(Your Voice in a World where Zionism, Steel, and Fire have turned Justice Mute)
Click here to return to Newsbytes
A Special Report on the Protest against Netayahu's Visit to Concordia University in Canada, by Chadi Serhal Dear Readers of the Free Arab Voice, Below you shall find a report on what happened at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, when pro-Palestinian protestors succeeded in having a speech by Benjamin Netanyhu cancelled after a peaceful protest in which the protestors were attacked by the Canadian Police. Still, they managed to obtain a small victory for Palestine on that day. More power to the protestors at Concordia University who succeeded in holding their grounds against difficult odds, and in making the voice of the people heard loud and clear on the Monday of September 9, 2002. They have set an example of pro-active political action that represents a model to follow. More power to the people. Enjoy! FAV ============================================================== A Special Report on the Protest against Netayahu's Visit to Concordia University in Canada, by Chadi Serhal When Arabs, non-Arabs, Muslims, Christians and even Jews came together on Monday, September 9, 2002, to oppose the visit of Netanyahu to Concordia University, while the antagonists gave them the middle fingers, the protest was clearly not about Judaism; It was against fascist Zionism. Why protest Netanyhu's speech at Concordia? When Netanyahu came to power in 1996, his first act was to appoint war criminal Ariel Sharon to his cabinet. During "Israel's" invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Sharon, then Minister of Defence was condemned by "Israel" for the massacring of about 800 - 3400 Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. Netanyahu's next step was approving the opening of a tunnel under Islam's second holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque. Imagine approving the opening of a tunnel under the Vatican in a war-stricken, occupied Rome! This led to social unrest, much like Sharon's visit to the same holy Muslim site, attesting "Israeli" authority over it, triggered Al-Aqsa Intifadah [uprising]. Netanyahu's Likud party recently passed a resolution rejecting the idea of the rebirth of a Palestinian state. According to the "Israeli" paper, Yediot Ahronot, Netanyahu, Deputy Foreign Minister in 1989 was quoted to have said 'Israel should have exploited the repression of the demonstrations in China when world attention focused on that country, to carry out mass expulsions among the Arabs of the territories.' The following appeared in the New York Times on September 12, 2001, p. A22: 'Asked tonight what the attack [on New York and Washington] meant for relations between the United States and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu? replied: "It's very good." Then he edited himself: "Well, not very good, but it will generate immediate sympathy."' This is the same man who, after the cancellation of his planned hate-enticing propaganda speech at Concordia, said 'make no mistake about it, they [the Arabs] cheered when the twin towers went down.' In 1982, Netanyahu was appointed to the UN in order to justify "Israel's" crimes in Beirut; and recently appointed by Sharon to justify "Israel's" crimes in Jenin. Netanyahu, on his official site, resorts to saying before the US senators 'if we do not immediately shut down the terror factories where Arafat is producing human bombs, it is only a matter of time before suicide bombers will terrorize your cities.' But how about the factories where "Israel's" terrorizing bombs and robotic soldiers are being produced? Attack all the "Israeli" youth who serve in the "Israeli Defense Forces"? Attack the US, "Israel's" major arms and money donor? Netanyahu then adds that 'Israel must establish physical barriers separating the main Palestinian population centers from Israeli towns and cities. This will prevent any residual terrorists from reaching Israel.' Apartheid? Fascism? Racism? Or heroism? The Canadian Police Attacks a Peaceful Protest: Any person with a sense of decency and human dignity would be offended and enraged learning that such a mind would enter their school and that their city would designate that tremendous number of riot police forces, security and money onto barring its students not only from entering their own university, but also for expressing their discontent with what is going on in it. Earlier that morning, Netanyahu questioned what the demonstrators fear and want hidden by their opposing his presence at Concordia... Well, what do Hillel and Asper [a division of Canwest Global of the Gazette, National Post and Global TV] have to hide by restricting attendance to his speech on the basis of racial selection? Why was it not open to the public? Concordia has caused the barring of its peaceful protestors, then when they wished to advance down the escalators to block the hall in which he was about to enter, they were brutally beaten by riot police, sniffed by bomb-detecting dogs and arrested like they are armed dissidents when all they were armed with is a flag of Palestine. All this because some tried to peacefully advance through the escalators at their own university, protesting the presence, and blocking the entrance of a suspected war criminal and fascist beggar for support for his state's terrorism. This person was about to make it to the auditorium and the protestors aspired to stand in unity and block his last resort into the hall. Consequently, the outside supporters broke the glass to come in and join in opposing the brutal breach of civilization and freedom exercised by the police and sanctioned by Concordia. The tear gas and suffocating yellow haze of oleoresin capsicum pepper spray blasted under pressure, called for breaking the fire extinguishers and wreaking havoc in order to obtrude the savage armed forces from reaching the unarmed students. The riot police then locked the demonstrators out of the building and sprayed more pepper spray at them through tiny holes in the top of the now locked doors; then assaulted two female students by pushing them, and one by calling names. According to Amnesty International, that pepper spray 'can have seriously harmful effects when used in a confined space or on asthmatics or people with other medical conditions. Some studies have warned that pepper spray is potentially lethal - because of its potential carcinogenic properties.' The riot police's barring the demonstrators felt like "Israeli" checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza. Their blind brutality felt like that of "IDF" soldiers. The helpless casualties injured by the police felt like we were on the grounds of occupation. Clearly, there was no violence on the demonstrators' part; the violence was that of the police, while the demonstrators were defensively responding to that violence. Besides, what kind of violence could come against the shields, helmets, batons, and gases? Crying and retrieving and apologizing were no option; resistance was. Contrary to the statements made by politicians, leaders and the media, this was not a 'bad day for democracy,' nor was it 'anti-Canada' or a demonstration that was 'anti-liberty and freedom of speech and expression,' as uttered by Netanyahu himself. This was a day when the people stood up for their rights of freedom and expression; the very rights they are assured by Canada. For the demonstrators, this was a good day for democracy; this was a good day for liberty and freedom of speech and expression. Shame on Concordia for allowing its campus to be grounds for bigotry, racism and plea for supporting state terrorism against a people; and shame on Hillel for misrepresenting Judaism and world Jewry.