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Speaker of Welsh Assembly calls on AMs to boycott visit of Israeli Ambassador

Rodney Berman has his own article on the ambassador:
http://www.totallyjewish.com/news/special_reports/?content_id=9403

Interestingly, Berman has never seen fit to make any comment on the Middle East viz Israel's war on the Lebanon, Iraq or the oppression of the Palestinians, but as soon as the representative of the State of Israel is snubbed he is sending out press releases left, right and centre.

I'm a little disappointed that the organisers of the demo later today don't seem to have run as an effective press operation over the visit compared to the other side. There are politicians such as Dafydd Elis Thomas, Cllr Neil McEvoy, Cllr Ray Davies and Leanne Wood AM who are oppoosed to the visit (and they are surely not the only ones), I'm sure with better co-ordination several other MPs and politicians could have been arm twisted into making a public statement of opposition. There are many Welsh politicians who support Palestinian rights.

Judging from the amount of politicians who seem to be soft on Israeli oppression it suggests much work needs to be done in Wales to make sure that in the future they are less confident to ignore Palestinian rights, we see Labour politicians such as Leighton Andrews AM and Chris Bryant MP rushing to declare their support for Israel, Plaid AMs like Mohammed Asghar inviting the ambassador, Bethan Jenkins AM considering opposing the visit of Prince Charlie more important to oppose than the rep. of Israel and stating that she won't boycott it, Rodney Berman from the LibDems paying his respects to Israel etc.

Another area that needs work is organising within the trade union movement in Wales to raise the issue of Palestinian solidarity given the decision by the Wales TUC to invite the ambassador to speak only 2 months after the Palestinian equivalent of the British TUC HQ was completely wiped off the face of the earth by Israeli F16s.
 
Of course more needs to be done and eyes were perhaps taken off the ball. Is the local STWC involved? Any unions? Have any of the local mosques been informed (or churches sympathetic to the anti-war movement)? Bit late now obviously.
 
I'm not sure what happened exactly, some people saw the Ambassadors car driving around the back, and ran around to the side entrance of the Assembly. When I got round there I saw two people being pushed to the ground by police, who I believe were anarchists. I wandered into the Assembly behind some dignitaries, but was quickly ejected!There was some rather smug policeman who kept on shoving a camera right in people's faces and snapping them.

Leanne Wood AM, Helen Mary Jones AM, Bethan Jenkins AM, Nerys EvansAM, Neil McEvoy (Plaid) attended the protest, along with John Griffiths AM (Labour). There may have been more politicians, but I didn't recognise them! Peter Black AM (LibDems) attended the meeting with the Ambassador but also popped out to speak to demonstrators to declare his support for Palestinian rights. Obviously some politicians who may have supported Palestinian rights would have attended the meeting with the Ambassador believing it was more appropriate to try and raise concerns with him and debate with other AMs attending the meeting.

I think the vist maps out some key areas in which supporters of Palestinian rights in Wales will need to be campaigning to make sure that next time the Ambassador slinks into town, he will meet even more opposition.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...at-israeli-ambassador-s-visit-91466-21145494/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7471247.stm
 
There were three arrests, two female, one male. all anarchists.

After the protest most people came to the central police station where the arrestees were being held. However no-one was release by half eleven when I left.

More details later.
 
They were arrested for no discernible reason I could see.
Just another in Cardiff police's recent attempts to harrass protestors, curtail freedom of expression, and put ppeople off demonstrating.:(
 
llantwit said:
They were arrested for no discernible reason I could see.
Just another in Cardiff police's recent attempts to harrass protestors, curtail freedom of expression, and put ppeople off demonstrating.:(
Click to expand...

"My puzzlement grew. This chap wasn't really the sort you'd expect to see shouting abuse at police officers at an anti-war demo. He was, after all, a policeman himself - and a high-ranking one at that."

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/femai...ce-anti-war-demo-stooge-thug-asks-writer.html

Funny story from the Daily Mail about a policeman disguised as a demonstrator repeatedly provoking the police at a demonstration, this kind of shit has been going on for years, but this is one of the few times that mainstream media have reported it.

George Galloway MP said:
I can now confirm that this man was Chris Dreyfus, an inspector in the police.

This man, to my direct knowledge, committed four criminal offences during the 30 minutes or so he stood next to me. First, he repeatedly chanted the arcane, antiquated Americana, “Kill the pigs!” This is a clear incitement to violence, indeed murder. If a Muslim demonstrator had been chanting it, say, outside the Danish Embassy, he would likely now be in prison. Secondly, he repeatedly (crushing me in the process) attempted to charge the crush barriers and the police line behind them. Thirdly, he repeatedly exhorted others so to do. Fourthly, he instructed a young demonstrator on the correct way to uncouple a crush barrier, which was successfully achieved and was subsequently thrown at the police, and was presumably one of the justifications for the deployment of a riot squad which eventually waded in to the protesters.
Click to expand...
 
llantwit said:
They were arrested for no discernible reason I could see.
Just another in Cardiff police's recent attempts to harrass protestors, curtail freedom of expression, and put ppeople off demonstrating.:(
Click to expand...

I did feel that the politicians present could have done more to show solidarity with those arrested, but our elected representatives seem pretty wimpy at standing up for the people.
 
A few people have been enquiring if there is any news on the arrests?

Just reading article: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3560592,00.html

Apparently Prosor noticed us, and said: "The protestors clearly illustrate the importance of Israeli PR in Britain. We are determined not to let those calling for a boycott of Israel to take control of the discussion and silence the dialogue between Britain and Israel."

But the article contains a few howlers, Lord Rodney Berman?!?

"About two weeks ago, Baron Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the assembly's presiding officer, called on its members to boycott the discussion. Lord Rodney Berman, a Liberal-Democrat assembly member expressed his objection to the boycott call, but eventually only 15 out of the 60 members attended the meeting. "
 
Udo Erasmus said:
Baron Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the assembly's presiding officer, called on its members to boycott the discussion. Lord Rodney Berman, a Liberal-Democrat assembly member expressed his objection to the boycott call, but eventually only 15 out of the 60 members attended the meeting. "
Click to expand...

Apparently "Baron" DE-T has taken to greeting his fellow AMs with "May Allah be with you"...
 
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