Emails from a NYC Palestinian-American visiting Lebanon
12/1/2006
Howdy lovely women!
It is wild to be here at this time. Yesterday’s rally (which will go on for days - until the govt cries uncle and packs up)
On CNN they claim it is a Hezbollah-organized rally but it is in fact a combo of all the groups opposed to the current govt, which kisses U.S. ass. It is the Christian crew with Auon, the Amal crew of Berri, and another group I can't remember the name of. Sure Hezbollah is prominent but it is a healthy mix.
The folks who had Hezbollah scarves and flags like that were a combo of women in black chadors to women with tiny, tiny tank tops and mad amounts of makeup and tons of bling hanging out together and who came together as friends. It was a wild thing to see. It totally blows apart ideas that the women who support Hezbollah are all veiled and covered in chadors. One woman had like 7 facial piercings and colored hair punk rock style and a Hezbollah tattoo on her arm, ok. And she was hanging out with her pal with a black chador. I saw women with orange scarves and flags of the Christian crew with Auon hanging out with Hezbollah women. It was soooo cool to see the diversity. Guys with punk rock hair and hippies with their buddies who look stereotypically Hezbollah style with the short 3 days growth beards. And guys and women friends hanging out together in groups of friends and they all have in common their hate for the U.S. govt and Zionism. We met tons of people who couldn't believe we were from the U.S. and that we totally hate the U.S. govt and I told them there are a lot of us in the U.S. but they probably never hear about it because our media portrays us as bush lovers and pro war.
I will send you guys the reports I sent to (redacted) about our trip to the south and to the southern suburbs of Beirut. I told folks about my problems with the feds and they were shocked and horrified. They said I am welcome to come back if I have too much troubles.
Lots of love from Lebanon,
agent 361
*****
12/3/2006
Howdy folks,
We have been going to the protest rally that started Friday and it is still going strong. What an inspiration. It’s like I died and went to heaven!!!
Wow!! What a trip.
About 2 million or so have shown up on the first day. Tons of folks from all over Lebanon have been there. Tons of folks set up tents to sleep over. Like around 500 tents- big tents. Most folks wave Lebanese flags on request of the leadership of the rallies to show unity. But of course folks show their parties colors in dress, scarves and hijabs, pins, arm bands, you name it. And some folks do in fact have their party flags here and there. But in the center it is a virtual sea of Lebanese flags.
There are speeches with music in between. There is this song they play a lot, it seems like a top hit with everyone singing along called "Ida" its about one town in the south that got bombed to hell by the "Israelis" and the resistance gave em hell back. The "Israelis" also bulldozed parts of it as well. You can see Palestine from this town.
There is another song that they play a lot about Shia and Sunni unity. I love it!!
I made a sign that says "NYC (then a drawing of a heart) the opposition!" My god we have been bum-rushed with happy, surprised, and overjoyed people who can't believe their eyes when they see it. It has opened doors big time. You guys should see the expressions on peoples faces when they see it, folks who can't communicate with us try to find someone who can and if not, we get kisses, hugs, food, coffee and other expressions of mad amounts of love and appreciation. Everyone makes clear that they hate the U.S. govt but not the people of the U.S. It is so amazing. People in the U.S. can learn a lot from that!! Most people also know that it is not just the Bush crew but the whole govt we have, be it dems or republicans, are the enemy.
On Friday night after the first day of rallying we went to one of many areas where folks were camping out, making campfires, smoking argela. One guy and his buddies said, "So Condoleezza Rice wants a new Middle East huh, well this is the new Middle East!!,” as he pointed to the crowd of folks. Wow!! At the end of that night my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!!
Then me and B got rides on the back of their scooters. People here drive all over the place with scooters and cars, etc. waving flags of their parties of choice beeping their horns and saying slogans, mainly Hezbollah, the Christian party of Auon which has an orange flag and the green flag of the Amal party, which is a Muslim party among others. What a blast that was!! We drove around for like 1/2 an hour.
My favorite signs are slogans that say "we want a clean govt" and they have sponges hanging off the signs, my god I had a laughing attack from hell over that one. When people ask me what I do for work I say office work and I clean and declutter for people and they invite me to stay and help them clean the govt, and I say thanks but we got a lot of cleaning to do back in the U.S.!! They love that. They love it that we are there and support them in their efforts to expel the U.S.-backed govt.
This is a historic time to be here. Folks plan to do this protest/camp out til the govt hangs it up and steps down.
The govt buildings are surrounded with tanks and other military vehicles of all sorts and soldiers with mad amounts of guns and what not. And of course barbed wire fencing. The govt pigs are holed up inside with the protest surrounding their desperate asses.
I bet the creeps in D.C. are in their little situation room freaking the hell out!! Since their homies in the govt here are under pressure.
On CNN they called it a Woodstock-style event but with out the drugs and sex. Hell yeh!!
I am soooooo proud of the fine folks here!!!
Signing off - we are on our way back to the rally!!
Mad amounts of love from Lebanon -
agent 361
*****
12/4/2006
Two protesters, members of Amal, were shot to death Sunday night as they drove through a fascist neighborhood on their way home from the rally. Killers likely from Saad Hariri's Truth Movement. Leadership here is taking high ground, telling everyone to be cool, not to respond to provocation, avoid civil war. Funeral is tomorrow, will be big.
