"Protesters tell Rumsfeld to leave" -- Adelaide Advertiser article

[Matt Holcomb]

Protesters tell Rumsfeld to leave

17th November 2005

A 500-strong rally in central Adelaide today called United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a war criminal and demanded he go home.

With strict security precautions in place there was little prospect that any demonstrators could get near any venue in which Mr Rumsfeld or US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Zoellick were present.

However, they made do with a rally on the steps outside Adelaide's Parliament House where a series of speakers addressed the crowd.

Protesters chanted that Mr Rumsfeld was a war criminal and should return to the United States.

The senior members of the US government are in Adelaide for the annual Australian and US ministerial consultations, known as AUSMIN.

The rally also called for the freeing of Australian terror suspect David Hicks from Guantanamo Bay jail and chanted: "Rummy go home to your mummy".

One demonstrator waved a placard saying: "9/11 was an inside job".

Australian Democrats SA leader Sandra Kanck said the rally was originally intended to protest at the proposed new terror laws.

"We would not need terror laws if our Prime Minister had not tied us to the coat tails of (US President) George W Bush and Donald Rumsfeld," she said.

"I have been delighted to hear much sedition here today and I have been delighted to see placards that are saying seditious things.

"But by Christmas this may not be allowed in our democracy."

South Australian Greens MP Kris Hanna said Mr Rumsfeld was a symbol of that power and money which runs the United States and Australia.

"They are willing to kill, they are willing to murder innocent civilians by the tens of thousands to exploit the resources of other countries and sacrifice even their own soldiers for these goals of war and expropriation."

After about an hour the rally dispersed.

[fintstone]

Good to see the nutcases are well distributed worldwide and not just a CA thing. I guess that proves it is not genetic, only the result of a poor education.

[aap1966]

Originally posted by Matt Holcomb
Protesters tell Rumsfeld to leave


Australian Democrats SA leader Sandra Kanck said the rally was originally intended to protest at the proposed new terror laws.

"

The high point of the Democrats was when the deputy leader got pissed and assaulted another senator in parliament. The Democrats (all 8 of them) are such a rag-tag mob that they don't even take themselves seriously. It's like having a protest led by Basil Fawlty, kind of amusing but it's not going to keep you up at night worrying.

[jkarolyi]

Oh, no....not a PROTEST against Rumsfeld. He's so scared, I'm sure he'll come running back to his neocon war-criminal heaven back in the USA.

>One demonstrator waved a placard saying: "9/11 was an inside job".

Yeah, and the holocaust never happened either. That the other protestors didn't rip up that sign and beat its bearer to a pulp is evidence of how much weed the Australian protesters were smoking. Were you there with them Matt?

[Joeaksa]

Does anyone really care what the protestors in another country say? Why is this even posted?

Joe A

[fintstone]

Matt and the author were just trying to falsely imply that the 500 person protest was against Rumsfeld, when in fact, it was about something else entirely.
I went to one of those "huge" war protests when I was in Australia. A handful of people showed up. The paper claimed hundreds. The fact is, we could not have better friends than the Aussies.

[Joeaksa]

Flint,

I find the same thing and have met a lot of them in the last month. What the papers say and real life are most times far different.

JoeA

[Matt Holcomb]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Does anyone really care what the protestors in another country say? Why is this even posted?

Joe A

You should care, Joe. The fact that you don't scares me.

[fintstone]

I don't care either. Fortunately our current President does govern based on polls....or protests. He does what he thinks is right for our nation. It scares me that you feel that your protests should have any impact on our country.

[jkarolyi]

Nice reply fint.

So Matt, do you agree with that 9/11 inside job BS?

[fintstone]

from my last visit:

[aap1966]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Does anyone really care what the protestors in another country say? Why is this even posted?

Joe A

Are you dismissive of

1)the protestors? (Justified, they're unwashed rabble that still think the moon landings were filmed on a sound stage in Nevada)

2)it happening in another country? (Unjustified, Australia is part of the "Anglosphere"--ie, US, UK and Australia--that are leading the war).

You should be concerned about what is happening with your allies.

[fintstone]

No one diminishes your country or it's contributions. We would like for all our friends and allies to think as we do, but ultimately our country must do what is right. We trust that your country will do the same. We have protests here too...they are similar in intellect and as informed as your protestors....but it is not a popularity contest.

We know that your country is one of our best allies and these posts certainly are not representative of the Australian people.
But it does get old when the typical Aussie or New Zealander posts here is so anti-American (your posts are quite refreshing).

Frankly, it appears that protests against doing the right thing are just something we in the Anglosphere will just have to get used to. Even from our own citizens.

[fintstone]

Beautiful country:

[Matt Holcomb]

Originally posted by jkarolyi
Nice reply fint.

So Matt, do you agree with that 9/11 inside job BS?

That 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy? No, I don't. But I do think the Bush administration is using it to justify acts of incendiary imperialism.

If the Bush administration were serious about stamping out terrorism, then it would commit itself to fixing the root cause of terrorism -- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

[aap1966]

Originally posted by Matt Holcomb
If the Bush administration were serious about stamping out terrorism, then it would commit itself to fixing the root cause of terrorism -- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Many of those who say they speak for Islam deny Israel's right to exist. So let's (hypothetically) make them happy and assume Israel is pushed into the sea. Do you think that would be "the Final Solution" or just represent the first domino?

[Matt Holcomb]

Originally posted by aap1966
Many of those who say they speak for Islam deny Israel's right to exist. So let's (hypothetically) make them happy and assume Israel is pushed into the sea. Do you think that would be "the Final Solution" or just represent the first domino?

Well, a lot of people (GOP hawks, especially) are convinced that these jihadists despise weakness just as much as they despise Western values. These people say it's a no-win situation, so the only viable solution is to destroy them.

I'm just not as convinced as these hardliners. I think if Israel, Great Britain and the United States could make it up to the Palestinians and neutralise their grievances then suddenly the jihadists would have to find another linchpin, which in turn would make it harder for them to deflect the scorn of moderate Muslims and rational, peaceful people the world over.

It's certainly worth a try.

[creaturecat]

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Does anyone really care what the protestors in another country say? Why is this even posted?

Joe A

clearly demonstrating part of your problem - not that you will ever understand

[creaturecat]

Originally posted by fintstone
Matt and the author were just trying to falsely imply that the 500 person protest was against Rumsfeld, when in fact, it was about something else entirely.
I went to one of those "huge" war protests when I was in Australia. A handful of people showed up. The paper claimed hundreds. The fact is, we could not have better friends than the Aussies.

Good to see you protesting the war - maybe there is hope for you after all..............nahhhhh.

[legion]

Originally posted by Matt Holcomb
I think if Israel, Great Britain and the United States could make it up to the Palestinians and neutralise their grievances then suddenly the jihadists would have to find another linchpin, which in turn would make it harder for them to deflect the scorn of moderate Muslims and rational, peaceful people the world over.

This approach has worked well for France.