job working for the Home Office - they're always trying to find people to testify against asylum seekers. I'm sure they'd be very keen to hear your "it ain't so bad" arguments.
Qwerty
But homoseuality is an abomination forbiddon by God!
12.08.2005 09:47
Concerned Christian
Democracy
12.08.2005 11:30
I really wonder how rich Gay westerners can dictate their morality on the Iranian people is anything less than racist. Nor can I remember Gay and Lesbian groups or Peter Tatchell protesting at the thousands of child-soldiers massacred during suicidal frontal attacks during the Iran-Iraq war. I guess that those dead Iranian teenagers were just not Gay enough.
Terry
Twisted Democracy
12.08.2005 13:03
Does democracy come any more twisted than that?
This is bad news for every minority group. The majority can just dispose of us however it pleases - all they have to do is vote on it, apparently!
And I'm so sick of the crappy argument: "I don't remember such and such organisation protesting such and such action by such and such group in such and such a country in 19-such and such, and so forth, so therefore they shouldn't be allowed to protest about anything, ever."
This is immature politics. There are thousands and thousands of issues all over the world. No organisation is protesting every single issue, everywhere, all the time - so grow up!
Qwerty
Human rights
12.08.2005 13:47
And the so called Iran elections, had hundreds of candidates barred by the clerics, what free elections can you expect to have when the clerics decide who can and can't stand up for office?
Stop justifying murder you biggots, your level is not much better thant the Abu Grahib soldiers
Olaf
Reply to Terry
12.08.2005 14:06
As far as I know Peter Tatchell has made numerous complaints about human rights abuses in the past from many countries. For some strange reason, however, you seem to think that groups set up to concentrate on gay and lesbian issues should focus on issues that are not gay/lesbian issues. Of course, I'm sure that many people involved in Outrage have been involved in various protests against human rights violations (and other political matters) as individuals and perhaps many did protest against the use of child soldiers in the Iran/Iraq conflict - but why should Outrage as an organisation designed to defend gays and lesbians concentrate on areas that are not directly related to gays and lesbians? There's no point in complaining about single-issue campaigns not getting involved in campaigns that are not directly related to a different issue.
To put it another way, if Outrage and other similar groups and the people involved in them spent all or most of their time protesting about non-gay or lesbian issues, then who on earth is going to stand up for gay/lesbian issues? Or perhaps you think we should return to the good old Stalinist/Leninist/Maoist days of class reductionism where such matters would all be sorted out automatically once the glorious classless world was ushered in...
Leam
Your point?
12.08.2005 18:50
Nor can I remember groups opposed to Iraq protesting at the child-soldiers massacred during ongoing wars in central Africa. I guess those dead African teenagers were just not Muslim enough.
Nonsense, hypocrisy from Tatchell et al would be if they allied themselves with creepy fundie groups supporting the murder of homosexuals, simply to oppose Blair, and then whip up a few gay pride marches to prove their liberal credentials. That has been done, and it ain't been by Tatchell.
Alec
Terry the T***
14.08.2005 00:45
georgie
editors?!
16.08.2005 18:19
concerned radical