Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 15:12:47 -0700 (MST)
From: thekoba  (K J WALSH)
Subject: March for Palestine in Tempe
To: nebukhadhnasar@yahoo.com
Cc: thekoba , snail , nsubufa@yahoo.com, cbpeek@hotmail.com, dpceranski@aol.com, proton@ruscable.ru, andrzej-kowalik@wp.pl, dog@beach.ocn.ne.jp




Rather than bring a protest sign, I simply brought with me the flag of
Palestine.  Rather than bring a rifle, I kept my pistol concealed under my
shirt.  At 11 AM today I went to Tempe Beach Park in northwestern Tempe
for the anti-war meeting and march.  It was a small gathering initially,
perhaps 25 or 30, which may have swelled to 40 when the actual march began.
Speaking there was Mahatma Ghandi's grandson, but as he was soft-spoken
and there was no microphone prepared for him, most of us could barely
hear him.  I was but ten metres away, and most of his pacifist platitudes
escaped me.  He did not join us for the march but spoke for about half an
hour before it began.  He did seem to be staring at my flag as I stood
there.  There seemed to be a great deal of ignorance about the flag, and
several people asked me what it was.  I responded, "The flag of free
Palestine."

As we began to march, someone called for song, so I started to sing
<September Martyrs>, and as I was singing, someone from a radio station
thrust a microphone in my face.  Another person there moved towards the
reporter and said, "He does not represent our views."  

We marched north on the Mill Avenue Bridge over Tempe Town Lake, and yet
another person called for song, so I sang <Fie Upon the Congress>.  Someone
said to me, "This is a non-violent demonstration.  Why are you in it?"

I said, "I have no intention of committing any act of violence today.  I am
marching for free Palestine."

Some "pacifist" punks tried to impede my progress, and I told them to get the
hell out of my way.  One said, "Let's not have any violence."

I said, "When you block my way on a sidewalk on which I have every right to
walk, you are being violent with me.  You can believe I will defend myself."
At that point they let me pass.  

At the far side of the bridge, we turned back and walked southward over
Town Lake again and to downtown Tempe.  They kept chanting the same song
over and over again.  It was not "we shall overcome", but it was something
like "We have come too far for freedom, we won't turn back".  I could
certainly agree with those sentiments, but it got old after several dozen
repetitions.  I remarked, "And I thought Country music was repetetive.  At
least I had five songs memorized for this march."  That provoked some
laughter.  I thought I could find some common ground with these people by
singing "The Red Flag", but apparently I was the only one there who knew it.

At the northwest corner of the Arizona State University campus we turned
back north towards the park.  Then the pacifists formed some kind of a 
circle.  I stood outside it holding the flag, as I was not sure exactly
what was supposed to happen.  Oneof them said something about there being
a Palestinean flag in their presence and asking how everyone felt about
it.  Several people said they were not comfortable with the flag and the
"hateful" things I said, and the rest nodded in assent.  One woman asked
me, "Do you come here in peace?"

I said, "Yes, I have no intention of committing any violent or criminal act
here.  I am here in peaceful protest for Palestine."

Another woman said, "I'm glad you intend no violence, but your words are
violent."  

Another woman identified herself a Jew and said that the things I had
said in my songs truly hurt her.  I said that it was truly hateful to
believe onesself to be the people chosen by God to screw over everyone else,
but the others made it clear they didn't want to hear anything more from
me, so I just stood there in silence holding the flag while they had
their little groups session standing in the circle.  When it broke up, some
people came to talk to me.  We spoke briefly, and then I left, as there
was nothing going on by their little picnic.

--Kevin