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NEWS & LETTERS, October 2002
Women in Black outwit the Right
Jerusalem--For years, right-wing extremists have harassed
Women in Black at vigils throughout Israel, shouting racist and fascist slogans.
Jerusalem Women in Black have far out-numbered the right wing, but the Right is
particularly violent and therefore the Jerusalem police caved in to them and
proposed a Solomonic course of action: that we each demonstrate at Hagar Square
on alternate Fridays. Women in Black immediately rejected this proposal. The
Right--represented by a man who has frequently been arrested for assault of
Arabs and us--accepted it at once. The following week, thanks to an amazing response from
supporters in Jerusalem, we were 160 women and men at the Jerusalem Women in
Black. As a result, the police declared that Women in Black could have the vigil
that Friday, but that the Right would have it the following week. Jerusalem Women in Black met a few days later and decided
the following: We will continue to hold our vigil at Hagar Square every Friday.
Until further notice, however, the Jerusalem vigil would be held at 12:00
noon--one hour earlier than usual--thereby leaving the Right without a reason
for demonstrating. On Sept. 6, we held the vigil at noon, one hour earlier
than usual. Despite the change of hour and the fact that it was the eve of Rosh
Hashana, almost 100 people showed up. Several policemen asked us if we had
changed the hour. We said that we had not, but that we were demonstrating at
noon that day to show the police that we do not want confrontation with the
Right. Nevertheless, we demand to continue at Hagar Square every Friday at 1
p.m., as we have for over 14 years. The vigil dispersed early, as planned, just as carloads of
police arrived to handle the anticipated battle between Women in Black and the
Right. The patrolmen looked surprised to see us leaving. I sat in my car and
watched as seven right-wing demonstrators showed up at 1:00; I counted more
police than demonstrators. I don't know how long the Right remained, but they
must have felt bereft without us. The coming vigil is planned for Friday at 12:00, even
though the police "allow" us to use the square at 1 p.m. A small group
of Women in Black will meet with the police this week to demand our rights. If
the right shows up at noon, that will strengthen our case that their only RAISON
D’ETRE is our presence, and the police should protect our right to demonstrate
at 1 p.m. --Gila Svirsky |
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