Pictures © 2008, Peter Marshall, all rights reserved.
Neturei Karta rabbi at front of the march
Marchers on Park Lane
Waving banners at the counter demonstrators
Whose Side are we on? It seemed a good question
U B A next to Israeli flags
Police grab Iranian demonstrator who tried to climb barrier
U B A shout at marchers
Police restrained marchers behind the tape
UBA gestures at the marchers
Marchers ignore the counter demo
Marching on to the rally
Among those groups demonstrating against it were the United British Alliance, March for Enlgand, International Alliance of Iranian Students, the Worker Communist Party of Iran, Workers Liberty and a group waving Israeli flags (apologies to any other groups I missed.)
The opposition from some of these comes from the fact that Al Quds Day was started by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, that some of the organisations that support it receive support from the Iranian government and that it supports the Islamic regime in Iran. Others oppose it for very different reasons.
I've no sympathy for the Iranian regime under which friends of mine have suffered and which has brought a proud and historic civilisation to a fundamentalist authoritarian terror state. Nor for that matter am I an unquestioning supporter of Hezbollah. But despite my misgivings about Iran, I marched with the Muslims, orthodox Neturei Karta rabbis and others. Perhaps it would be better for those wanting to protest against Iranian involvement of the event to organise an Al Quds Day event with wider participation to show support for the Palestinian cause as well as freedom in Iran.
There has to be a better way to demonstrate opposition to the Iranian regime and also support for the Palestinian people rather than joining with other groups who clearly do not do so. The United British Alliance were possibly the largest and certainly the most vociferous group opposing the march.
The marchers remained proudly defiant in the face of the insults flung at them across the road from the various groups, and stewards had some problems in keeping a few of the younger and more militant marchers moving, but unlike last year there were no serious attempts to rush across the street, though police did push back a few. At one point I found myself pushed out from the march by some of the militants, which provided me with a better vantage point until I was pushed back by the police! One supporter of freedom in Iran attempted to climb over the barrier towards the march and was quickly surrounded by police.
I left the march before the rally in Trafalgar Square to attend another demonstration. Speakers were expected to include Dawud Abdullah, Les Levidow, Massoud Shadjareh, Rabbi Ahron Cohen, Taji Mustafa and Yvonne Ridley.
More pictures from the march on My London Diary
http://mylondondiary.co.uk shortly.
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Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
Who are UBA?
28.09.2008 22:56
Rod
Re: Who are UBA?
28.09.2008 23:21
"In these pages you will find information on our group and what we stand for."
chopped pork
STERN GANG
29.09.2008 09:58
And since when has there been an alliance between Nationalism and a pro-Israeli stance.
JIMBOB
A strange alliance
29.09.2008 11:26
Some nationalists are pro-israel others are anti-israel depending on their preferences and what branch of nationalism they come from.
It's a shame that the pro-israel and british nationalists appear to have stole the limelight on the anti-al-quds demo, shame there couldnt have been a bigger socialist/anarchist presence on the counter demo.
Davos
.
29.09.2008 14:28
@nti zionist
my enemies enemy is not my friend
29.09.2008 15:12
Davos
@Davos
29.09.2008 21:38
I feel well out of touch now!
Ashley
@Davos
29.09.2008 22:15
Whilst the make up of Iran has been mainly Islamic since the 8th to 10th century, it was only after the 1979 revolution that it became the Islamic State. If by Islamic Fundamentalism you mean that there were Muslims living there then you are quite right, but there were also Jews and Christians too (in fact today the largest population of Jews in the ME outside of Israel lives in the land of Islamic Fundamentalism, how's that work?).
If you get a chance read The Great War for Civilisation by Robert Fisk, it's a real eye opener. For instance do you know how many times Iran has attacked another country in modern history?
By and large all people of faith want to live together in harmony and I find your demonising of Iran and in particular the Islamic faith, insidious. What is in Iran is mainly the making of US and UK interventionism, if we kept our noses out they wouldn't hate us for our freedoms (or do I mean hate us for taking away their freedoms?).
Don't get me wrong, I know human rights are appalling in Iran but given Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, rendition flights etc, when I hear the UK or US politicians harping on, it all sounds a bit like empty rhetoric to me.
Ashley
Happy Jerusalem Day
30.09.2008 10:36
In solidarity with others in struggle.
Ashley...
30.09.2008 11:55
I think its too easy to constantly blame the US and it's also an insult to those whove suffered at the hands of the Iranian regime. Iran has a horrendous record when it comes to human rights for homosexuals and union organisers and those who choose to voice their dissent. It is naive to say "well the US has done terrible things in Iraq" because this isn't the point! I'm sure we're all aware of the history of US intervention, we've all read chomsky and know the crimes of US governments past and present, but does this mean we should side with oppressive governments because they are portrayed as enemies of the US? Of course it doesn't!
As for me being anti-islam, i'm atheist so i'm anti-religion full stop so please spare me the condescension!
Davos