A Protest for Gaza in my town: Kristianstad, Sweden
Posted by: Nizar on: January 11, 2009
The demonstration took place yesterday morning the 10th of January mid town in front of the shopping center Domus, the demonstration started in a nice modern civilized manner until the demonstrators started burning an Israeli flag.
I am happy that I didn’t take part in the demonstration, I find it a very un-effective method of sending a message or proving a point specially that it usually ends up in a very uncivilized manner, like shouting for bloody revenge, burning flags and rioting with the police, which all leads to bringing attention to their uncivilized behavior instead of the issue they are trying to address.
Photos by Ronnie Smith source: kristianstadsbladet.se
18 Responses to "A Protest for Gaza in my town: Kristianstad, Sweden"
January 11, 2009 at 4:51 pm
The flag burning thing was uncool and unfortunately someone has to do something stupid at our events.
However protests are effective and have their purposes when it comes to promoting awareness especially in Western countries. It makes people want to look and wonder what we’re so angry about. It brings local media attention on the issue, it incites discussions.
January 11, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Chicka: I doubt that they will ever understand that.
Asoom: true, protests are effective at drawing attention, not more nor less, they aren’t a proper or effective method to express an opinion.
If I happen to see a bunch of angry people rioting, shouting and causing traffic jams, I highly doubt that I would ever think ” Hay, these people’s anger and frustration has convinced me that they are right!”.
The Gaza crisis already has the attention of the world wide media, they better do something else that is realistically effective and helpful.
January 11, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Nizar, you’re right seeing such an emotionally charged gathering usually doesn’tmake one think ” Hay, these people’s anger and frustration has convinced me that they are right” as you quoted..but it will at least make someone say “hey what’s going on here? what’s all this about?” and that one step starts making major differences! Not only that, but it forces the local politicians who rely on votes and support from their local residents to pay attention.
January 11, 2009 at 6:15 pm
But aren’t we a long way past that step?
Now that we have people’s attention let us express our points of view, explain to them our approach to the situation, reason our behaviors, base our conclusions on evidence and convince them with examples.
I think that this is the real meaning of ”making your voice heard”, it is not about standing in groups in busy areas and just shout ignorantly for hours.
January 12, 2009 at 5:06 am
I don’t know how anyone can claim that Demonstrations are ineffective in doing anything, where have you been living Nizar? Mars?
Demonstrations are a form of protest that is known to carry a lot of political punch as it sends MANY messages. First is a message of Protest, and the second one is solidarity and support. But the most effective is the message it delivers to representatives and policy makers. It’s a form of practicing freedom of speech, freedom of expression and democracy.
If you didn’t know, demonstrations brought down empires, ended occupation, and caused many corrupt offecials to resign. In fact, it was demonstrations that eventually killed Islamic Khalifa Othman bin Affan, 1400 years ago..
Read some history Nizar.
January 12, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Throughout history there has been some successful demonstrations, but that doesn’t mean that demonstrations are an effective method of sending a message.
Specially if you look at how Arabs demonstrate these days, they usually end in a very uncivilized manner and thus they do more harm than good.
Take a look at this short video of demonstration for Gaza in Denmark:
http://se.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUzAk1nXy4
What good are these people doing, they are just showing that Arabs and Muslims are angry ignorant people that want nothing but revenge.
They haven’t proven a single point or made any good by demonstrating in this way, I bet no rational person will be convinced that they are right by their stupid behavior.
January 12, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I don’t know what you’re smoking … but please send me some!
Man, even the most violent of demonstrations have sent very strong and loud messages.
Look, I’m not going to argue with you on the viability of demonstrations. This is a fact that you need to just accept. It’s undisputable. Demonstrations work, and they work EXTREMELY well. In fact, on any single day driving by streets of the US, you will see people demonstration. EVERY DAY and EVERYDAY they draw attention to their cause AND have results
You’re free of course to continue to believe that they don’t. But that would only be you!
As for violence in Demonstrations, that also doesn’t mean that the message didn’t get across. It also doesn’t mean that people take specific positions towards these demonstrators. In fact, in many cases (like here in Seattle against the WTO) the violence ended up causing all WTO to NEVER have conventions here again.
Anyway, Violence is not exclusive to Arabs. In fact what is happening to Gaza proves that Arabs recive violence more than they emit!
January 13, 2009 at 9:09 am
I think that we have a different understanding for what being effective is.
Take the most hated family in the US, they have been demonstrating daily for the past 10 years, they for sure got the attention of the people and the media, but has anybody joined their church or organisation? Have they managed to convince anybodx? I highly doubt that, and that is why i find their demonstrations uneffective.
The same thing goes to these demonstrators.
If you mean by effective is to cause a scene and draw attention to themselvs then you are right, if you mean that their actions create a realistic positive impact then you are wrong.
January 13, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Being effective requires that you add enough critical mass behind your demonstrations
A peace loving person. Martin Luther King Jr, got the black people of America their rights by nothing more than Demonstrations
Nizar, Demonstrations are effective and a peaceful way to make demands or reject any form of injustice, there is no debate here. It has been proven over, and over, and over. It’s one form of activism that doesn’t require killing or rioting, it belongs to the same peaceful resistance similar to Strikes, Boycotts and rallies. They are very effective. Just ask anyone in a Union and they will immediate tell you that without them, they wouldn’t have received any rights
Now does this mean that they ALWAYS work? Man, nothing ALWAYS works.
January 13, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Just a note, it is not the demonstration that has helped them get their rights, it’s his speech!
Their demonstration brought the attention to his speech, his speech has done the convincing and brought hope to the people.
January 13, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Let’s say he gave his speech to his family. Would anyone have paid attention?
Every day, millions (literally) of articles and speeches are given. Nobody gives a damn about them. Although they do change the world in a peaceful manner, having people listen and react to these speeches is what demonstrations are all about
And Nizar, it’s a shame to put the whole struggle of the Black people and their fate on the Speech. It was but one thing in the long history of struggle and activist sacrifices that finally got them their rights, not [just] the “speech”…
January 13, 2009 at 7:51 pm
It wouldn’t have been as effective, the demonstrations provided his speech with the attention, I don’t deny that, but in this situation we already have the attention so lets use it.
Let us do the convincing talking now, let us share our thoughts and opinions, make our ‘voices heard’.
I didn’t mean it that way, what I mean was that the speech itself was a major and an important first step in their journey of getting their rights back as African Americans in the US.
January 13, 2009 at 9:42 pm
It was among the Last steps Nizar …
Anyway, go ahead, believe what every you want.
But if people come laughing at you when you say something like Demonstrations don’t work. Don’t cry
January 15, 2009 at 3:54 pm
All I know is that we riot after lost football games…and it usually helps us get a new coach…plus it’s f’ing awesome
January 27, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Great! Thank you!
I always wanted to write in my blog something like that. Can I take part of your post to my site?
Of course, I will add backlink?
Sincerely, Timur I.
Leave a Reply
- Man to be jailed for writing under age porn stories
- I HATE South park
- Proving Religions False
- طير أخضر طيبر مبرقع يا مدريدي يا أقرع
- ZEITGEIST II ADDENDUM – Review and Thoughts
- Intelligent Falling vs. The Theory of Gravity
- Facebook hidden message
- I quit smoking
- Spotify – free limited invites
- Google street view - strange photos
- anti family guy: i love south park and its waaaaaaay funnier than family guy. family guy is ok, but it gets easily boring when the crappy singing part takes over the
- Moey: Don't waste your time young man, write about a "more interesting" creature :)
- Evil Knievel: I don't know why you are complaining? The makers themselves know that the show shouldn't be viewed by anyone. It says so before each and every episode
Recent Comments
 | anti family guy on I HATE South park |
 | Moey on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | Evil Knievel on I HATE South park |
 | nobody on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | Kojaa on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | Nizar on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | Qwaider on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
| Nizar on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | Ulysses on Re: ON BELIEVERS… |
 | JACK NESLAN on I HATE South park |
Live feed
Blog Aggregators
January 11, 2009 at 4:38 pm
mahowwe ya akhy mesh kayneen yefhamo enno they won’t help if they act like raging monkeys!