Making Headlines
Controversial Muhammad cartoons appear at free-speech rally
3/25/2006 1:42 PMBy: Associated Press
LONDON -- About 200 people have turned out for a free-speech demonstration in central London. And some of them carried posters of the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that infuriated much of the Muslim world.
Protest organizers had originally invited protesters to display the images on banners and T-shirts. But they later withdrew that invitation to avoid alienating sympathetic Muslims.
The reversal prompted hundreds of angry Internet responses from people who called it political censorship.
Some demonstrators showed their support for the cartoons by carrying signs saying “Stop Toonophobia.''
Others draped themselves in Danish flags.
Nine men identified by police as Muslim counter-protesters were escorted away.
No comment for now other than to say our 'Stop Toonophobia' banner pretty much makes it as the march slogan in the end! More photos including the cartoon renegades tomorrow. A few Americans managed to join us also - 'dont behead me guy' above and the young lady with the Orwell placard.
posted by Alison @ 12:06 am
14 Comments:
Alison,
Great Job! All the best to all who participated from all of us on this side of the pond. In case you want to see what the Gulf Daily News (the Voice of Bahrain) had to say, go here.
Great pics and report Alison. Looks like a VERY nice turnout!! I'm very proud to see that. Thank you!
It took courage and that's what you all had, Great pictures, wish I could have been there.
Are you going to tell the story about the twats who nicked your placard afterwards?
We've located said twats in a photograph here
Michael has some great pics here if you haven't seen already
http://www.michaelfuchs.org/razorsedge/?story=2006-03-25
Thanks J - I need to do a proper write up but in all honesty am too hungover. Later...
Alison you rock! I'm glad you went into the crowd and got your sign back!s
Details! Deeeeeetails!
I think Alison has an incy wincy hangover so I shouldn't think she'll post about it until tommorow :)
Jonz - ha bloody ha!
DSD - Jonz above has the details over at the excellent drunkenblogging.
That IS good news. Somehow i dont think the same will be true of Nazanin and her plight.
Kudos to all who attended in the face of the cartoon turnaround and all those posts of people who decided not to go because of it. It took courage to show up knowing there would be less of you.
Abdul Rahman was freed yesterday, I put up a post on my blog about it if anyone is still interested but it's probably old news by now.
Nazanin is doomed, I'm afraid. The West has considerable clout in Afghanistan, but none whatsoever in Iran.
I've linked to an interesting site in the fight against rad Islam, it's at http://www.secularislam.org and is Arab Muslims pushing the secularization of Islam, re-writing the whole thing to conform to the rest of the modern free world. I wish them great success, any who might want to give them a link, I'm sure they would welcome it.
Rasta - thanks for your sidebar dedication btw. Chuffed.
I think youre right about Nazanin. But also the West couldnt care less b/c she's a girl. Womens rights have all fallen to the bottom of the rights pile again, rights in their truest sense that is.
Ill check out the link.
I think it was wrong of some people to post such opposition on the march blog rather than simply turn up and voice their opinion there. Im of the opinion they never intended to show up anyway.
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