the organisers tried to make it an apolitical event, which was a nice try, but it didnt get too out of hand. there were banners from all over the spectrum, from 'Peace comes hand in hand with leaving the territories' to 'Jihad has claimed lives of Jews, Kurds, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Hindus... Who's next?'. The speakers, likewise, came from a range of backgrounds, from the bishop of oxford, who claimed that although he supported the people of israel, it must be understood that suicide bombing is an act of desperation, to Bibi Netanyahu, who said that Arafat could never be a partner in peace. Ehud Barak was scheduled to talk, but had to pull out at the last minute. Most of the speakers and banners and attendents were for peace and palestinian independence though, its not fair to only concentrate on the few who weren't.
And although I respect the pro-palestinian rally's right to express themselves, it was a bit selfish when they started screaming while we held a minute's silence for the victims of the intifada. We showed we care, it would be nice to see them do the same.

It pathetic anti-semitic loosers like henry that bring down the whole level of debate reguarding the problems in the Middle East.

The Palestinian demo was a disgrace today, but the only damage done was to their cause. The supporters of Hamas and Hizbullah were there in full view spewing their hate and intolerance which the politicians, security services and media were there to witness. You dont have to be a genius to compare the different agenda's and atmospheres of the two rallies to see one people want peace and the other wants terror,death and destruction. Anyone who really wants justice and peace for the Palestinians must speak out and not let the cause be hijacked by extremist bigots.

fascism can't defeat facism..Israel was created not in the interests of working class people,( as is the case for all states) but may never of got our attention were it not for the genocide directed against jews in europe for hundreds of years but peaking in central and eastern europe in the 20thc. and with the Final Solution of Hitler when millions of Jews were murdered..whole populations of Poland Holland were killed...this episode in our recent history should be burnt into our minds as much as slavery, the millions of workers killed and malnourished to death over the centuries...yet the people who post about what is going on in palestine show little or no understanding of why isrealies are the way they are ...not the sharons and the Begins (who remember was a fascist himself in the 40's) but the ordinary israeli..being pro-palestinian means to the israeli someone who supports their being driven into the sea...their homes destroyed as in the ghettos and the pograms they were once in europe,(and as the arabs homes have ben demolished in Jenin and as in 1948). the palestian people have sufferred but as the israelis have been a pawn for the yanks so have the refugeess been a pawn for the Arab dictators...because of how they have sufferred does that really mean we support random bombinbgs of ordinary people..not military targets..by reactionary muslim fudamentalists..who think Mein Kampf is great!!?????..this is bollox..all nationalism is shite...when are we going to learn that all these either or's are the bollox the system feeds up to us to make us all powerless... there is no choice but to fight all nationalism all seperation all fascism only then will we begin to build a world where teenagers don,t blow up themselves and schoolchildren but live together...you say but what about NOW...yeah support anti IDF/Sha\ron stuff but fight bigotry and arseholes like Henry can F**k right off...there is no other way but more slaughter ..socialism(as in th anarchist kind!) or barbarism