# Gaza 'Supporters' Protest in Sydney - Gallery of Pics



## 1feral1 (3 Jun 2010)

One would get the impression these pics are somewhere in the middle east. 

http://www.news.com.au/pictures/gallery-e6frflv9-1225874177328?page=1

They are not.

Personally I find these photos very confronting.

I am truly happy to hav left Sydney.

OWDU


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## FastEddy (3 Jun 2010)

Overwatch Downunder said:
			
		

> One would get the impression these pics are somewhere in the middle east.
> 
> http://www.news.com.au/pictures/gallery-e6frflv9-1225874177328?page=1
> 
> ...




When you allow infestation to go unchecked there can be only one outcome.

One can only crack open a cold one and Thank God we won't be around to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktJNNKm3B0&feature=related

Cheers Mate.


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## Fishbone Jones (3 Jun 2010)

So, was the protest peaceful? Did they break any laws? Were they lawfully exercising their right to congregate?

Fast Eddy,

Your post doesn't even make sense unless you are insinuating that we'll be fighting the Turks again.

I find both your posts rife with xenophobia and bordering on latent racism.


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## Edward Campbell (3 Jun 2010)

The bulk of the demonstrators appear to be Middle Eastern ethnicity and, therefore, the majority are, probably, Muslim. It is not surprising, to me anyway, that many, many people, all over the world, who sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians and with the travails of Muslims take to the street to vent their frustrations.

The Middle East is not "enemy territory;" Islam is not our "enemy." Neither is *friendly*, _per se_, but they are not enemies. The "enemy" - and there is one - are those who try to exploit the situation in the Middle East and Islam, itself, to attack us. There is a difference, maybe too subtle for some, between the *real* enemy and the people who are demonstrating. 

The people in the pictures appear, to me, to be engaging in a time honoured Western, liberal democratic process: expressing their views in public, aiming to influence their government's policies. They are, in other words, doing exactly what we ask new Canadians or new Australians to do: act like us.

Each of us has his own views on what was tried in Gaza and what was, or was not, accomplished. So do the people in the demonstration. Are they to be denied their right to peaceful protest just because of their ethnicity or religion? Not in any civilized country!


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## Fishbone Jones (3 Jun 2010)

Thanks ER. Same point, just much more eloquent, as usual.


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## DexOlesa (3 Jun 2010)

Yeah, gotta say while I do not agree with their cause, they are protesting peacefully. There is no flag burnings or weapons. They do not appear to be out of control. So let them protest. I just do what I do to all legal and lawful protests, ignore them.


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## TN2IC (3 Jun 2010)

When I read the topic, I somehow figure it was a bunch of Capers protesting. LMAO!


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## jollyjacktar (3 Jun 2010)

Nah, did not see any rubber boots being worn...


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## GAP (3 Jun 2010)

Gee, his view must have been blocked that he couldn't see all those guys with the clubs and such that are shown in the video, but, Hey......

Inside the flotilla attack
Farooq Burney, Canadian director of Al Fakhoora, tells the Globe’s Patrick Martin what it was like on one of the vessels boarded Monday by Israeli commandos
Article Link

Patrick Martin

Globe and Mail Update Published on Thursday, Jun. 03, 2010 6:34AM EDT Last updated on Thursday, Jun. 03, 2010 10:37AM EDT

Farooq Burney, the Canadian director of Al Fakhoora, a Qatar-based charity for fostering education in Gaza, was among the passengers on board the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish boat boarded by Israeli commandos early Monday morning.

Mr. Burney, 37, was reached in Istanbul by The Globe and Mail’s Middle East correspondent, Patrick Martin, just before boarding a flight to Qatar.

Mr. Burney, where were you when the Israelis arrived, and what did you see?

I was on the main deck when the assault began.

Basically, we had just finished the morning prayer, when we saw two Israeli boats approach the ship. It was almost as if they had waited until we finished the prayer.

We knew something was going to happen because the Israelis had radioed our ship’s captain about four hours before to ask where we were going and so on.

We were expecting something to happen as a result of that, and certain people stayed up, while others went to sleep.

Did you stay up?

No, I went to sleep, but got up at 3:30. The attack began happening at about 4:10.

The first thing that happened was that someone on the Israeli boats threw gas bombs or something from the boats onto our deck. There was a very loud bang, a huge bang, and a lot of smoke. Some of the women started screaming when they heard the bang.

At that point, some people began spraying the Israelis with water, from fire hoses. 

Had they gotten them ready before the attack?

Yes, they got them ready before.

As this was going on, a helicopter approached, and people knew they were going to try to take over the ship. Lots of people then tried to stand around the captain [on the bridge] to stand in their way.

I was not directly under the helicopter, but I could see things quite clearly: First one commando, then another descended.

People rushed the first commando and they overpowered him.

How? Did they use wooden clubs or metal rods or anything?

No, it was just basically hand-to-hand combat. You have to realize there were about 25 or 30 people fighting with this guy, and they overpowered him and disarmed him. Then they threw him onto the deck below.

And they didn’t use any weapons at all when they were doing this?

No, none at all.

What happened to the second commando?

They overpowered him too; also just with hand-hand fighting.

Did they throw him off the deck as well?

No, they locked him up in a room.

Then, at that point, a second helicopter came and tried to lower commandos onto the deck. But there were too many people on the deck by this time and they [the commandos] couldn’t do it. So it left.

Then, a third helicopter came...

How long after the second helicopter?

About two or three minutes later.

And that’s when they opened fire.

Who opened fire?

The Israelis.

And then bullets were flying everywhere. There were these sounds crack – crack – crack.\

Multiple or single shots?

Multiple shots.

At this point, more commandos came on board.

Where from?

From helicopters...  
end


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## 1feral1 (3 Jun 2010)

recceguy said:
			
		

> So, was the protest peaceful? Did they break any laws? Were they lawfully exercising their right to congregate?



Yes we live in a democracy. Peaceful or not, like I said, I found the pics confronting, considering their open support for Hamas etc. We all know what has gone on in Palestine in even recent times. Mothers approving of their children to grow up to be suicide bombers, etc.  Sick!

In very recent times, Australian secuirty forces have on several occasions stopped terrorism acts before they happened, the most recent an organised attack against the Holsworthy Army Base.

Seeing the same scarfs worn in the same fashion (faces covered) as terrorists on 'arab' youth with anger in their faces in my own country does alarm me.  

You don't live here, and don't experience what goes on, so I don't expect you and others to comprehend what its like here. I just don't agree, and I don't like seeing images which are all too often accompanied by AKs and the typical crap we see all too often on the news, or experienced first hand. 

I'd sure like to know what some of those flags say in transilation.

This time it was peaceful, another time not so long ago, they went on a rampage in Sydney, causing over $1,000,000 in damages to businesses. 

EDITed for clarity
Regards,

OWDU


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## Fishbone Jones (3 Jun 2010)

OWDU,

Sorry mate, they protest in Canada too, flags and all. There is no difference when it comes to that. I understand quite well.

Cheers.


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## 1feral1 (3 Jun 2010)

Thanks RG, your words go a long way.

Plus seeing 'them' in bulk does bring back certain memories when I was 'over there', and I don't like that one single bit either.

As wierd as it seems, its like an Allied WWII Vet seeing WWII uniformed Germans, flying a Nazi flag, gathering to protest in his own town.

Cheers,

Wes


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