Another black day in the history of the Danish Jews

25 July 2014 was another black day in the history of the Danish Jews. About 250 participants in a rally for peace had to seek refuge in the courtyard of the Danish Parliament. The demonstrators, who were mostly Jews, many Danish supporters of Israel as well as a few democratic exile-Iranians, had gathered in a joint rally supporting peace in the Middle-East on the Christiansborgs Slotsplads, the square in front of the Houses of parliament.

The rally was organized by the Danish Zionist Organization and the Frit Iran (Free Iran) organization in Denmark. The speaker for Frit Iran was the organization's very talented  spokesperson, Jaleh Tavakoli. After one hour and four interesting talks, interrupted at times by shouts from nearby enemies of peace, the demonstration was dissolved by the Copenhagen Police. The Police couldn't guarantee any longer for the security of the participants in the rally, due to increasing threats from young Muslim troublemakers who were clustering in ever louder and violent groups nearby and even driving past in their cars shouting anti-Semitic slogans,  waving Hamas flags and showing off their advanced fuck-finger talents.

Security personnel trying to get two men to hide their Hamas flag. They told him to "fuck off". Copenhagen 7/25 2014

 

A Moroccan Lady carrying a Hizbollah banner was kindly asked to hide it by a Danish Police and rally security.

 

Hizb ut-Tharir members trying to gain control over the Pro-Palestinian Rally. Soon after many of the men seen here marched to the Danish Parliament with the intention to attack the rally for Peace in the Middle East.

 

Soon after the peaceful demonstration in support of Israel and peace in the Middle East started at 6 PM, the heavily guarded area around the Danish Parliament was infiltrated by small groups of young Muslim thugs, some of whom had  left a predominately peaceful Pro-Palestinian demonstration on the City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) in Copenhagen, which had started one hour earlier than the joint demonstration for peace held on the Christiansborgs Slotsplads.

 

When I approached the Parliament square to take part in the peaceful rally, a small group of young Muslim men hastened along Gammel Strand, in my old neighbourhood in the heart of Copenhagen. Here they were halted by riot-police units and security agents from the Danish Security Police, PET. With my small, old but faithful pocked camera a filmed the advent of this group of troublemakers. On the way to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, they had chanted "Death to the Jews" and "Fucking Jews".  More numerous groups tried other entries to the Parliament square, which was well guarded by riot-police units. Many of the troublemakers had left a demonstration in support of the Palestinian People, where I witnessed how the organizer of that rally tried to pacify them like disfunctional children by saying "boys, can we make a deal, let the speakers speak and in the intermissions you can shout your slogans; Do we have a deal?".  Some of the troublemakers at the pro-Palestinian demonstration in the City Hall Square came from a demonstration march held by the organization Hizb ut-Tharir, which the Danish police stopped on Sct. Hans square in the Nørrebro precinct of Copenhagen, half an hour before the demonstration in front of the City hall began. Many members of Hizb ut- Tharir, an organisation banned in most European Countries, headed towards the pro-Palestine rally and became gradually louder, shouting different remarks about Jews.  Although members of the Hizb ut-Tharir in Denmark have received prison sentences for encouraging to kill "Jews  wherever they are", this terrorist organisation is still tolerated by the Danish authorities.

 

The thugs, who the Danish Police kept away from the Peace-demonstration in front of the Danish Parliament, carried the flag of Hamas. A group of about 150 of them was held back by the Police. Some managed though, to get less than 10 meters away from the Peace-rally, where some of them were effectively apprehended by the Copenhagen police. While taking photographs of them  arrested troublemakers one of the yelled at me. "Dit zionistsvin; Din "Jyde" [a flawed pronunciation] of jøde= Jew]; Jeg vil hugge hovedet af dig" /Transl. You  Zionist pig; You Jew; I am going to behead you". These extremely hateful young men are clearly no fans of peace.

Thugs apprehended by Danish Police 20 metres from a Peace rally in front of the House of Parliament in Copenhagen

Peace for Israel and Palestine was the motto for the rally in front of the Danish Parliament on 25 July 2014

 

Not the first wave of anti-Semitism in the area

The joint Iranian/Israeli demonstration for Peace in the Middle-East was held in front of the Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, less than 150 meters from an area where Jews in Copenhagen were attacked in German inspired pogroms back in 1819, and only few metres away from the Offices of the Justice Department, where Danish politician and officials by their anti-Jewish refugee laws made it possible for the Danish Police to expel Jewish refugees to Germany from 1940 to 1943, without demands to do so from the Nazi occupants in Denmark. Most of the Jews expelled in this manner met their death in different prisoner- and extermination camps. Now, fortunately, the Danish authorities were protecting the Jews from potential danger from young violent types, who chanted "Death to the Jews", combined with their proclamations that "Allah is great" and other slogans, which cannot leave anyone in the slightest doubt that they are potential killers of Jews.  

Rabbi, Zionist activist and Peace-activist Bent Melchior, 25 July 2014

 

One of the key-speakers at the peace-rally was retied Danish chief Rabbi Bent Melchior. Melchior has  for many years  been the key figure in a peaceful dialogue between Jews and the Muslims minority in Denmark. Shortly after his address to the rally, he witnessed that his favourite short story about how easily he can walk the streets of Copenhagen and meet the greetings and happy smiles of the Muslim population in Central Copenhagen, possibly doesn't apply any more. On 25 July 2014 this favourite tale of his didn't hold to scrutiny, as it in fact hasn't done for many years because ever larger numbers of Jews in Denmark have been attacked in Copenhagen and elsewhere in Denmark if seen wearing a Magen David (star of David) or a yarmulke (scull cap). On 25 July 2014, Rabbi Melchior, who himself in 1946 applied for Alyiah (emigration) to Israel due to anti-Jewish sentiments in Denmark on the return of the Jews who fled for Sweden, must by now realize that anti-Semitism unfortunately is a part of the global support for the Palestinian cause.  On 25 July 2014 in his talk Rabbi Melchior stated firmly that he is a Zionist and a great believer in Zionism. At the Pro-Palestinian rally nearby the participants held banners where the killing of Zionists was promoted by this statement "All Zionists are a legitimate targets everywhere in the World!" (Danish: Alle Zionister er et legitimt Mål over hele Verden!). There was probably a good reason for the old Rabbi not to bless that rally with his dignifying presence and great wish for co-existence and Peace between the Jews and the Palestinians.

 

 

"All Zionists are legitimate targets all over the World", Copenhagen 7/25, 2014

 

The participants in the peaceful Jewish/Christian/Iranian rally were asked to leave the location of the rally due to security measures. The police urged the participants to seek shelter in the back court of the Danish house of Parliament. Here the police announced that the participants could walk away on their own responsibility or take a guarded Police bus, which would drive them to a secure location. The participators, mostly elderly Jews, had to flee the scene of their peaceful rally. Some of them hadn't fled anything since 1943, Others, i.e. the numerous participants in the rally who are Polish Jews, had to flee the Polish State Communist persecution of Jews in late 1960s. People I spoke to were all in a state of shock. One old man said to me: "Now, at least, I am  protected by the Danish Police". That was not the case in 1943, when he fled to Sweden. Although the Danish Police clearly was not represented with its full force, possibly due to summer vacations, they dealt well and highly professionally with the threats from people who definitely do not wish for peace in the Middle East, or for that matter in Denmark.

Rally for Peace-participants fleeing into the courtyard of the Danish Parliament.