I have just watched BBC footage of the so-called "peace" protest today in London, which was organised by the The Stop The War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Why is it that a hardcore of protesters outside the Israeli Embassy in London felt they had to had to throw missles, knock a policeman unconscious and smash the windows of Starbucks in their demonstration for peace?
Is trashing Starbucks a call for peace or a demonstration of hatred against the western world?
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3 years ago
2 comments:
As with many anti-war/pro-peace protests, different people & groups show up for different reasons, and some of those reasons do not dovetail with those of the organizers or of most of the protesters.
"Black bloc" anarchists & anti-imperialists frequently join otherwise peaceful protests, and their methods are anything but peaceful.
To me, they are no different from those few in the anti-abortion movement who bomb clinics or shoot doctors. Whatever one thinks of their goals, their methods are deplorable, and don't (or shouldn't) reflect the thinking of most of those who are opposed to abortion.
In fact, this war itself doesn't necessarily define all Palestinians or all Israelis, as much as it does their governments. Many individuals on each side are calling for peace, while sadly, many others, including the leaders of both governments, are not. Innocents on both sides of the line are needlessly dying.
The fact that some at a peace protest are not peaceful does not mean that the organizers or the masses who showed up & did not resort to violence or vandalism are wrong or hypocritical for protesting for peace, or are to blame for the few who bring their own agendas to the gathering.
My solidarity is with anyone, from either side or neither, calling for peace in the region. Hamas is definately wrong and dangerous, but I don't feel comforted by the actions Israel has taken of late, either. As far as I'm concerned, both sides need to stop firing...
I agree. Thank you for your post.
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