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Title: Hundreds March in L.A. to Protest Lebanon and Iraq Wars
Source:
LA Times
URL Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l ... 7.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Published: Aug 13, 2006
Author: Ted Rohrlich
Post Date: 2006-08-13 09:01:13 by Eoghan
Keywords: None
Views: 689
Comments: 18
Some participants are former Lebanese angered by the Israeli invasion Omar Abdallah, a 38-year-old North Hollywood convenience store owner who emigrated from Lebanon as a young man, was one of more than a thousand people who marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest Israel's bombing of his native land, its treatment of Palestinians and the U.S. war in Iraq. Abdallah, who marched up Broadway and through the Civic Center holding a Lebanese flag, said he was drawn to the event because he is "against all war" and, in the case of Israel's war against Hezbollah, he has had family members in harm's way. He said he spoke by telephone Saturday with a sibling who said Israeli warplanes had just bombed the town of Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, where his brother and sister live. Other family members have fled, he said, leaving almost all of their possessions behind. The Associated Press reported that the Israeli target in Baalbek on Saturday was the headquarters of a Hezbollah charity organization. The Los Angeles march — organized by a group called Act Now to Stop War & End Racism, the National Council of Arab Americans and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation — took place as a United Nations-brokered cease-fire was being accepted by Lebanon and Hezbollah. Similar marches took place in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Many of the local marchers, including organizer Ahmed Azam, president of the Muslim American Society's Los Angeles chapter, were skeptical that a cease-fire would lead to lasting peace. "I'm not optimistic," said Azam, who teaches at DeVry University in Long Beach. Many ethnicities and age groups were represented in the peaceful protest. Toni Arenstein, 56, a nurse, said she marched because "I am a Jewish woman and I stand in full solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance, and also I am outraged at the billions of dollars … the U.S. government is spending to fund the Israeli war machine when people here are suffering." The marchers appeared united in disdain for President Bush. Some carried printed signs with his photograph and the label "warmonger." Simone Missirian, 35, of L.A. wore a sandwich board purporting to show Bush's "policy checklist." It began: "Save Embryos. Kill Muslims and Arabs." But Houda Itani, a 19-year-old American of Lebanese descent, said she came out of disgust for political leaders in general who make war but "don't realize" that most Muslims and Jews just want to live in peace.
Poster Comment: Thousands protest Lebanon war outside White House With AP photos.
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#4. To: Eoghan, robin (#0)
great post, thanks!
No chance, at least not now while Stephen Harper (ie.Poodle #2)is in power. Canada waited so long to boot the corrupt Lieberal party out of power, and what do they vote in to replace them...a neocon led conservative party, whose leader represents the one fundie section of the country. Can you believe it? At least with the Lieberals, Canada managed to straddle a neutral ME position for the most part. Now with Harper, it's neocon pro-Israel come hell or high water. Hopefully Harper will be tossed in the next election. It could be that Canada may go for a pure socialist party ( hello, Hugo!) better known as the NDP. And the NDP though their economic and social policies suck, are not going to continue to tow the Harper foreign policy line that is for sure. Based on what I read the NDP is not neutral - the NDP is pro- Palestinian for example and anti-USA. It's too bad that the Village Idiot will be out of office by the time a new election takes place in Canada - it would be quite comical to see the discomfort of the WH as Hugo and the NDP Canadian PM hurl insults at GWB 24/7...fearless motor-mouth book ends (with huge oil assets)...of course, at that point, Canada could invite invasion by the DC "self-defenders"
Canada ping! BTW, Canada was very well represented in the photos of war protests (see above): Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto looked well-versed in what is really going on.
Yes, I saw those pictures but Harper is not representing those peoples' wishes or even the wishes of the vast majority of Canadians who take pride in being neutral peacekeepers in the UN or in press conferences. For example, Harper was more than willing to have Canada take it in the butt from Israel when Israel killed one of his UN observers and 8 Canadian-Lebanese civilians. Also at the UN Human Rights Commission vote on Friday ( I think that was the date) in a resolution that pretty much censured Israel for its crimes against civilians, there were only 2 "no" votes - Canada and Japan. That was a pretty straight forward issue - yes there is no doubt Israel is injuring/killing/displacing way more civilians than Hezbollah and Canada votes "no"...say what? It's good that Canadians are getting out and protesting because Harper may take that into account at some point - he is in power with a minority gov't after all. Certainly the Quebec MP's have got to be concerned about the protestors in Montreal, ( lots of French speaking Muslim immigrants living in Quebec these days)because they are part of an unofficial loose coalition of opposition MP's who are keeping Harper in power and they don't want to harm their re-election hopes in the future - they know Harper can tar and feather them with their own voters with his unpopular anti-Muslim posturing.
#12. To: scrapper2 (#11)
say what? is right! It's good that Canadians are getting out and protesting because Harper may take that into account at some point - he is in power with a minority gov't after all. There seems to be a suicidal wish on the part of the GOP and even Liberals here; take Joe Lieberman for a case in point, and Bush's low poll #s.
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#5. To: christine (#4)
#8. To: Ferret Mike (#5)
Just watch your step Canada, you could be next...
#9. To: buffycat (#8)
#11. To: robin (#9)
BTW, Canada was very well represented in the photos of war protests (see above): Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto looked well-versed in what is really going on.
Replies to Comment # 11. there is no doubt Israel is injuring/killing/displacing way more civilians than Hezbollah and Canada votes "no"...say what?
End Trace Mode for Comment # 11.