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How many rallied for Gaza?
This is about numbers, and how the corporate media reports numbers -- in this case at the FREE PALESTINE rally and march of Sunday, July 20th.
The Sunday, July 20 FREE PALESTINE rally gathered at the Justin Herman Plaza, near the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I got there as it was beginning, shortly after 3 p.m. The crowd already appeared to number a thousand, and more were arriving. People kept streaming in. By 4:15 p.m. when the march began, the plaza was brim full. So how many people does it take to fill that plaza? I wondered. Thousands, obviously — but how many thousands?
After the march I looked online for estimates from various other events at the plaza and found an article about the fundamentalist anti-abortion march of 2011. “Tens of thousands of pro-life activists filled Justin Herman Plaza,” the organizers of the right-wing event reported; the corporate media echoed the fundamentalists’ claim. In contrast, reporting on the Sunday FREE PALESTINE rally, KTVU News said: “Hundreds gather in San Francisco to protest Israeli military action in Gaza.” The SF Examiner gave the same figure.
Such reports simply confirm what many people have been saying observing for decades about media bias. A right-wing event fills the J.H. Plaza with tens of thousands, but when a progressive event draws a crowd large enough to fill that same plaza, it’s only “hundreds” of people there.
Nevertheless, that plaza is also used for miscellaneous non-political gatherings and events that nobody would be likely to misreport. I continued my online search and found a website belonging to the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which states: “This location can accommodate up to 7,000 people.”
(Recreation & Parks is at: http://sfrecpark.org/reservablefacility/justin-herman-plaza/)
Seven thousand? That sounds about right. During the march I had conservatively estimated 5,000 while others around me were saying it was more. Some who studied videos of the march afterwards, taking sample counts and doing some math estimated six to seven thousand at the Sunday event. The organizers of this event, the Arab Resource & Organizing Center, estimated 6,000.
I’ve never before seen a FREE PALESTINE event anywhere nearly this large. I remember attending protests at the Israeli consulate on Montgomery street where there were about 500 people, and at the time that seemed large. This Sunday rally and march was at least ten times larger. Clearly, Zionist attacks on Gaza have outraged a growing number of people. Unfortunately, none of this gets reflected by the U.S. Congress. Just the other day all 100 U.S. Senators unanimously passed a resolution in support of Israel’s assault on Gaza. Not even Senator Bernie Sanders stood up to the Zionists.
There will be another rally this Saturday, July 26 at the same plaza, starting at 1 p.m. Perhaps our demand should be: “End Zionist occupation of Washington!”
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reposted from Dissident Voice
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/07/how-many-marched-for-gaza/#more-55111
For more information:
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/07/how-many...
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The problem isn't that you can come up with a large demo for the Palestinian side. The problem is that there are also large numbers on the other side. That you can't get the politicians to go along is because there are too few places where there is MORE long term support for the Palestinians than for the Israelis.
You specified Bernie Sanders? Do you have reason to suppose that there are more Vermonters that support the Palestinians than support the Israelis. To be sure, the "Zionists" aren't think on the ground in Vermont but then neither are the supporters of the Palestinians. Silly of you to expect Bernie to be there for you because he's a progressive. This ISN'T a progressive vs conservative issue but a "tribal conflict". That you can't seem to recognize that is part of your problem.
Understand the reality here. IF you succeed in tightly linking the progressive causes to the Palestinian cause then the result would be those progressive causes losing "Zionist" support. Not that the "Zionists" would become more conservative, but they'd "go it alone" (as opposed to working on behalf of those progressive causes. People like Bernie understand that.
Now it makes sense for Arab-Americans to perhaps be willing to see other progressive causes suffer to make gains on the Palestine vs Israel question (here in the US). But presuming you are justa progressive with lots of other progressive causes with irons in the fire, does that make sense for you? How much of a price are you willing to pay? Willing to match what the "Zionists" are willing to pay? (I'm talking about political horse trading, not dollars). If not, you may be in the wrong game.
You specified Bernie Sanders? Do you have reason to suppose that there are more Vermonters that support the Palestinians than support the Israelis. To be sure, the "Zionists" aren't think on the ground in Vermont but then neither are the supporters of the Palestinians. Silly of you to expect Bernie to be there for you because he's a progressive. This ISN'T a progressive vs conservative issue but a "tribal conflict". That you can't seem to recognize that is part of your problem.
Understand the reality here. IF you succeed in tightly linking the progressive causes to the Palestinian cause then the result would be those progressive causes losing "Zionist" support. Not that the "Zionists" would become more conservative, but they'd "go it alone" (as opposed to working on behalf of those progressive causes. People like Bernie understand that.
Now it makes sense for Arab-Americans to perhaps be willing to see other progressive causes suffer to make gains on the Palestine vs Israel question (here in the US). But presuming you are justa progressive with lots of other progressive causes with irons in the fire, does that make sense for you? How much of a price are you willing to pay? Willing to match what the "Zionists" are willing to pay? (I'm talking about political horse trading, not dollars). If not, you may be in the wrong game.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)
Maybe we need to move on from the numbers game, which is absolutely irrelevant, and move on to more effective means of protest. Serious direct action is what we need to do, something the upcoming Block the Boat action is growing towards (important to note that ANSWER refused to have the action announced during today's march.) In Turkey, protesters invaded the Israeli Embassy and drove them out of the country. In France, people fought in the streets against police and far-right zionists. Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank have fought police with molotov cocktails and fireworks. Why do we walk around politely in the streets, obeying police commands and acquiring permits, as if that will do anything at all?
Of course, we know why. Because ANSWER (a front for the PSL political party) would be out of a job if their protests were actually effective. Same goes for AROC, and all progressive non-profits that continually recuperate social movements.
Of course, we know why. Because ANSWER (a front for the PSL political party) would be out of a job if their protests were actually effective. Same goes for AROC, and all progressive non-profits that continually recuperate social movements.
and niemoller lived 92 years. maybe you will if you follow the miemoller code. meaning tell your friends there are fascist violent people running the cities.
The negative comments under this article indicate that some folks are upset by the support for the Palestinians shown in recent demonstrations.
The Sunday, July 20 rally and march was a good action which involved a lot of people. Saturday July 26 was another good action. Fine, now we need to BLOCK the BOAT on Saturday, Aug 2nd.
"Maybe we need to move on from the numbers game, which is absolutely irrelevant"
Not quite. For the sort of more violent actions you propose numbers are VERY important. How many stand with you, how many stand aside (those are the irrelevants), and how many stand against you. And of course how numerous are the first and the last compared to state authority.
There is an ancient argument that voting in a democracy is a proxy for duking it out. That when we count raised right arms we are counting potential sword arms. And that maybe a "voice vote" isn't a bad idea because a somewhat smaller number with greater determination and enthusiasm can defeat a less committed larger number.
In other words, if you choose to fight, numbers are not irrelevant with regard to your prospects of winning or being crushed. You don't need numbers to protest though you might need vast numbers to win something by protest.
Not quite. For the sort of more violent actions you propose numbers are VERY important. How many stand with you, how many stand aside (those are the irrelevants), and how many stand against you. And of course how numerous are the first and the last compared to state authority.
There is an ancient argument that voting in a democracy is a proxy for duking it out. That when we count raised right arms we are counting potential sword arms. And that maybe a "voice vote" isn't a bad idea because a somewhat smaller number with greater determination and enthusiasm can defeat a less committed larger number.
In other words, if you choose to fight, numbers are not irrelevant with regard to your prospects of winning or being crushed. You don't need numbers to protest though you might need vast numbers to win something by protest.
Mike, You're right, and you said it very well
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