Al Quds Demonstration in London
Yesterday was the London march for Al Quds day financed and organised by the government of Iran with the assistance of Hezbollah and Hizb ut tahrir. March for England and a group of valiant Iranian exiles have counter demonstrated against this for some years, joined this year and last by Casuals United and members of the EDL, prominent among whom were the Jewish Division and the LGTG division. As usual with a March for England event the marshalling was very effective and the atmosphere good humoured.
The message of the Iranian exiles was that if the government of Iran treats its own people with such brutality how can they hope to liberate anybody else.
This year the march was to take a different route. It formed as usual at marble Arch and went down park Lane but instead of continuing down Piccadilly to end with speeches in, or near Trafalgar Square this year it doubled back on itself and into Grosvenor Square for a rally outside the American Embassy.
It was supposed to move off at 2pm and MfE and the other groups (see photo above) gathered in the spot allocated by the police in front of the Hilton Hotel from 1.30. More joined later coming from places as far apart as Wiltshire, Lancashire and Wales. I can report that the ladies cloakroom of the Hilton is excellently appointed. I went up to Marble Arch to see what was happening. Demonstrators, including some clerical looking types with an air of authority, were still nonchalantly arriving after 3pm. eventually the police stopped one lane of traffic for them and they moved off.
I caught part of their pep talk before they moved. It went something like “Remember brothers, in America they are siting round the table thinking up more ways they can kill our brothers and sisters.... this is our platform to show them... keep in columns of four, for your own safety and security, but spread along the length as much as you want. Remember we will be facing some dangerous Zionists and Fascists later".
The police allowed me to stand up some steps above and to the side of the counter demonstration. The photographs below speak for themselves. I have video clips which I will put on YouTube later, and more photographs which I will put on Flickr.
In the above photograph you can see the stele of the memorial to the victims of the 7th July London bombs. After the march crossed Park Lane I followed it (with others) in the direction of the US embassy. The Iranians (a mixed group including young women and a young Jewish man) had tackled the march again with their Free Iran flag. The police and the Marshals were holding back angry, ugly marchers who were enraged by this show of independent thinking and action. They next quickly made their way down some back streets and caught the march again further on. I have some video of their efforts and I have great admiration for them. The hatred of the marchers towards this small group was visceral and even more virulent than their contempt for MfE and the EDL and quite disturbing.
The march entered Grosvenor Square and formed up outside the US Embassy. Those members of the EDL who had made their way were penned by the police over the far side of the square, behind hedges and out of sight of the speeches and demonstration and were not allowed to leave.
The rally began with a chant in Arabic which I thought might have been evening prayer but wasn’t. Speeches began. I took a few notes of things which caught my ear.
Zionism will not triumph in your bosom. The Zionists days are numbered.
We would like to welcome Sister Yvonne Ridley back to Al Quds, you all know her.
The highlight of her rant – The British Government fails to keep a register of Israelis in the UK. We know there are at least a dozen Israeli reservists in the Metropolitan Police; these racist scum must be rooted out.
I don’t think so, ducky. It was news to the copper standing behind me as well.
The next speaker called on his brothers and sisters – "See the ones who are against you, the EDL, the JDL, Zionists and those (something) who oppose the Iranian Government. These who join against us must beware".
The army of Egypt is not the army of Egypt, The army of Iraq is not the army of Iraq, The army of Syria is not the army of Syria, these armies are Muslim armies. Make da’wa to our brothers and sisters . . . the Muslim army will deny the US and 10 Downing Street . . . must defeat Israel.
Will we die to liberate Palestine? YES, YES, YES, screamed the crowd.
We are at the US Embassy because they are the biggest supporter of Israel. This is the platform for their aggression.
We must join the boycott of Israeli goods. Brothers, how many of you have Nokia phones? By this time next year you will not!
I can't see that one happening somehow. Making their mothers and wives avoid Israeli dates for the fast breaking is one thing, doing without the latest status gadget is a different matter.
When the small boy was brought on the podium to sing, and then encouraged the crowd to join in (it is true there is no music in Islam) I decided I could live without hearing George Galloway, who was scheduled to speak and so I left.
I conclude with a final comment from Potkin Azarmehr. It is very wrong for the British Government to allow members of the Iranian Intelligence Agency onto the streets of London photographing members of the British Public for their own purposes.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/29477
Yesterday was the London march for Al Quds day financed and organised by the government of Iran with the assistance of Hezbollah and Hizb ut tahrir. March for England and a group of valiant Iranian exiles have counter demonstrated against this for some years, joined this year and last by Casuals United and members of the EDL, prominent among whom were the Jewish Division and the LGTG division. As usual with a March for England event the marshalling was very effective and the atmosphere good humoured.
The message of the Iranian exiles was that if the government of Iran treats its own people with such brutality how can they hope to liberate anybody else.
This year the march was to take a different route. It formed as usual at marble Arch and went down park Lane but instead of continuing down Piccadilly to end with speeches in, or near Trafalgar Square this year it doubled back on itself and into Grosvenor Square for a rally outside the American Embassy.
It was supposed to move off at 2pm and MfE and the other groups (see photo above) gathered in the spot allocated by the police in front of the Hilton Hotel from 1.30. More joined later coming from places as far apart as Wiltshire, Lancashire and Wales. I can report that the ladies cloakroom of the Hilton is excellently appointed. I went up to Marble Arch to see what was happening. Demonstrators, including some clerical looking types with an air of authority, were still nonchalantly arriving after 3pm. eventually the police stopped one lane of traffic for them and they moved off.
I caught part of their pep talk before they moved. It went something like “Remember brothers, in America they are siting round the table thinking up more ways they can kill our brothers and sisters.... this is our platform to show them... keep in columns of four, for your own safety and security, but spread along the length as much as you want. Remember we will be facing some dangerous Zionists and Fascists later".
The police allowed me to stand up some steps above and to the side of the counter demonstration. The photographs below speak for themselves. I have video clips which I will put on YouTube later, and more photographs which I will put on Flickr.
In the above photograph you can see the stele of the memorial to the victims of the 7th July London bombs. After the march crossed Park Lane I followed it (with others) in the direction of the US embassy. The Iranians (a mixed group including young women and a young Jewish man) had tackled the march again with their Free Iran flag. The police and the Marshals were holding back angry, ugly marchers who were enraged by this show of independent thinking and action. They next quickly made their way down some back streets and caught the march again further on. I have some video of their efforts and I have great admiration for them. The hatred of the marchers towards this small group was visceral and even more virulent than their contempt for MfE and the EDL and quite disturbing.
The march entered Grosvenor Square and formed up outside the US Embassy. Those members of the EDL who had made their way were penned by the police over the far side of the square, behind hedges and out of sight of the speeches and demonstration and were not allowed to leave.
The rally began with a chant in Arabic which I thought might have been evening prayer but wasn’t. Speeches began. I took a few notes of things which caught my ear.
Zionism will not triumph in your bosom. The Zionists days are numbered.
We would like to welcome Sister Yvonne Ridley back to Al Quds, you all know her.
The highlight of her rant – The British Government fails to keep a register of Israelis in the UK. We know there are at least a dozen Israeli reservists in the Metropolitan Police; these racist scum must be rooted out.
I don’t think so, ducky. It was news to the copper standing behind me as well.
The next speaker called on his brothers and sisters – "See the ones who are against you, the EDL, the JDL, Zionists and those (something) who oppose the Iranian Government. These who join against us must beware".
The army of Egypt is not the army of Egypt, The army of Iraq is not the army of Iraq, The army of Syria is not the army of Syria, these armies are Muslim armies. Make da’wa to our brothers and sisters . . . the Muslim army will deny the US and 10 Downing Street . . . must defeat Israel.
Will we die to liberate Palestine? YES, YES, YES, screamed the crowd.
We are at the US Embassy because they are the biggest supporter of Israel. This is the platform for their aggression.
We must join the boycott of Israeli goods. Brothers, how many of you have Nokia phones? By this time next year you will not!
I can't see that one happening somehow. Making their mothers and wives avoid Israeli dates for the fast breaking is one thing, doing without the latest status gadget is a different matter.
When the small boy was brought on the podium to sing, and then encouraged the crowd to join in (it is true there is no music in Islam) I decided I could live without hearing George Galloway, who was scheduled to speak and so I left.
I conclude with a final comment from Potkin Azarmehr. It is very wrong for the British Government to allow members of the Iranian Intelligence Agency onto the streets of London photographing members of the British Public for their own purposes.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/29477
