Photo essay: Largest march calling for ceasefire in Gaza
These are a series of photos I took in central London (Saturday, Jan 01, 09), during a march against the recent Israeli bombardment of Gaza. It was the largest pro-Palestinian march in London to date (source the organisers) and was generally attended by a wide cross-section of people. Symbolically shoes were thrown outside Downing Street, (similar to the recent Iraqi journalist action against George W Bush). The march lead to the Trafalgar Square where a series of speakers like former London Mayor Ken Livingston and former MP George Galloway amongst others delivered messages of support for the Palestinian people and requested an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Anonymousa
by ramintork on Tue Jan 06, 2009 01:49 PM PSTDiaspora is a pain for most of us, but I doubt if the late Shah would have advocated ethnic cleansing!
There was news of Ambulances becoming targets. Red Cross raised the alert.
This is now an issue for War crimes and the Gevena convention.
Ramin: Imbalance reaction
by Anonymousa (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 05:59 PM PSTRamin jan, if Shah of Iran had had shown imbalance reaction towards the mullahs (the way Israel is showing it) we would have been enjoying our country, rather sitting in these foreign lands and looking at web pages of Iran.
another remark: Don't take knife to gun fight.
Actually I was almost a victim of the terror Attack
by ramintork on Mon Jan 05, 2009 02:45 PM PSTI nearly lost my life in the 7/7 incident in London. On that horrible day, I was one of many trying but failing to make what they thought was the last call to their families but failing as networks became jammed. By one of those coincidenes I have survived several terrorist attacks, a few of them by the IRA in London but only just!
I know first hand the pain that people suffer when they become victims of violence be it by terrorism or bombs being dropped on their heads, but justice needs to be balanced. I get very upset by some of the anti-semite retoric that gets published in Iranian web sites this it is not anti-semitism when you ask Israel to drop bombs on people.
Israel's reaction is not balanced, it has the right to defend its citizens but not at the cost of what it is doing.
Glad to hear it London! We had several demonstrations in San Fra
by sasan (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 02:27 PM PSTncisco/Bay Area too. Thousands demonstrated in San Francisco during the last weekend. Several hundreds demonstrated in San Jose California. Most motorists showed their approval of the demonstrations by honking or waving. We feel the pain of people in Gaza and we suffer with them. More protests are planned here: //answer.pephost.org/site/News2/1762433751?ab...
to: ramintork
by Anonymousa (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 02:19 PM PSTRamin jan,
wait till the next terror attack on UK. Then I will see how many of these people will come out to protest. People get excited so easily, no prespective on life.
Forget the politics think about the Human suffering
by ramintork on Mon Jan 05, 2009 02:04 PM PSTFor once it would have been nice for our dear critical fellow countrymen to put aside the historical-politics background and simply object to the huge bombs that are being dropped that rise five stories high and are killing unarmed civilians.
This demonstration shows the spirit that is very much alive in UK and although I was not in this particular demonstration, by past expereince I can say that people from all walks of life join in because they have an interest in humanitarian issues, and if by wanting change you standup and shout for it and are branded a lefty then so be it. Better be a lefty than a heartless moron!
Is it that difficult to see people as people and not as arabs or Israelis.
I understand that Hamas is to blame for dropping rockets on civilians and that should also be stopped but this is no way to punish an entire population.
Let the first people who did not ever put in a lousy Govenment (Hamas) in power cast the first cyber stone!
Today as one of those serendipous occasions I came across a BBC article on the retrial of Shylock by seven senior lawyers.
Shylock was insulted by Antonio and given the occasion he wants revenge. You can have sympathy for his anger but in the play the Venetian court has enough sense to stop his malice costing a life but in today's politics there is no one to stop the blood being poured for that owed pound of flesh. There is also a lesson to be learnt for horburing hate and insult on both sides.
Read for yourself, given the circumstances in Gaza the story is somehow poetically relevent today and you might also learn something:-
//news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7811000/7811188.stm
Finally before you say it, yes Londoners do also getup and shout for other issues other than the Palestinian-Israili conflict. The South African embassy had a permenant picket until the aparthite was abolished. I can give many examples but I think the point is made.
The Metaphore of Water Fall: March Toward Material Equality
by Dr. A. Hassan Danesh (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 01:10 PM PSTIt goes without saying that as long as the two countries stay so unequal in their access to wealth and resources the region will always burn in blood bath unntil eternity and without end--
Dear don't get excited too much about the scenes of devastation you see on TV and on internet... for there are plenty of it will be coming without end generation after generation one bloodier than the next just like an eternal long waterfall as the metaphore for disparity...
--it is never gonna end and there gonna be never a peace of mind--rest assure!
dear ghalam-doon
by Anonymousa (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 08:43 AM PSTI wish that there were no wars at all, so ALL of us could live in peace and harmony, but alas, there is another plan is in place.
I think Israel is alot more desperate to have peace than Hamas. Also I wish that Hamas and Palestinians were left alone (By Iran) so they can decide their own destiny. I believe Iranian government will fight Israel till the last Palestinian standing. At then end it is the Palestinians who will pay dearly, not the puppet-masters.
To Anonymousa
by ghalam-doon on Mon Jan 05, 2009 08:35 AM PSTWe can’t ignore the history and just look at what is happening right now at this very moment.
They put people in impossible situations and they sow the seeds of hatred. The old principle of “divide and conquer” advocated by the British and now promoted by the US still works. The result: People start killing each other, but they never forget the original aggressor.It happened in both Iraq and Palestine.
not 'nuff said'
by Anonymousa (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 07:05 AM PSTSorry I meant to add this, I am not supporting action of Israel by any means, but on a closer look it seems that muslim killing muslims is ok, every week in Iraq 50-100 people are killed either by Shite or Sunni folks. Hamas when took over Gaza killed so many Fatha people and so brutally, but in any of these cases no one is saying a boo. But as soon as another party gets involved everyone cries wolf. I think what we say is that Muslim killing each other is Kosher, muslim killing non-mulsim people are Kosher too, but other than that "Can't touch this"
now 'nuff said'
to: Ghalam-doon
by Anonymousa (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 06:30 AM PSTYour post reminds me of what is happening in our own Iran. Untill there is injustice in the world, one group will be doing the Wrong, and the other will be the "Wronged ones".
I wonder what would have happened if the Palestinians had the same power that Israel has now.
'nuff said'
In the last picture you see
by NewYorker (not verified) on Mon Jan 05, 2009 05:55 AM PSTIn the last picture you see the 'London Eye' watching... I wonder if the world is also really watching too?
"YOU TAKE MY WATER. BURM MY OLIVE TREES. DESTROY MY HOUSE. TAKE MY JOB. STEAL MY LAND. IMPRISON MY FATHER. KILL MY MOTHER. BOMB MY COUNTRY. STARVE US ALL. HUMILATE US ALL
BUT I am to blame: I shot a rocket back
What ghalam-doon said in the previous comment is so true.
Great Pictures!
by ghalam-doon on Mon Jan 05, 2009 05:00 AM PSTAnd great signs:
"YOU TAKE MY WATER. BURM MY OLIVE TREES. DESTROY MY HOUSE. TAKE MY JOB. STEAL MY LAND. IMPRISON MY FATHER. KILL MY MOTHER. BOMB MY COUNTRY. STARVE US ALL. HUMILATE US ALL
BUT I am to blame: I shot a rocket back"
'nuff said.
Thank You London
by Q on Mon Jan 05, 2009 02:11 AM PSTwe are with you!
Yek Mosht Beekar
by Babak Rezaei (not verified) on Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:03 PM PSTLeftist/die hard liberals/communist losers marching with Islamist. What a great match.