Not Australian and definitely not Lebanese
Charbel Khouri
UALM
3.4.03
Last week in Sydney, An anti war protest was staged. Nothing new I hear you say. Well this protest was unique in a few ways to say the least. The demonstration in Sydney set a new and dangerous precedent. Up until last week, the only violent protests with youth at the forefront were in other countries not in Australia. But thanks to a group of anarchists and hooligans this is no longer the case. The extremist group ‘Resistance’ who organised the event is well known for its publicity stunts and this time was no different. They incite violence and use sensitive issues to provoke the crowd. In Australia the right to protest is respected, but in saying that the protesters have to abide by the law as well. Something the participants in the march conveniently forgot.

The events of last week showed what happens when a rally is organised by people who are well known for their anti social behaviour and who recruit youth who are just looking for the slightest excuse for a reason to cause trouble. The situation got totally out of hand and this is what event organiser, Kylie Moon and her cohorts wanted. Unfortunately they were able to find a group of Lebanese youth to do their dirty work. They exploited an issue which many Lebanese and Arab people have strong views towards, She used the war issue for her and her groups own publicity. She claims she didn’t want violence but if they really didn’t want violence they could have taken steps in avoiding it.

The protesters marched through the centre of Sydney and not only caused massive disruption to people going about their daily lives, but also caused injury to bystanders and damage to property. The group who rampaged through city streets were brandishing Lebanese flags and were chanting anti U.S slogans and they were also taunting the police with abusive remarks. Weapons were also found and one youth was arrested for possessing a knife. Even historical St. Andrews Cathedral wasn’t spared the brutality of the thugs and was vandalised which is very puzzling since the Church is anti war as well. Which then invariably poses the question as to the real reason these youth were protesting and did they really know what they were protesting about?

In the days following this disgraceful event, The Nations eyes were focused on the instigators of the trouble with the police. It is a well-known fact that the main troublemakers were Lebanese youth. The police mentioned them as youth of Middle Eastern appearance, anyone viewing the subsequent tapes of the carnage that occurred could clearly see the numerous amounts of Lebanese flags in the crowd, and it undoubtedly proved that the Lebanese youth were the main perpetrators. Unfortunately due to the behaviour of the crowd and the fact that they made it obvious that they were Lebanese, the media had a field day. The protesters certainly did not do themselves or Lebanon any favours, they just gave Kylie Moon more exposure for her selfish cause.

However, while the media went to extraordinary lengths to show that these youths were Lebanese they failed to mention a few important points, which would totally rectify some important issues. The media in its coverage of the event turned public opinion against the Lebanese, as was evident on numerous talkback shows on radio and the letters to the editor sections in the major newspapers. This did the Lebanese a great injustice. The media failed to mention that they don’t represent the Lebanese community.

After speaking to a large cross section of the Lebanese community it comes as no surprise to find that most if not all do not condone such acts. The sentiment that was felt was that the youth just wanted an excuse to cause trouble and that protest was a perfect opportunity. The protesters in the way they behaved, marginalised the message of the protest and lost any support they had from society in general.

The gang, who turned violent, did not go in the name of a cause or to help get the message across. They went with one sole purpose and that was to stir trouble. They seem to pop up anywhere where there is a chance to face off against police. They brought the name of the Lebanese into disrepute and they couldn’t care less. They have no morals and no values and they certainly have no cause.

They carry the Lebanese flag wherever they go and they claim to be Lebanese. Well if they are truly Lebanese, why don’t they defend the rights of their country? Lebanon was invaded, why don’t they protest about that? Why do they call for an end to American occupation of Iraq, but forget that their own country has been occupied for 27 years? What about all the innocent civilians who died in Lebanon? How can they claim to be Lebanese and not care about it?
Being Lebanese isn’t like a smorgasbord where you can pick and choose, to be Lebanese you have to take the good with the bad and you have to defend Lebanon when it needs defending. They are not Lebanese, nor are they Australian for neither the Lebanese nor an Australian would act in such an uncivilised manner, nor are they Muslim or Christian because both religions do not condone such behaviour.

This proves that these children really don’t know what they are doing, they are happy just being pawns. They are nothing but a nuisance, who claim to be part of a particular race and religion just to identify themselves with something, but in fact they couldn’t be further apart from what they claim to be.

The NSW Police Force must be commended on a job well done, the police officers showed restraint and patience in dealing with the youth. It is remarkable that the injury and damage was kept to a minimum. They had to put up with a lot of abuse, taunts and violence but they handled the situation very well. It is hoped that the youth learn from their actions and realise that they didn’t do anybody any favours by the way they acted. A protest is planned for Wednesday April 2. Australia waits to see if they have realised the wrongs in their actions, for the sake of the Australian-Lebanese community in Australia, it is hoped they have.