Preservationists vs. Eliminationists

There was a colourful and rather noisy demonstration at a major Toronto intersection yesterday, but this--one measly photo--is all that shows up about it in the Toronto Star. For a more complete picture you'll have to turn to bloggers BCF, who got some superb shots of the Eliminationists (the pro-Hamas crowd who rallied on the Royal Ontario Museum side of Bloor Street), Josephine (love that dude in the kefiyah and kilt, Jo) and Five Feet of Fury.

My impressions: the Eliminationists had the nicer, more expensive-looking decorations and signage; someone (Wahhabi? not mentioning any names) obviously has very deep pockets. However that was largely offset by the Preservationists (the Israel supporters who had gathered on the Israeli Consulate side of Bloor Street) who thought to bring life-sized replicas of Qassam rockets, the ones that had Hamas had been raining down on Israelis civilians prior to the Gaza incursion. Also, ours was the much more multicultural side, with Jews, Christians, Hindus and others. The other side seemed to be comprised mostly of Arabs, Communists,  and, sad to say, idiot "Jews for Gaza" (i.e. Jews for Hamas, i.e. Jews for the final Final Solution). The Preservationists had Canadian and Israeli flags and sang "Hatikvah" and "Oh Canada." The Eliminationists, who only had Palestinian flags, tried to get some of those rhyming cheers reminiscent of "hey, hey LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?" going, but they seemed to peter out almost as soon as they got started. One had the sense that protest organizers had expected a repeat of the huge pro-Hamas crowd that turned out a year ago, as did police, who had set up barricades on both sides of the street, and who sent quite a large continent of cops, including several on horseback, to contain the crowd. Instead, they got a much smaller crowd, and a larger contingent of pro-Israel supporters confronting them "home made" rockets and signs prominently featuring the word "jihad".

I have to say that with their smallish crowd and their same old tiresome blather--yadda yadda yadda "racist," yadda yadda yadda "apartheid," yadda yadda yadd "justice" (you really need some new material, folks)-- the Eliminationists managed to seem both shrill and pathetic. Still, there was one particularly chilling moment: a pony-tailed "youth" unfurled a Hezbo flag and, seeing the reaction is was eliciting from the other side, smiled an Ahmadinejad-like smirk and gave the flag a great big kiss. (I could see him very clearly because I was standing right across from him, and I'm pretty sure he was looking at me when he kissed it). It was like staring into the face of pure evil--the face of modern day Judenhass.

Update: The counter-protesters sing:

Grab your flag and grab your rag.
Bring your loathing to the protest.
Just direct your bleat ("boo, Israel")
To the Juden side of the street.
Can't you hear their stale old rants
And the "Big Lies" that they've professed?
Hatefulness replete
On the Hamas side of the Street.

I used to wait for the news
That Official Jews
Such hate would abuse.
But O.J.s
Stays aways.

If I ever had their signs
I'd be rich like a Wahhabi.
Judenhass complete
On the Hamas side of the Street.

Update: Here's the Toronto Sun's report.

Update: Some youtube footage from the pro-Hamas side.

Update: This is what it's all about--"saving" those starving/suffering/oppressed/brutalized/downtrodden citizens of Gaza.