March for Free Expression, A Rally in Trafalgar Square March 25th 2006

[fjydj]

http://www.marchforfreeexpression.blogspot.com/

March for Free Expression

What and When

A Rally in Trafalgar Square between 2:00pm and 4:00pm on Saturday March 25th 2006.
Speakers

Evan Harris, MP. Lib Dem human rights spokesman
Maryam Namazie, Broadcaster & Human Rights Campaigner
Keith Porteous Wood, National Secular Society
Mark Wallace, The Freedom Association


Banner Making Workshop

Please come to the banner-making workshop on Saturday 18 March 2006 from 14:00 in the basement at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1 (closest Tube: Holborn).

We will supply cardboard, staplers, glue, paint, brushes and sticks. We will also be able to store your banners until the day of the March.

You supply ideas, enthusiasim, humour and great slogans!

If you want to print out your own banner, please feel free, we will have cardboard up to A2 size.

 

[bluestreak]

yes, but what is it about?

 

[Groucho]

yes, but what is it about?

Opposing Muslims.

 

[trashpony]

Opposing Muslims.

Personally I find women in veils very threatening indeed

 

[Groucho]

Personally I find women in veils very threatening indeed

The right for women not to wear a veil is one thing. The right of racists to abuse women who choose to wear one is something else. To be more specific this demonstration is a celebration of the Islamophobic cartoons and has the support of British Nazis.

It is for free speech for racists and against free speech for Muslims. It will be the AWL plus the BNP. Nice.

 

[trashpony]

The right for women not to wear a veil is one thing. The right of racists to abuse women who choose to wear one is something else. To be more specific this demonstration is a celebration of the Islamophobic cartoons and has the support of British Nazis.

It is for free speech for racists and against free speech for Muslims. It will be the AWL plus the BNP. Nice.

I thought you were joking/being ironic

How very charming

Can we ban our new posting friend? Or should we just be really mean instead? It's always a tricky one ...

 

[Groucho]

I thought you were joking/being ironic

How very charming

Can we ban our new posting friend? Or should we just be really mean instead? It's always a tricky one ...

The poster is not necessarily a racist. It is misguided 'secularism'* opening the door to racism. The Freedom Association are nasty right-wing fuckers and do not support free speech for e.g. trades unionists. They believe in the free market and Thatcherite indivuidual freedoms. The Lib Dem here is not known for racism.

The BNP are not involved in organising it but some of their friends are very excited about turning up and supporting and the organisers support free speech for Nazis so will not deter them, though I understand it is a subject of debate....

* secularism should mean separation of church from state and defence of religious freedom which I would support.

 

[lostexpectation]

er

im I right to get a small grumble in my stomach now when I see the word 'freespeech' as like when I see FREEDOM(TM)

 

[JHE]

im I right to get a small grumble in my stomach now when I see the word 'freespeech' as like when I see FREEDOM(TM)

Your imam must be proud of you for having such a visceral reaction against dirty kuffar ideas like freedom of expression.

 

[TAE]

The right for women not to wear a veil is one thing. The right of racists to abuse women who choose to wear one is something else. To be more specific this demonstration is a celebration of the Islamophobic cartoons and has the support of British Nazis.

It is for free speech for racists and against free speech for Muslims. It will be the AWL plus the BNP. Nice.

If you look at their website, they are quite adament that this is not the case.

For example:
http://marchforfreeexpression.blogspot.com/2006/03/bnp-boycott.html
http://marchforfreeexpression.blogspot.com/2006/03/report-meeting-with-metropolitan.html

 

[lostexpectation]

you know what i meant

Your imam must be proud of you for having such a visceral reaction against dirty kuffar ideas like freedom of expression.

so they reject BNP but not UKIP, wow they are so discenring?

ok it looks legitimate...

 

[JimPage]

quite simplay a racist, islamophibic and fascist march

 

[jæd]

im I right to get a small grumble in my stomach now when I see the word 'freespeech' as like when I see FREEDOM(TM)

Aren't those the free rubber johnnies thingies...?

 

[belboid]

Your imam must be proud of you for having such a visceral reaction against dirty kuffar ideas like freedom of expression.

which contingent are you going to be joining? UKIP's, BNP's (cos they will be there - http://www. bnp.org.uk/ news_detail.php?newsId=835), Freedom Association, or the Libertarian Alliances?

 

[X-77]

which contingent are you going to be joining? UKIP's, BNP's (cos they will be there - http://www. bnp.org.uk/ news_detail.php?newsId=835), Freedom Association, or the Libertarian Alliances?

makes me want to attend just to see what a circus this turns out to be

 

[lostexpectation]

whoops, aha its for people who don't get irony!

In practice, Muslims who wholeheartedly endorse our statement of principle, as quoted below by Peter Tatchell in his superb essay, who abhor the threats made against Danish cartoonists and believe people should have the right to publish things they themselves find offensive or abhorrent would be UNABLE to come to our rally on Saturday, because to be surrounded by these cartoons, now, in the present context when the BNP are using them as a rallying point, would be intolerable.

So I now appeal to people not to bring the cartoons on T-shirts or placards.

 

[Andy the Don]

quite simplay a racist, islamophibic and fascist march

With stupid comments like that I am very tempted to join this march. I marched against the war in 2003 together wth organisations like the MAB & SWP which I normally would not go near with a barge pole. But I agreed with the shared aims of the march.

I tell you what JP, some fundie Islamic groups are having a counter demostartion why dont you go & join them & allow us Kaffirs to march for free speach.

 

[districtline]

quite simplay a racist, islamophibic and fascist march

so you connotate freedom of speech with racism, islamophobia and fascism? fucking hell man.

 

[districtline]

The right for women not to wear a veil is one thing. The right of racists to abuse women who choose to wear one is something else. To be more specific this demonstration is a celebration of the Islamophobic cartoons and has the support of British Nazis.

It is for free speech for racists and against free speech for Muslims. It will be the AWL plus the BNP. Nice.

hey, i even believe you Should have the right to criticise islam. am i a racist now?

 

[Andy the Don]

I do not see this issue as one of attacking any particular religion. I thought the publishing of the cartoons lampooning Mohammad was the wrong thing to do. But not because I think that a certain group within the community must have the sacrosanct right not to be offended. This to me is the same as resisting the teaching of creationism as science within schools. Those with fundamentalist religious beliefs are trying to force their beliefs and morals on those of us who do not share them.

 

[rich!]

I do not see this issue as one of attacking any particular religion.

Jesus - a cunt
Moses - a cunt
Jehovah - a cunt
Mohammed - a cunt
Bhudda - a cunt
Krishna - a cunt
Sai Baba - a cunt
Crowley - a cunt
Hubbard - a cunt
Vishnu - a cunt
Lao Tse - a cunt

and that's just off the top of my head.

Give me a religion, and I'll attack it, 'cos *THERE AINT NO SUCH THING AS GOD* and the sooner we as a species get past that little myth, the better we will be.

 

[belboid]

I do not see this issue as one of attacking any particular religion.

well this march certainly is - its all about the 'right to attack islam' - thats why all those lovely far right groups are orgnanising for it.

yummy.

 

[X-77]

Those with fundamentalist religious beliefs are trying to force their beliefs and morals on those of us who do not share them.

when was the last time someone tried to force their beliefs and morals on you then?

 

[JimPage]

so you connotate freedom of speech with racism, islamophobia and fascism? fucking hell man.

no, i just belive in no free speech for fascists. this is a fascist demonstration, attended by fascistss

 

[nino_savatte]

The Freedom Association is also heavily involved in this.

 

[Andy the Don]

when was the last time someone tried to force their beliefs and morals on you then?

Not me personally, but it is happening in schools, politics & the arts. Is there a reason why you cannot have a book or play which criticise a particular religion? No religion is above ridicule or criticism.

well this march certainly is - its all about the 'right to attack islam'

We are free to attack any other religion for its stupidity & rigidity, why should Islam be different. Because we fear the reaction from a small section of its adherents?

 

[districtline]

no, i just belive in no free speech for fascists. this is a fascist demonstration, attended by fascistss

ah, now i see why you don't like the demonstration; you don't believe in freedom of speech. fair enough. neither did the talibans or hitler, you're in good company.

 

[districtline]

well this march certainly is - its all about the 'right to attack islam'.

should we not have the right to attack islam? why not, what's so special with it? i think we should attack reactionary shite, even when it calls itself islam.

 

[rebel warrior]

ah, now i see why you don't like the demonstration; you don't believe in freedom of speech. fair enough. neither did the talibans or hitler, you're in good company.

You're the one who wants to go on a march with the Hitlerites of the BNP - no anti-fascist or anti-racist who wants to retain any credibility could possibly go on this march...

 

[rebel warrior]

should we not have the right to attack islam? why not, what's so special with it? i think we should attack reactionary shite, even when it calls itself islam.

Fine - attack reactionary shite - but don't attack it while standing alongside those who are coming from an even more reactionary shite position (eg BNP Nazis).