Shocked by the racist signs at marches

[Pigeotto]

Maybe I’m just severely naive but I’m honestly just shocked at the levels of racism of some of the signs at these marches. It’s just caught me really, really off guard.

That's a shame - I haven't seen any :(

What sort of thing did they say?

They (the sign holders) think they are untouchable.

They feel free to advertise their anti-Jewish beliefs and think they are among like minded people.

And if they don't get pulled up by other marchers or arrested, their beliefs are validated.

You're severely naive.... There are tons of racist, homophobic, anti semetic, Islamophobic, misogynistic, pretty horrible intolerant people everywhere. Not sure where you've been hiding.
Thankfully there are laws to deal with it and hopefully those identified holding the signs will be convicted. Don't think many people realise how damaging a criminal record is.

Why are you shocked? Just reading the threads here should tell you how many deluded idiots stand shoulder to shoulder with Hamas and their tolerant, peaceful regime.

Just a couple of days ago, I saw an interview with two, white, 20-odd year old women who seemed to think that Israel just attacked Gaza in mid-October for no reason. When asked about October 7th, they didn't have a clue about what happened, until they checked their phones. Cue awkward looks and mumbles and a quick departure.

What did the signs say, OP?

@Pigeotto
Hi OP, what marches did you go to and what signs did you see?

As a white middle class person whose father is Syrian and who grew up in the Middle East, I'm not sure the above statement applies to me.

Life in a free Palestine would at the very least (one presumes) have more water and direct roads available.

Well, I haven't been on any marches, but I watch the news. And it is obvious that amongst the well informed, measured people calling for a cease fire, there are ignorant, offensive, racist people. Who should be denounced and arrested. That's what happens when there is freedom to protest. Not sure how you missed that.

I was totally horrified to hear people brazenly shouting 'kill the Jews' on last nights news of the marches. What is wrong with these people?

CurlewKate has it spot on I think. I have been on the past 2 marches and the vast majority of signs, chants etc were peaceful. There will have been antisemitic/vicious people there, because any large gathering of humans inevitably will have some of those. But the vast, overwhelming majority just want the Palestinians to not be punished any more.

I don't think that was on the actual march, was it? I saw something at a train station where a woman shouted that, though. Vile. I hope she is arrested. The police are looking for her.

Pretty racist statement there imo. Going back to colonial talk where everyone in the West saw themselves as civilised in comparison to everywhere else. Yes you can talk about equal rights, women's rights and so on but that isn't what you said. I assume free Palestine means free to have some agency over their own lives, free to leave, free to travel, free to have a passport, free from death, hunger, trauma

And some people can't seem to grasp what life is like under Israels oppressive occupation but we all have our blindspots .

Yeah, much better for the Palestinians to live in an open air prison. Israel is actually doing them a massive favour.

I always knew that sections of the left-wing (up until a few weeks ago I would have described myself as broadly left-wing) were strangely sympathetic to Islamofascism but, reading about all this, I've encountered the global intifada lot and am astounded by the naivety and craziness of it. They seem to think that by backing Islamofascism they will be bringing about a socialist utopia, and not a worldwide Iran or, worse, worldwide ISIS. They've even got the Iranian Revolution as an example of how these people treat socialism. When jihadis tell them that they want the entire world to convert or die, they seem to believe, 'Oh, but they don't really mean convert or die.' They're suicidal.

i grew up in a Northern mill town, full of South Asians and for whatever reason I still don’t know why I didn’t quite pick up the accent and used to get called a coconut all the time. At the time it felt offensive but as it was other Asian kids calling me it I didn’t realise it was racist?

And I’m Asian!

Who are "they"
Left wing? Because life is that black and white. There are extreme thoughts and opinions on all sides and none but you seemed to have lumped all left leaning thinkers into one extreme group. Think you need to be more specific about exactly who you're talking about. The last few comments seem to be slipping into islamaphobia

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/15/women-male-guardian-hamas-gaza-strip

Palestine gets an awful lot of aid money (30% ish of their gdp) that they could use to sort out roads and hospitals.

They do use a large portion of it to pay salaries/pensions to the family of anyone who commits a suicide attack or kills an Israeli and themselves dies/is imprisoned. In 2016 the Palestinian authority was paying out around $300 million a year. Hamas also separately pays out, a large lump sump for the initial killing then a monthly stipend to family members. This amount is more than the average wage. For example, the family of Mohammed Tarayreh is eligible for payments from the martyrs fund. He stabbed a 13 year old girl to death in her bed. This is strongly financially rewarded.

I don't think Hamas/Palestinian authority is focusing it's budget on any type of living improvement for the Palestinian people as a whole population.

Yes I agree.

Protests always attract a few people who want to cause trouble. You are naive to think that nobody would use a pro Palestine march to display antisemitism and violence.

Ordinary Palestinians are oppressed by Hamas and the Israeli government. Being free of oppression from a foreign state won't free Palestinians from oppression full stop but it will give them clarity and agency to determine their own future.