Police order protesters to stop anti-Israel, anti-USA slogans

gwann xerri

Jan 1st 2009, 12:05

Why are there no UN / EU / USA peace keeping forces in this 60 year old injustice / ethnic cleansing!? There is one even in little Haiti!

r.mifsud

Jan 1st 2009, 10:23

I ask Elizabeth grech, How many posters were there in the protest condemning Hamas for their rocket bombardment of israel? If israel was to hand over all the captured land to the palestinians the fear is that this territory would be used for further attacks on Israel as happened in the gaza strip. The ultimate aim of hamas backed by iran is to wipe out the state of israel that is why the overreaction by Israel.

Denis Catania

Jan 1st 2009, 08:26

@Iborg: You don't expect anti illegal immigration supporters to lose their freedom of speech and everybody else can say what they want. If one sector of society in Malta loses their freedom of speech and the government gets away with it. Everybody will in due time. This is what I mean when I say MALTA NEEDS A CHANGE.
I have American children. But that doesn't mean i could stop you from screaming out anti American slogans.It will hurt me mentally, but slogans won't kill me. George Bush would agree with me. Barrack Obama would agree with me and the U.S Ambassador would agree with me. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing and Malta is losing that. Now if you scream let's kill Americans. Than we have the right to protect American interests and we will to the fullest extent.

walid nabhan

Dec 31st 2008, 20:56

the wrong which had been committed against the Jews in a distant chapter of history, does not give them any right to brutalize or annihilate another entirely innocent people.

Any decent human being cannot exempt a country like Israel which consistently violates the law as well as Jewish values while waging a war it has originally aggravated from criticism.

I quote Theodore Adorno who happened to be a Jew, a true Jew perhaps: “It is part of morality not to be at home in one’s home”

walid nabhan

Dec 31st 2008, 20:55

No matter who started first and no matter questioning the morality and perhaps the usefulness of such stupid fighting, Israel should hand the Palestinians back the exact territories it had captured in 1967, as this is the only sufficient basis on which any kind of decent peace agreement could be achieved.

There are more than 90 United Nations resolutions calling on Israel to hand back the land it had confiscated from Palestinians and allow refugees to go back to their homes, not to mention dozens of other resolutions calling on her to stop its violations of the human rights of the Palestinians, including deportations, demolitions of homes, establishment of illegal settlements and its refusal to abide by the U.N. Charter and the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and other collective punishments. None of these resolutions has been implemented so far. One has to recall that Iraq was invaded and rightfully driven out from Kuwait by only one U.N. resolution. Israel couldn’t have constantly ignored these U.N. resolutions without the help and the protection of the United States who by doing so, is badly harming Israel itself.

Gwann Xerri

Dec 31st 2008, 20:32

Thanks James Debone!
You are pinpointing to VERY GRAVE ISSUE!
It needs to be addressed seriously, if we hold our civil liberties sacred!

Marisa Kemper

Dec 31st 2008, 20:30

How sad that in this tiny but great country with such an honorable political history in what concerns the Middle East, we fail to see the forest for the trees. Demonstrating for what we believe in is the foundation of democracy. So what if a few demonstrators chanted some anti- slogans? Big deal. This is par for the course in a country that has flourished by offering freedom of speech to its population. The point is not whose feelings were hurt. It is rather to provoke leaders and people to reflect on how the ongoing policy of starving the Palestinian population, killing, injuring and traumatizing them is going to provide a solution. It is high time that we view the Middle East through the lens of international law and proportionality, the same standards that we take for granted in Europe and the Western world. Shame that the reporter missed the point.

Chris Ripard

Dec 31st 2008, 20:24

I have always been against violence and condemn it. However, it is hypocritical to only condemn Israel. The Israelis have every right to defend themselves against aggression - and let's not forget that they're dealing with people who have no respect whatsoever for women, for democracy and above all, for human life itself. Hamas seem happy to see their civilians slaughtered, why else don't they stop firing rockets at innocent Israeli civilians?

Elizabeth GRECH

Dec 31st 2008, 20:15

I went to the protest and was very touched. I was proud that a few people in my country (I live abroad) do have their eyes open on what is really going on and show solidarity without taking part for one or the other side. This is all about showing solidarity and compassion with people who have been shoved off their homes like Mr.Pisani has explained further up and isolated thanks to the embargo. It is important to shout for peace and show that we are against all types of violence no matter who started what.

Ian Ellul

Dec 31st 2008, 20:07

where were you all last week when Hamas fired 200 rockets at innocent Jewish civilians in Israel? Or is Arab life more valuable than Jewish life now? Halluna!

Clive Brockdorff

Dec 31st 2008, 19:57

"Down with Israel/USA" is not criticism (which is naturally perfectly acceptable), it is wishing ill upon others. How do nation states go down, if not accompanied by unspeakable suffering?

Mark Aloisio

Dec 31st 2008, 19:15

Is freedom of expression now illegal in Malta?

Lino Apap

Dec 31st 2008, 19:12

@ James Debono

Having voiced my opinion about Israel and my complete and utter disagreement with these protesters, I must also voice my concern at the Police interference concerning the protest. If the protest was a lawful one and the protests being made were within the law, I cannot see why the Police should step in. We can protest against anyone we like and the US and Israel are no exception. We Maltese struggled hard in the 70's and 80's for the right to publicly protest and voice our opinion. No-one should accept any such Police orders and we should expect a public explanation of this over-stepping of authority by the Police and a commitment by the Corps that it will not happen again.

David Pisani

Dec 31st 2008, 19:09

Agree with you James that the Police had no right to stop the chanting.
Its like we are living in Russia under Putin.

Regards Hamas, yeh everyone one agrees and i think no one endores such actions.
But who is defending who. Please stop repyling the same words of CNN about Israel defending themselves? What about saying that Palestine is defending themselves too?

Its nice to hear from you Pro Israel how can Palestine defend themselves from the Embargo?
By keeping silence and see people and children dying because of lack of medicine , food and cure?

Please swicth off CNN and the like. The truth you have to search for it.

Adrian Cardona

Dec 31st 2008, 19:06

@lgalea
Do I see Native Americans ripping apart kids in school buses because Europeans stole their land? Do I see people being blown up in Sydney because Aborigines lost their land? Are the Sud-Tirolers in Northern Italy murdering families because they lost their Austrian land? Your rationale is mind-boggling....you seem to be justifying cold-blooded murder by sworn terrorists, and these leftist fringe groups are being simplistic to the extreme with their little outings booing and hissing at anything Western. I do not approve of civilian killings on either side in any war, an opinion I am not so sure you share judging by your words...
And remember that the Jews were given a small land to call their own after being expelled from most countries in Europe and after suffering horrendous atrocities during a war which they did not start. They have been attacked from all sides repeatedly and with zero success, by Arab countries, and yet they are still defiantly there.

Lino Apap

Dec 31st 2008, 19:05

Small clarification about Israeli-occupied land - remember that Gaza & the West Bank were occupied by Israel AFTER it had been attacked by its Arab neighbours, Egypt, Jordan, Syria & co in 1967. Remember too that other territories had been “occupied” by Israel during this same Arab-declared war were handed back after Egypt recognised Israel and made peace with her. Why does Hamas not follow this example set by Egypt and other moderate Arab countries? And why do protesters like Mr. James Debono hold it against Israelis for defending their right to live safely in their own country? Do these protesters really believe Israel does not want Peace? With all the problems of governing and defending a country of 7 million against a surrounding 60 million sworn to push them back into the sea, the Israelis have managed to build a country that is one of the most advanced in the area without oil, gas or other natural resources. Israel also happens to be the only parliamentary democracy in the ME. The only Israeli resource is their People – and they will do anything to defend this only resource Israel has. We should be protesting against Hamas and not Israel.

wally vella-zarb

Dec 31st 2008, 18:59

Israel receives 1/3 of all US foreign aid.

Quote:
"Annual Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants to Israel represent over 20% of the overall Israeli defense budget, and FMF levels are expected to increase incrementally from a baseline of $2.4 billion in FY2008 to approximately $3.1 billion over the next several fiscal years.

Israel uses almost 75% of its FMF funds to purchase U.S. defense equipment."



(Above quote from the 2008 CRS report to Congress.)

The fact that Israel is allowed to spend 25% of the aid on developing its own arms industry has meant that a self-sustaining MIC has now been created.....

Israel has no interest in peace. Its economy has now been built around this huge amount of military aid. Without conflict, without perpetual siege, there is no incentive for this aid to be provided by the US.

With an election coming up and warmongers like Benjamin Netanyahu waiting in the wings as the next Prime Minister, the LAST thing that Israel wants is Peace.

apgrech

Dec 31st 2008, 18:40

No one should wake up a sleeping dog. Hamas are aggressors and Israel finally retaliated and the worse is that innocent people end up losing their lives instead of the agressors.

Maltese should keep quiet or else be fair with everyone. Some years ago, we had three stooges "representing" the Maltese supporting the Palestininans: Pres De Marco, PM Eddie F Adami and Leader of opposition, Alfred Sant. Hope none of our representatives represent the Maltese people in such demonstrations.

k. fenech

Dec 31st 2008, 18:32

Where is hamas getting its rockets? what will the anti israel protesters say when hamas starts using suicide bombers on israeli territory? Will they protest when buses, supermarkets and public places are targeted? we wait and see.

james Debono

Dec 31st 2008, 18:16

I think a clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs is due
If this is simply a police directive, those responsible for it should be demoted. For restrictions on freedom of expression are unacceptable.
If it was a political directive, it is a shameful act of censorship. For we have every right to criticise the USA and Isreal.

ralf micallef

Dec 31st 2008, 18:16

How can there be peace with someone who has vowed to destroy you? Hamas is intent on obliterating the state of Israel. We cannot ignore that israel is a nation.True that it is occupying former Palestinian land but Hamas is not making it any easier for a peaceful solution to the problem. History is history. The only answer is for the two nations to accept each other and live as neighbors. This is very difficult when israel is being threatened by both Hamas and iran with total destruction.

james debono

Dec 31st 2008, 18:10

Who else to blame but the USA and Israel? Isn't Israel bombing innocent civilians? And is not Israel using US bombs to kill Palestinians? Either the police are once again living in a world of their own or they have been given political instructions which is even worse. Unfortunately I could not make it to the protest but if I was there I would have protested against Israel, the USA and all those governments conniving in this criminal assault.

Clive Brockdorff

Dec 31st 2008, 17:11

Good for the police!
Nevertheless it was interesting to see the true thoughts of the "protestors".

James A. Tyrrell

Dec 31st 2008, 17:10

Yes the Israelis are bombing mosques and universities but ask yourself why? Hamas use mosques and universities as operation centres and storage areas for weapons in the hope that Israel won't bomb them. The IRA used the same tactics in N. Ireland when they used to store weapons and explosives in Catholic churches and even primary schools!

This is how terrorists work. They don't care about the people getting killed, in fact they are relying on that happening so that the do-gooders of the world will stand with them and offer support. I'm glad to see that the majority of Maltese people gave this so called 'peace walk' the wide berth it deserved.

David Pisani

Dec 31st 2008, 16:56

Here we are talking not only of a war. But also of a country like Israel which is currently invading or occupying the majority of the land under his own territory. Infact presently 82 % of the land is occupied under Israel rule. That means that people of palestine are living misrable in the remaining 18%.

The palestine in Jenin and Gaza are also victims of an embargo. Hope people knows what it means embargo. Do you really believe Israel and the USA want peace in that region? IRAQ could be the real example of how to create an unjust war and leaving the country in a chaos.
What about the times of Pinochet in Chile?

Please I think we had enough of CNN and the like........

Dan Grant

Dec 31st 2008, 16:14

It is interesting that those demonstrators did not protest when over 12 000 rockets from Gaza landed in Israel, indiscriminately threatening the lives of Jewish children, women and men.

I wonder why they feel so disturbed by Israel's response when everybody knows who started the show, namely Hamas.

It is funny to read about the Maltese woman who appealed for a collective letter to the President asking for a ceasefire, when even Hamas refuses a ceasefire and continues to send bombs into Israel even as I write.

A.J. Anastasi

Dec 31st 2008, 14:17

I think the Hamas should realise that one cannot provoke a mighty neighbour like Israel without the wrath that may befall them.

It is about time that both sides should sit around a table and come to an agreement.

It has been almost sixty years that these conflicts have been going on and I am now tired of hearing the same news, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year!

It is about time to close this chapter once and for all.

So get around a table and finish it. Period.

AJA.

Richard Galea

Dec 31st 2008, 14:14

Although i am pro the Palestinian human rights, it shocked me that the Palestinian electorate elected Hamas in government. They must not act hastily. Time and patience give their reward and everything will be resolved. Mahatma Gandhi the only weapon he has for achieving India"s independence is non violence.

t. borg

Dec 31st 2008, 14:12

grafitti said that they are protesting only against israel because israel's attacks killed many 300. how rediculous graffitti can be trying to justify that they did not condemed hamas for fireing rockets because these rockets only killed few israelis. when we are going to grow up?

Joseph Anthony Debono

Dec 31st 2008, 13:07

A true shame, this massacre of Palestinians. Look at this poor girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLIdxF-GHWw

l borg

Dec 31st 2008, 12:50

NOT EVEN IN LONDON THE PROTESTERS WERE STOPPED FROM SHOUTING ANTI USA AND ISRAELI SLOGANS FREDOM OF SPEECH PLEASE
AFTER ALL THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE KILLING PALESTNIANS
ALSO TO ALL PRO ISRAELI MALTESE
PLEASE HAND ALL LAND AND PROPERTY CONFISCATED FROM THE JEWS LIVING IN MALTA UNDER SPANISH RULE WHICH INCLUDES A LARGE PART OF MDINA TO ISRAEL
CHARTY BEGINS AT HOME AND FOR ALL ISRAELI LOVERS SET AN EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD
IT IS EASY TO SAY TO THE PALESTNIANS ISRAEL HAS A RIGHT TO EXIST AT THE PALESTNIAN EXPENSE BUT WILL MALTA AND THE REST OF THE WORLD GIVE WHAT WAS STOLEN FROM THE JEWS TO ISRAEL

John F Borg

Dec 31st 2008, 12:29

Did I miss something! Who broke the cease fire? Was it not the Hamas?

Aren't the Israeli people suffering as well...so what if the Palestinians do not have advanced weapons? The Hamas still fire cross-border rockets, which in my opinion, though not backed by any professional qualification, still maim and kill innocent citizens.

Any citizen expects the government to protect his/her needs and interests in the state. If Malta was ever threatened by any faction or group I would demand that the government deploy the army to protect me, my family and my interests, using any means available. Especially if the group involved has publicly sworn to destroy my culture and identity!

The same faces always appear on the front of these events, over and over again. Sometimes I wonder if there are any hidden agendas! I still cannot conceive how such people who always preach about human rights and peace can associate themselves with protesters branding and chanting hate slogans. I think that it takes more that dreadlock hair extensions and a black and white scarf to make someone qualified to speak out for human rights. Such a person needs to be someone with no prejudice against any group!

Mario Tabone-Vassallo

Dec 31st 2008, 12:24

Trid tkun tassew bla haqq biex tohodha kontra min jissielet ghax sittin sena ilu serqulu artu u jkomplu jisirqulu minnha, lil min jassrulu gensu f'kampijiet ta' koncentrament jisimhom Gaza u Xatt tal-Punent, lil min gabuh barrani f'pajjizu, lil min sena wara sena jippruvaw jeqirdulu kull sens ta' nazzjon. Ghax ma tiftakrux kemm il-sentenza tal-Gnus Maghquda hemm favur il-Palestinjani li gew injorati. Il-politika USA qed tarma dil-vjolenza u tohloq nirien li kulhadd ser ibghati minnhom. Qabel ma jsir haqq mal-Palestinjani, mhux ser jigi mrazzan it-terrorizmu li bla dubju ta' xejn ser joqrob iktar lejn kulhadd, inkluzi ahna u mhux il-kumplament ta' l-Ewropa biss.

Lino Apap

Dec 31st 2008, 11:28

What can I say? I didn't see any of these do-gooders and bleeding hearts do any protesting when the rockets were being fired into Israel by Hamas from Gaza. I didn't see any of these protesters when Al Qaeda crashed the planes onto the Twin Towers and cold bloodedly murdered 3,000 people in "protest" against the US and its support of the State of Israel. Can't these protesters see that their feelings are being manipulated by these fanatic groups and that they are supporting more vioence in the ME with their "protests". You should be protesting against the atrocities taking place in Zimbabwe, Iran and other places and not when a country surrounded by its enemies takes steps to defend its territorial integrity and the safety of its people. The protesters should be protesting against the hi-jacking of a territory by an extremist group like Hamas that insists on putting its civilian population in danger simply to put Israel in a bad light. That's what these heart-on-their-sleeves protesters should be protesting against!

Criss Camilleri

Dec 31st 2008, 11:08

To all protesters, Maltese CITIZENS & illegal Imigrants present ; Go and protest in GAZA.

If we are to remain neutral [ or are we?] do not allow such protests!

Joanne Micallef

Dec 31st 2008, 11:00

So I take it that for the NGO's present their heart bleeds only when innocent Palestinian men women and children die in this war, the lives of innocent Jewish men, women and children must not count as much otherwise they would have shown their solidarity with all the victims of this war.

Chris Borg

Dec 31st 2008, 10:56

Apartheid? Currently Israel has a Muslim on its cabinet of ministers while the deputy foreign minister is a Druze. Yea sure, apartheid. Why is it that, in various surveys conducted, the majority of Muslim Israelis said that they prefer staying in Israel rather than moving to a hypothetical Palestinian state when this will be founded? Ijwa nahseb ghax mahqurin ux? U hallunaaaa.

Palestinians do have a right for self-determination...but if they don't want to be attacked by Israel they shouldn't fire rockets...it's the same old tactic, provoke and than play the victim when those provoked react.

lgalea

Dec 31st 2008, 10:54

Adrian Cardona
Did you forget who STOLE the Palentinians land?

Clive Vella

Dec 31st 2008, 10:24

I understand that Israel is beating Palestine to a pulp.. but i dont agree with anti israel protest.. both sides disrespect ceasefires constantly. and why does it also have to be anti usa? geez grow up! all of you idealist that beleive in 'evil corporations' need to grow up and accept the world as it is.. Plus do remind yourselves of who split Palestine, it wasnt the US!!!!!

H Gatt

Dec 31st 2008, 10:20

The more time passes, the more it becomes clear that Graffitti use two weights and two measures. On one hand they claim they want peace and on the other they protest only against one side (Israel) when everyone with an open mind knows that in the current conflict neither Israel nor the Palestinians are blameless. Moreover, Hamas is a terrorist organisation irrespective of whether they are legitimately in government or not. Where were Graffitti during the massacres in Georgia and Tibet only months ago? Did they organise any peace marches? Of course not! It seems they only protest when the victim is leftist or anti-american!

A.J. Anastasi

Dec 31st 2008, 10:19

I think the Hamas should realise that one cannot provoke a mighty neighbour like Israel without the wrath that may befall them.

It is about time that both sides should sit around a table and come to an agreement. It has been almost sixty years that these conflicts have been going on and I am now tired of hearing the same news, over and over again, day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year!

It is about time to close this chapter once and for all.

So get around a table and finish it. Period.

AJA.

Vince Borg

Dec 31st 2008, 10:08

Reading this article and looking at that picture, I recalled what Einstein once said!

"Only 2 things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe.“

Intelligenti pauca! Happy New Year!

Iris Azzopardi

Dec 31st 2008, 10:03

The marchers had every right to chant "Down with the USA" and "Down with Israel", and the Police had no right to stop them. This is Malta, a democratic country where the freedom of expression is guaranteed, not Gaza, Tehran or Damascus. If anything, these slogans served to further highlight the mind-set of the organisers and participants in the march, and their real intentions.
I am not surprised by the participation of the Maltese 'usual suspects' - miniscule fringe groups and front organisations, but I am horrified by the presence of the Chairman of Alternattiva and Labour's International Secretary.

silvio.vella

Dec 31st 2008, 09:44

Please remember that the state of Israel was created on 29 November 1947 within a few hours Israel was attacked by its Arab neighbors on all sides. it has never been at peace since. Hamas has vowed to destroy the Israeli state together with Iran. Throughout its history it has been a war for survival. If israel lowers her guard for a second it will be annihilated.
Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for these last few days with not a whimper from anyone.

TRW O'Neill

Dec 31st 2008, 09:42

Did a Maltese woman really say that , the Palstinians have no weapons,? Where did the 8000, rockets that Hamas has fired at Israel come from? plus those that they still intend to fire.what would she think was correct action if the Rockets were being fired at her home area,? especially after repeated warnings to cease such attacks, If Hamas is so evil as to take such actions, thay are being repaid, it is sad that the innocent are also being killed, but Hamas fires rockets from civilian areas, so that they can get sympathy when innocents are killed or injured

H Gatt

Dec 31st 2008, 09:33

Graffitti are a hypocritical organisation. They claim they want peace and yet they protest only against one side (Israel) when everyone with an open mind knows that in the current conflict neither Israel nor the Palestinians are blameless. Moreover Hamas is a terrorist organisation irrespective of whether they are legitimately in government or not. Where were Graffitti during the massacres in Georgia and Tibet only months ago? Did they organise any peace marches? Of course not! They only protest when it suits them!

Helena Psaila

Dec 31st 2008, 09:22

Thank you protesters for not staying at home, at least someone from my country has spoken up. 360 dead in a matter of days! Who can excuse this?

malcolm seychell

Dec 31st 2008, 09:17

Can someone tell who are the politicians who attended this one sided protest

I think the public needs to know who supports the Hamas terrorist group in Malta.

Izrael has every right to defend their people against terrorists and not vice versa.

Adrian Cardona

Dec 31st 2008, 09:03

Can you get any more one-sided?! Do these people forget who broke the ceasefire and fired all those rockets into Israel? Are any of these do-gooders aware that the people of Palestine elected Hamas to govern them because they swore to destroy the Israeli state and people? Are not Israeli children also killed when these idiots blow themselves up in school buses and public transport? How about showing some solidarity towards them as well? No one is blameless in this war, but it's about time that these people stop playing the poor victims of unprovoked aggression.

O.Grixti

Dec 31st 2008, 08:55

Ara qedin sew !
If you want to protest, go and protest were you can be heard, in the middle of the war and show your Hippy banners their maybe they will do something with them!
Israel warned Palestinians to stop, but they insisted. Also maybe Palestinians have Iran weopons. But it's not my or your problem who has and of whom !
If one stops , the other will follow... It's not a one side war!