"The only purpose of these endless marches is to intimidate British Jews" (part two) ***MNHQ has tweaked the title in order to make the quote more clear***

[stomachameleon]

Only the few apparently........these pictures are from todays March. Footage to follow..

The "Iranian man" (your quotes, did you not believe he is?) is a well-known Iranian called Niyak Ghorbani living in exile. Most Iranians in the Diaspora are indeed pro-Israel. I believe he's been duffed up a bit a couple of times at Pro Palestinian demos.

Since Hamas is by any stretch, including legally in this country, a terrorist organisation why would anyone object to his sign? Well, I think we know.

Incidentally Niyak was marched off by police and threatened with arrest if he put his sign back up! Yet people with all kinds of signs offensive to many were allowed to carry on.

https://twitter.com/RADOCLUB/status/1759180122970583488?t=vbBY90T20iKd3kf9ofk1Gg&s=19

This.

He condemns a terrorist organisation and gets marched off. Who can a sign condemning a terrorist organisation possibly offend, surely not the 'peace' marches , why would condemning hamas be a problem if they genuinely want peace. Strange.

Thank you for a reasoned voice.

I think that it is good for both 'sides' to be represented. Also for hostages to be kept in mind.
The two issues are not unrelated and might make people who feel alienated by the marches see them as protest for peace.
When all communities peacefully protest together that is a powerful thing..like the mothers for peace movement in Ireland.
There are more powerful players than UK in the middle east right now though.
I think America would like stability there, I'm not sure that serves Russia's purpose.
Nobody sensible wants disgruntled extremists disseminating hate.

Interestingly, the Jewish bloc were using 'From the river to the sea...' as a chant, which I wasn't sure about given its origins but I guess they are trying to reclaim it as there being options for Palestinians to live free without the destruction of Israel either?

Reclaiming it from who? Hamas?

Reclaiming it from people who want the eradication of Israel? But we know there are people at these marches who do want the eradication of Israel, including some Jews, (and vocally so).

So how do you know whether it is being used to call for the eradication of Israel or not?

Did the bloc chanting include the Neturai Karta? This young woman posted this below and was promptly schooled by a number of people about what the NK plan is for Palestinians when the Messiah arrives.

https://twitter.com/SalkhudhA/status/1758914429553430664?t=eMP_bCsC7OLpZe2AVIjA8w&s=19

And why are the ultra-orthodox out on the sabbath anyway? Perhaps they've given themselves special dispensation

I don't know, which is why I was uneasy about - but unsure or conflicted is not the same thing as scared or intimidated. I'm not claiming to have all the answers here - some people using the chant know its origins exactly and are chanting with intent, others just think it's a catchy slogan so I wouldn't support just arresting people simply for using it.

Thank you for this. I agree with so much of what you say.
I think the Palestinians have suffered far far too much.
Im glad your experience of the March was not one of intimidation.
I am very conflicted on this issue because the role Hamas has played in bringing about the current situation seems to be ignored.
Having said that - I agree that “two abominations do not make a right, do not make a future.”

Which is why there is a problem here.

On the one hand we have a poster blithely announcing that there were no antisemitic signs at the march while admitting the existence of signs (and there were lots of river to sea ones) that made another (Jewish) marcher uneasy.

The slogan is, by now, well known to be controversial and those continuing to march with it surely cannot be unaware of that fact.

So do they not care that it makes people uncomfortable because it is (definitely) associated with calling for the eradication of Israel, or is that exactly why they're carrying it?

@Offwiththecircus you seem to think there are no problems with carrying that sign - how do you square that with it making people feel uncomfortable marching? Do you have any issue with people calling for the eradication of Israel?

Jeremy Corbyn has posted a picture of himself at the march yesterday. Directly over his shoulder is a picture of a baby wrapped in the Israeli flag being fed a bottle of (Palestinian) blood by the Statue of Liberty.

I mean, I'm assuming that he at least looked at the photo before posting it? And didn't see a problem?

https://x.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1758892100655915275?s=61&t=U9XrcF693-JpMxeIueYG7g

He's the gift that keeps on giving isn't he?
Perhaps he'll have the picture on his merchandising.

Was the quality of the graphic good? Maybe it was a GCSE art project.

Ah, just seen it on a bigger screen, someone must be very proud of their artwork and they've managed to be offensive to France, America, Israel and a fair few of us Brits, obviously a real peacenik.
Whatever you say about Starmer and the splinters in his backside he shows better judgement than Corbyn.

I am happy that we live in a democratic country where we are allowed to peacefully protest and there is space for us to air our views.

I hope that everyone who held inappropriate signs and/or behaved inappropriately has been identified and spoken to, or if necessary further action has been taken? I am assuming this has happened. I am sorry that this minority are adding to the fear that Jewish people must be currently feeling.

I can understand why some people want the marches to stop, but I believe the marches are being dealt with in the right way, and that this balances the need for people to feel safe, with our right to free speech. I believe we will all be less safe if our voices are taken away from us. There must always in my opinion be space for us to respectfully disagree.

I think that Niyak Ghorbani was treated appallingly and did not deserve to be met with violence. I understand why people were so angry with him, because it seems comparative to having a man on the side of a march for women’s rights shouting about something he thinks is more important, and he must have known what response he would get, but of course this doesn’t legitimise the violent response.

Really interesting to hear a few peoples experiences from the day. From what I’ve read (even in my least favourite paper) it was mostly peaceful. Of course the bad behaviour will stand out, I wonder if the way in which the marches are being reported is adding to the fear that Jewish people are currently feeling? I haven’t been diligently reading lots of different UK papers so I wouldn’t know. In addition to the obviously very real rise in antisemitism which I am not trying to minimise. I am more asking this from the perspective of whether the reporting has been helpful? Have links to support organisations also been shared? Or information on how to report things? Are click bait or politically motivated headlines being written (like this one) without real consideration for the impact this will have on the reader?

I understand why people were so angry with him, because it seems comparative to having a man on the side of a march for women’s rights shouting about something he thinks is more important, and he must have known what response he would get, but of course this doesn’t legitimise the violent response.

What? There is no equivalence with your imaginary situation.

They claim to be marching for peace But only mention one side of the conflict and 99% of them never mention Hamas at all, much less that they are terrorists. There can be no peace unless Hamas lay down their arms too yet anyone such as Niyak who even mentions them gets abused.

@Echobelly Sorry but I have to ask this. Is the weekly chanting in support of the Houthis (who 'curse the Jews') OK with you? Calls for another Intifada? Placard after placard displaying Holocaust inversion? Is abuse and violence towards an Iranian dissident simply for calling Hamas terrorists, OK with you? (because these are literal Hamas supporters - you know, the terrorist organisation that see women like you and me as fair game for rape, torture and mutilation). Are you OK marching alongside protestors shouting about the so-called 'Jewish Lobby'? Is singing for the eradication of Israel just a 'catchy slogan' for you then? Is this - straight out the Nazi propaganda playbook - OK with you?

https://twitter.com/hurryupharry/status/1758869140033380768

And this is all happening (and more) despite what a PP claims - the receipts are all over social media, week in week out. I've seen and heard it for myself in central London. I genuinely don't understand how you can square this, and I’ve been pro-ceasefire for the entirety of this current conflict having spent decades being exasperated with the Israeli govt!

I'm not a visible target, but how do you think visibly religious Jews are navigating this? Many of them are justifiably very, very frightened, but as always we've get the 'oh look Jews are on the march so there can't be antisemitism' brigade. And it's this environment that's enabling antisemitism away from the protests.

Next you'll be telling us the current wave of antisemitism is just a 'discomfort' we need to put up with at the moment. Oh wait...

@PeasfullPerson Thank you for saying this, and actually believing there's inappropriate signs there (many don't). Although I don't agree with what you say about Ghorbani. I thought this was a protest calling for peace and a ceasefire and I keep being assured protestors are anti-Hamas!

No, I don't believe Jews are feeling scared because of the way it's being reported, I actually think they're glad it's being noticed and highlighted. I've seen the placards for myself on the tube on Saturday afternoons. I've sat in a carriage listening to protestors shouting about 'fucking Zionists'. It makes me feel really, really uncomfortable (at best) and I'm not even practising/visibly Jewish so I can only imagine how difficult it is for visibly religious Jews to navigate this. (Although I don't doubt for one minute the right wing press are loving the clickbait headlines and a certain political party are hijacking this to score political points).

The analogy is more apt for the actions of a TRA at a KJK meeting.

It's very telling that he was attacked by 'peace' marchers rather than just ignored. At least this time he was protected by a fence, last time he tried to join them and was assaulted for his stance.

There are people among the marchers who support hamas. If there are so few of them among the thousands why is it so difficult to challenge them?

My feeling is that good people don't want to believe what other people are capable of, who could have foreseen 9/11, 7/10, 7/7? Good people just don't think like that.

@etmoiandme

Well said 👍

i replied to this before but was lost in a computer crash.
There are varying interpretations of that phrase.
Enough to get you suspended from the Labour Party - Kier's "ever so changed" labour party as he is forever telling us? Who cares about that?
I am a natural labour voter but I think Kier is telling me I am not worthy of voting for him. So I may not.
As for his own position on this matter, like so many others, "the answer is blowing in the wind" as someone once sang. We'll have to see which way the wind is blowing this week. Sir Kier will doubtless be putting a wet finger up to the wind this wednesday. Where it is at the moment I wouldn't like to speculate.

He still shows better judgement than Corbyn.

I didn't know who he was until I read the BBC piece.
I'm sorry, on any reasonable interpretation of his statement, he was lying. Outrageously so. His reference to "another antisemitic hate parade through London" also makes it clear that he has history/that his comment was essentially pre-ordained.
The folk with the sign quite probably (well certainly) know more about him and his track record than me.
Highly offensive?
well diddums - it may have been deserved.
For on the basis of his statement about the march yesterday he is clearly to me a propagandist. A propagandist for slaughter.
Do you know where he was during the march? Where he was getting his "information" from?
Meanwhile there has been another demo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-68331272

Has he issued any statements on that?

Lots of people arrested?
again, look at the figures.
Look at the size of the march.
And it is important to remember that, as has been pointed out upthread, we are a democracy. Arrested is not charged yet alone brought before a court yet alone found guilty. You will note that many of the reports say "arrested on suspicion of ...."
How many folk do you think were "arrested on suspicion of" on Saturday, in the UK, in London?

As for the start of the march timing, I am not aware of any evidence that the march broke any rules, despite some folk trying to stir things up by saying that it had. In short lying. Might I ask where you got your information from?

The BBC you will note reported.

"Police restricted the start time of the march to ensure an event taking place at a synagogue would finish prior to the protest passing by the building.

The march set off along Park Lane around 13:30 GMT, and made its way along Knightsbridge and Kensington Road to near the Israeli embassy in Kensington, where speeches were taking place."

end quote

So no reports there of the marchers going against the wishes of the police who were clearly trying to avoid conflict. No reports of the march breaking through police lines.

Yes the notice for the march originally said "ASSEMBLE" at Marble Arch/Hyde Park at 12 noon - it didn't say when it planned to leave - for understandable reasons.

I had decided to go on the march a week or so ago so checked the details now and then. And found that late last week this was changed to ASSEMBLE at 12.30.

Maybe being a lazy sod and because of transport I decided to arrive after what I thought, on the basis of the 12.30, would be the start of the march. I arrived at Hyde Park Corner, a short march/stroll/skip and jump from Marble Arch, at sometime just after 1:30 and the very front of the march had only just reached there.

Which to me says that the police request, as per the BBC report, was complied with.

I am not an expert on London's synagogues, so where was this synagogue there was the concern about? Had the folks from it indeed left before the march passed it?

I haven't read about any problems.

Of course propagandists may have access to different information sources.

Thank you for your post @Echobelly .
You were clearly amidst/very probably know some of the jewish folk carrying some of the signs I observed/listed.
You referred to the jewish bloc - I did have the impression that folks proclaiming themselves as jewish were sort of gathered together but didn't at the time realise that there was a bloc as such. Maybe boring question - did these folk ask to be put together or did the organisers request it? For impact? For safety reasons of some sort?
Thanks again for your report and to you and your "bloc"

I'm sorry, on any reasonable interpretation of his statement, he was lying. Outrageously so. His reference to "anotherantisemitic hate parade through London" also makes it clear that he has history/that his comment was essentially pre-ordained.
The folk with the sign quite probably (well certainly) know more about him and his track record than me.
Highly offensive?
well diddums - it may have been deserved.

Eylon Levy is currently an Israeli spokesperson doing his job, I fail to see how this justifies making the highly offensive comparison to Goebbels. It is anti-Semitic and you have just made apologies for that, as well as completely underplaying the justifiable alarm those attending the synogogue will have felt.

If you wish to speak about propogandists, I'd say your post utterly denying any wrongdoing by a single marcher is a good example.

I suppose they could have just written something like Eylon Levy supports the slaughter of Palestinian children, which still gets the point across, but removes the holocaust reference.
I would definitely class Eylon Levy as a propagandist, I find his sweeping and inaccurate statements which seek to demonise those who don’t agree with the action taken by the Israeli government incredibly offensive. I cringe inside when I hear someone parrot one of his lines. He shows no empathy for what he would class as the other side and seems to be enjoying himself too much.
It’s annoying when people attend these marches with inappropriate placards that people like him can then use as an excuse to try and tarnish everybody there.

@SomeCatFromJapan well said.