featured a virtual advertisment – in two senses – for demonstrations organised by the Stop the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain, says USS Neverdock. His screenshot shows a box headed “Protest Assembly Points” and then the exact times and places for the demonstrations in Birmingham (“Outside Waterstones, entrance to Bullring”), Exeter, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kirckcaldy, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Sheffield and York. To finish it off nicely there’s an encouraging slogan across the bottom of the page saying, “Back peace call – Archbishop” But that just happens to be the headline for a link to another story. One hopes that its positioning just below the list of assembly points for demonstrations so that it appears the Archbishop is calling for people to back them is mere coincidence. And then there is the question of why the Archbishop’s remarks were reported that way which my colleague Ed Thomas has already blogged about.
Talk about public service! To place a quarter-page advert for your demo in a national newspaper reaching the same size of audience as the BBC does usually costs quite a lot, but the BBC will help out for free. Will help out some of us, anyway. For some reason when it comes to Sunday’s pro-Israel protest the exact assembly point isn’t so newsworthy.
Since then for some reason the BBC got embarrassed about their advertisment. Never mind, it was up long enough for good citizens to make their arrangements.
On the same subject, here is a Google News shot of an earlier version of the same story. The headline was “UK protests over Israeli attacks.” The same headline and first few paragraphs made up Ceefax page 108. Interesting headline, don’t you think? Could easily be read as meaning the UK government had protested over the Israeli attacks, which it has not. Or it could be read as the UK as a whole nation is united in protest over the Israeli attacks, which again is not the case. But of course it really meant that some protests were to be held in the UK against the Israeli attacks. Again, one hopes that like “Back peace call – Archbishop” the ambiguity is mere coincidence.
According to LGF “Galloway praises Hizballah in London”:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21706_Breaking-_Galloway_Praises_Hizballah_in_London#comments
Sorry, the link above jumps directly to the comments (some of them not very friendly). Use this one instead: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21706_Breaking-_Galloway_Praises_Hizballah_in_London
Having such a detailed list like that is utterly indefensible. I’m not at all surprised that it’s been removed.
I mentioned a few criticisms of B-BBC/USS Neverdock in another thread, but USSN is on the money here 100%.
It’s not completely removed, the time and place of a pro Israel demo (Kenton, Middlesex) is still up on the page.
BBC often does this sort of thing. I remember News 24 giving very detailed “instructions” to viewers on how to take part in the Countryside Alliance marches in support of foxhunting, complete with on-screen maps of the assembly points around London. They did the same for the fuel protestors.
Jeff in Sussex – I’m genuinely surprised at the BBC “promoting” a Countryside Alliance march – if anything, I’d have expected them to advertise an anti-hunting event. I’d like to think there was a farewell party that week for the (ir)responsible editorial staff.
Cheers.
A better headline than “UK protests over Israeli attacks” would have been “UK protestors rally over Israeli attacks”. It is eight characters longer. I note that the BBC has changed its headline to “Protests in UK at Israeli action”, which is precisely the same length as their previous headline. It is better than my alternative, so clearly the BBC’s employees understand how to use words, and how to use them to achieve a certain result, or support a certain point of view, and make it seem normal and mainstream.
I have to assume that some of the people who work at the BBC’s website attended these rallies. And Vanessa Redgrave, I imagine she attended as well. I can’t wait for her to die of old age. The world will be slightly better without her.
I notice from the homepage of BBC News that there is an Editor’s Blog. It is current advertised with the text “Do you blog about BBC News? Do you realise we’re reading?”, which sounds faintly sinister. Perhaps it could continue “And don’t you realise that we could make things very difficult for you?”.
My former flatmate at University was really into the stop the war campaign prior to the Iraq war. Tagging on for a free drink, we went to pretty good ‘anti-war’ parties held by friends that worked for the bbc in Manchester. I think they even had the SWP posters in the window at that time.
“BBC often does this sort of thing. I remember News 24 giving very detailed “instructions” to viewers on how to take part in the Countryside Alliance marches in support of foxhunting, complete with on-screen maps of the assembly points around London. They did the same for the fuel protestors.”
Well, Jeff in Sussex, the key to a successful accusation of bias is to provide evidence. If the BBC “often” promote campaigns like the “Countryside Alliance” and the “fuel protestors” then the left-wing main stream media and blogo(hemi)sphere will be all over it.
Please provide links to some (or even one) screen shots or other evidence of these frequent BBC promotions of right wing pressure campaigns. Otherwise readers might be inclined to conclude that memories of certain Sussex Jeffs are not entirely reliable.
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How about “Usual loonies protest against Americans and Jews” as the headline? Much more accurate.
For US readers who may recognise cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester, and ask why the BBC are advertising the assembly point for the Scottish town of Kirkcaldy in Fife, with a population of only 46,912 people, the answer is that the MP for Kirkcaldy is none other than Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and soon to be expected Scottish Raj, sorry, the next Prime Minister, with an anticipated power base in England, and yet his own constituency is in Scotland which has its very own Scottish parliament. England is not allowed to have its own parliament yet. I have no idea why the BBC included this demo in its list; does anybody else?
I saw the “mass” rally in York yesterday, which was being held at the same time as a multicutural event in the main square. Amusingly while there was a wide mix of people from Koreans, Indians to Argentinians for the event, the 30-40 protesters were all horribly white (and their beards mostly so too).
Teletext mentioned the anti- rallies yesterday, without mention of the support rally taking place today. Naturally today teletext, while mentioning the pro- rally, cannot do so without mentioning the anti- ones that took place yesterday.
actually the UK government has protested about the Israeli attacks, so not sure what you’re on about mate.
“actually the UK government has protested about the Israeli attacks, so not sure what you’re on about mate.”
Show us a link to where the UK Government has “protested” about the Israeli Attacks???
Sources??…
:o)
Minister hits at Israel as Britons flee
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2281638,00.html
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I must add that the ministerial condemnation of Israeli actions came after the ambiguous BBC headline, so this doesn’t alter that point in Natatlie’s post (sorry Emily)
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“I remember News 24 giving very detailed “instructions” to viewers on how to take part in the Countryside Alliance marches…”
I am reminded of the fuss about Rod Liddle and the Countryside Alliance back in 2002, when the BBC ditched him for being too transparent in his parallel career as a columnist for the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,802162,00.html
“The piece … fell on the wrong side of the line that separates edgy, challenging commentary from a frontal attack.”
Were it not for a “technical error” Liddle’s column would have been vetted and he would have continued spewing the same poison whilst his co-workers grinned and laughed at his bon mots.
There are two groups of people who want to know where the Countryside Alliance has its way. Firstly there are supporters of the Countryside Alliance. I imagine that the BBC’s coverage was not aimed at them.
Secondly there is a large group of people who would absolutely love it if supporters of the Countryside Alliance were to have their late parents’ remains dug up and posted through their letterbox in the dead of night. (Breathe in). And that group of people would like to know when and where the Countryside Alliance plans to gather.
“disillusioned_german:
According to LGF “Galloway praises Hizballah in London”:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/ …London#comments”
Leave Galloway alone. He’s just a harmless pussycat deep down. A sheep in wolfs clothing who likes to play the big man every now and then. All he wants is a little attention. That’s why he ‘sings to the choir’ and champions the causes of all the the self-declared ‘victims’ of life who reciprocate him with the sychophantic adulation he craves.
Who can possibly listen to his weekly radio show on talk sport and fail to warm to his charms? I used to despise the man but now I understand that he’s merely an entertainer who likes to play devils advocate; the archetypal pantomine villain of British Politics. Like that little boy at the back of the classroom who breaks all the rules to impress the girls. Good old George, ‘sticking it to the man’ for all these years.
Ashley P, I think you’re muddling organizations. The Countryside Alliance is no terrorist group – it is/was a mainstream campaigning group that opposed the Labour foxhunting ban.
The BBC search engine was helpful for once so I can present the following link… even “March Route-open in new window”. Not even a stealth edit whatever that is.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2270650.stm
The point being that it’s not unheard-of for BBC to give full details in advance of demonstrations.
Well done, Jeff in Sussex. I think that’s enough of a challenge to warrant an update to the post. I shall certainly regard your memories as worthy of consideration from now on. Evidence is always best.
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“The point being that it’s not unheard-of for BBC to give full details in advance of demonstrations.”
Good point I’ve noted often how the BBC gives the time of day to small protests.
Only thing I can’t seem to find on the frontpage/Uk/England web pages anything about that counter protest going on today. I wonder why?
In the interests of balance and education I thought I might let you all know that it isn’t just Muslims and UK lefties who are against the insane bombing of civilians in Lebanon. Jews in Israel were protesting against the bombing on Saturday.
http://jacob-katriel.tripod.com/id24.html
I know those of you rail against unbalanced reporting will be glad to have the opprotunity to see some balance on the B-BBC forum 😉
A lurker
In the interest of truthfulness you must know that its the insane Muslims who are bombing civilians in Israel, and under international law it is they who are responsible for any civilian deaths in Lebanon.
http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000170.html
Both Protocol I and Article 28 of the Geneva Convention (IV) make clear that “the deliberate intermingling of civilians and combatants, designed to create a situation in which any attack against combatants would necessarily entail an excessive number of casualties is a flagrant breach of the Law of International Armed Conflict,” according to international law scholar Yoram Dinstein (see his The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict, Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 129 – 130).| In short, Hezbollah is in violation of the laws of war when it places missiles and rockets in villages and homes in order to shield them from Israeli attack.
Article 51(7) of Protocol I states: “The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations.” And the Geneva Convention (IV) holds that “The presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points of areas immune from military operations.” (Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 1949, Laws of Armed Conflicts, 495, 511.) Moreover, the Rome Statute is clear that “utilizing the presence of civilians or other protected persons to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations is recognized as a war crime by Article 8 (2) (b) (xxiii)”. (Dinstein, p. 130)
See also Human Rights Watch on Hezbollah’s use of ball bearings in rockets fired on civilians:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/18/lebano13760.htm
Stuff that in your smiley and smirk it!
:-Þ
I would have like to have seen this picture on the BBC website instead of the croped pictures they are using, with selective placards.
http://moonbatmedia.com/against_israel_220706/DSC01463.JPG
A lurker:
In the interests of balance and education I thought I might let you all know that …
Read this from a blog written by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and repent the BBC’s and your sins of omission.
Hizbullah’s Filthy Methods
Biodegradable:
Read this from a blog written by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and repent the BBC’s and your sins of omission.
I have committed no “sins of omission” – all I’ve done is draw to your attention that there are Israeli Jews protesting against Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
Come off it A lurker!
This is exactly what you said:
it isn’t just Muslims and UK lefties who are against the insane bombing of civilians in Lebanon.
Read what serving members of the Lebanese armed forces have to say about the “insanity” of the situation then think again about who should be protesting what.
You’re free to draw your own conclusions about Israelis protesting – to me it simply proves what a vibrant democracy and free society they live in. The IDF are fighting and dying for that freedom. If Hezbollah win they’ll all be dead.
Lurker,
yes, there are many lunatics also in Israel, but luckily they are fast becoming vanishing species. There were only 2000 or so. Is this news??? No. And apart from brief mentioning, it was mostly ignored by the media, as it should have been.
many former leftits have woken up to realise that the Israel’s left-leaning policies have brought about the present situation and united SAY NO MORE.
Biodegradable
I’ve just re-read my original posting and I just read it as trying to illustrate that there are Israeli Jews protesting against the bombing of Lebanon.
But I see you have highlighted my use of the word “insane” (btw how do you make stuff bold and/or italic?) to describe the bombing of Lebanon. And I amore than happy to use exactly the same adjective to describe the actions of Hezbollah.
It is absolutely beyond me what Hezbollah think they can gain by this indiscrimate unprovoked shelling of Israel – and they should be condemned for it. I just happen to think the Israeli reaction is disproportionate and only hardens attitudes all round.
… trying to illustrate that there are Israeli Jews protesting against the bombing of Lebanon.
Which for you is a good thing.
And I amore than happy to use exactly the same (insane) adjective to describe the actions of Hezbollah.
But you don’t.
It is absolutely beyond me what Hezbollah think they can gain by this indiscrimate unprovoked shelling of Israel
Don’t you know that the aims of Hezbollah are the complete destruction of The State of Israel, the death of any Jew they can lay their hands on, then once that is accomplished the instauration of an Islamic caliphate in the whole world?
they should be condemned for it.
But you don’t condemn them, you condemn Israel.
I just happen to think the Israeli reaction is disproportionate and only hardens attitudes all round.
That word disproportionate again. So you think that if Israel reacts a little more proportionately Hezbollah’s attitude would soften?
I think you need to get real.
I think A Lurker had the sense to sound the bugles and retreat from this particular battleground. He was losing badly.
I think A Lurker’s mum probably told him to turn his computer off and go to bed 😉
I found it interesting that he thought it was such a valid point that Israel has its very own brain-damaged lunatic left. As if it would broaden our minds to consider their point of view.
We could be in the middle of a nuclear holocaust and A Lurker would still be going on about restraint and dialogue with the terrorists.
Biodegradable
Though sympathetic to the general aim of giving Hezbollah a thoroughly good walloping, I too am beginning to think some of Israel’s actions are insane.
Please explain the following:
Why did Israel bomb the warehouse of the
Lebanese agent for Proctor & Gamble?
Why did Israel bomb the mostly Christian resort town of Baabda, a playground for rich-kids where Hezbollah types don’t get past the private security?
Why did Israel bomb a cardboard box factory? Or a dairy?
Why did the IDF instrct via bullhorns villagers to evacuate their homes and then shoot up the evacuation convoy when they complied?
Why did Israel bomb the home of (and kill) a Ghanaian UN official?
Why did Israel act so insultingly and arrogantly towards Britain as to tell the Royal Navy they had a ‘window’ in which to evacuate British nationals from Beirut? Window? Ruddy cheek.
DaveP
I’m not qualified to reply to all of your questions, I’m sure there was good intelligence that lead to the strikes you mention.
Unless there have been more than one UN official killed I think you’ll find that it was Hezbollah that killed him.
I don’t see why you feel that the Royal Navy had reason to feel insulted, there’s a war going on.
Perhaps you’ll find answers here:
http://www1.idf.il/DOVER/site/homepage.asp?clr=1&sl=EN&id=-8888&force=1
http://www.debka.com/
Dave P “Why did Israel bomb a dairy?”
Cos it’s traditional
during the first Gulf War in 1991. The Iraqis claimed a chemical weapons factory bombed by the Americans was an infant-milk factory. To prove it, they produced scores of workers with uniforms stamped with “BABY MILK FACTORY” • written in English.
I noticed that the BBC report on the Pro-Israel rally showed pictures of the anti-Israel rally.
Maybe I can see why. No anger, no rage, no obscene placards…
http://moonbatmedia.com/stand_with_israel_230706/
Israel Solidarity Rally, London, 23rd July 2006
The rally projected its message of Israel wanting only peace, to all who were there to listen, including the major news outlets, like BBC TV, ITN and Channel 4.
There was a wonderful feeling of unity amongst the crowd of 7,500 with many of them singing songs of peace, before the speeches started.
Anti-terrorist MP, Andrew Dismore was there in support of the rally and its message.
Amongst the speakers, were the Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks and the Israeli Ambassador, Zvi Hefetz, both of whom gave tremendous speeches, spelling out that Israel wants peace, which is why they left Lebanon in 2000, and that, if UN Resolution 1559, (which requires the disarming and disbanding of all militia in Lebanon), was adhered to by the Lebanese government, then the countries would again be living side by side with no problems. Instead, Israel has had to defend itself from the daily torrent of katyushas, fajrs, and raad missiles being fired at its civilian population, a situation initiated by Hizbollah.
The Israelis feel compassion for the wounded and dead Lebanese civilians, who have been dragged into this war by the terrorists.
They also spoke of the situation in Gaza, which Israel left last year. They talked of how the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas, have spent tens of millions of dollars on weapons and arms, instead of spending money on the infrastructure of their country, or on food, homes, hospitals and schools, all of which would improve the life of the Gazans. Why then, deprive their own people and use the phenomenal amount of aid money to continue waging war on Israel?
Then was a live link with a bomb shelter in northern Israel, they told us that one of the schools had been bombed on Thursday. Clothing and childrens toys had been sent over from the UK Jewish groups to help with the crisis, because, unlike their neighbours, Israel has been offered no aid or help from humanitarian organisations. All donations have come from the global Jewish community.
Messages of support came from the Hindu Forum, who joined with us in calling for an end to Islamic terrorism, and their pleas for peace were heard by all of us, as well as the media who were there.
Anglicans for Israel were present, conveying their message of support and peace.
A very moving message was sent by Sudanese refugees from Darfur, who know the devastating effect of Islamist terror on their own lives. They cry out for peace, and a life without fear, (but shamefully the ears of the world, and of the global media, are deaf to them.