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Pictures from StWC Palestine Demo.

Camera Boy | 14.06.2007 19:59 | Anti-militarism | Palestine | Social Struggles | Cambridge | London

A belatedly filed picture report from last Saturday's Stop The War Palestine Demonstration in Central London.
These images shot on good old fashioned film (hence the lateness) - digital pictures to follow soon.

On The Steps #1
On The Steps #1

On The Steps #2
On The Steps #2

On The Steps #3
On The Steps #3

Looking Out...
Looking Out...

Flags...
Flags...

Flag Post Man...
Flag Post Man...

Jewellery Pitch.
Jewellery Pitch.

Watchers.
Watchers.


The organiser's attendance estimates claim that about 20,000 people were in London for this march, and from what I saw I'd say that's a reasonable figure, as Trafalgar Square was full!

This set of pictures is from the this location, at the end of the march.

The whole event was a peaceful and good natured one, with the exception of a rather antagonistic pro-Zionist counter demo about half way along the route (pictures of this soon).

I didn't see anyone proffer a violent response, although the cops were a doing pretty thorough job of keeping us all apart, even telling me to move on whilst just taking pictures.

However, there was a distinct lack of musical accompaniment, as many of the usual itinerant musicians were in Germany for the G8 protests!

Also happening on the same day were a Nude pro-green cycle ride (missed it - must be losing my touch), and later that same afternoon, along the Embankment I also witnessed an Orange Men's march, something I thought would never be seen in London...how the times change!

Alas, by this time, I had exhausted both my film and digital cameras!

Maybe next time...

Camera Boy

Additions

Photos from demos around the world.

14.06.2007 21:15

I'm grateful for your pictures, as there was nothing in the mainstream media and not too much even in the alternative media. The protest only made page 14 of the Socialist Worker. I did a round up of the demonstrations around the world. The largest one seems to have been in London. I’m afraid the demo in Washington DC seems to have been disappointingly small. There was a small demo here in Edinburgh and a large number of protests around the world including Jerusalem.
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373336.html


Paul O'Hanlon
mail e-mail: o_hanlon@hotmail.com


Enough!

14.06.2007 22:10

The rally was orgainsed by the Enough camapign ( http://www.enoughoccupation.org/?lid=13692) of which Stop The War is one of a number of member orgainsations.  http://www.enoughoccupation.org/?lid=13717

ftp


Speeches + photos of rally

17.06.2007 02:13

Detailed report of event including full mp3 audio and summary transcripts of all the speeches, and over 70 photos from the rally:

 http://www.inminds.co.uk/enough.occupation.9.june.2007.php

observer


Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Media Blackout..?

15.06.2007 13:57

Yes, BBC News didn't see fit to give it even a passing mention, but then neither did most of the other TV news!

I do find it strange that there are hardly any pictures anywhere for this demo, as there were hundreds of people wondering about with cameras on the day!

I've got another shedload of pictures shot on my digital to sort through next, so even though this is no longer a 'hot' item, I'll upload them when I've sifted through them all in a further (albeit small) effort to redress the dearth of media of coverage, although this may not happen until early next week.

Camera Boy


Not many Palestinian or Muslim there

16.06.2007 11:26

Not many Palestinian or Muslim there. It seem to be a get together for for non-middle-eastern people.

Strange that don't you think?

In fact I can say that there was a bigger present of Muslims at a demo on Friday afternoon 16/6/07 outside Downing street standing side by side with the BNP. I didn't see any SWP supporting Muslim there. Both set of groups were outnumbered by bored Police waiting for a riot that was never going to happen.

Hmmm,

Frustration.....

I've given up on following SWP not that I ever did, there's no Consistency in SWP policy. As it supports the Palestinian and yet at this very moment in time Hamas and the Fatah are shooting at each other in the Gaza strip and yet slates the Jews for there Zionism. Surly for Consistency you should also slate the Palestinians. Unless the SWP has already turned into an Islamic Party

The Respect Party ARE an Islamic Party even thou' George Galloway is a Catholic, the Popes must be rolling in their graves.

The Labour party has turned into a Club for Businessmen just like the Tory Party and waits for rich pickings from the U.K. state own businesses (What's left).

The Libertarian communism, has some ideas but are stuck in there late 19th century early 20th century theories and no longer relevant in today world.

The Communism had a shot and fuck up big time and things didn't work out.

So what's left for me? Sell my house to an east-European, and try my luck elsewhere and emigrate.

Jo Bloggs


Cynicism Debilitates!

16.06.2007 12:31

Hearing what you're saying about the Hamas/Fatah scenario, although condemnation isn't always the way to go. You need to understand that this is a society under unimaginable external pressure, fighting for its survival, so what would be percieved as 'negotiable disagreements' elsewhere are magnified tenfold by the pressure cooker situation these people find themselves in.

But also of course, there's also some textbook 'divide and rule' tactics being employed BIG TIME by the Israelis by penning everyone inside these tiny areas of land, and restricting the movements of a whole society with checkpoints, searches, military bullying, etc.

To add to this, you have Western Arms Dealers doing their usual dirty profiteering deed of selling weapons to everyone!

It's just a shame that the Zionists don't seem to have grasped that they are visiting upon others the sins that were visited upon them, but it's also reasuring to know that not all Jews in the world think this way (I saw evidence of this at the demo, with Jews AND PALESTINIANS marching side by side), so there is still hope.

As for Communism, well, have we ever had an actual functioning (in the true sense of the definition) Communist society up and running on the planet yet?

Could the Communist system cope with the post industrial, post technological societies of the 21st century..?
Well, I say this.

Communism was and is a BY-PRODUCT of CAPITALISM, a utopian reaction against it.

It's debatable whether or not it could work in practice, but then I argue it's never really been given the chance in the first place.
The nearest we've seen to this model of society in action (in the sense of the system being allowed to run its course, as opposed to it being coopted by political movers and shakers), is Cuba, and that's a dictatorship!

At least Anarchism had a very short chance in Catalonia, although the Franco supporters (purportedly Communists, but I doubt it somehow) put an end to that pretty quickly!!

Camera Boy