Weirdness at Political Rallies
Jun. 24th, 2012 10:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dewlineSome of you have already read about this via my Facebook feed.
I went to one of those protest rallies to support the investigation into allegations of election fraud during the 2011 federal elections yesterday. Clive Doucet spoke. So did Errol Mendes from Carleton University, as did Anita Vandenbeld, last year's Liberal candidate who found herself losing to John Baird.
There was some open mike time for other attendees as well.
Towards the end, as the gathered crowd was getting ready to start a march-past of three of the big five political parties' Ottawa HQ offices and singing O Canada as they went, one other speaker got a bit of a harangue from a couple of guys who apparently showed up late and had not heard her speak during the open mike session. They noticed her accent and started in with the old "Where did you come from? Why don't you go back there?" spiel, you see. Had they heard her commentary earlier, I wonder if their complaints about her activism would have taken another tack.
I wish I could remember her name right now.
As she explained, she moved to Canada 45 years ago.
From Germany.
Yeah. She went there in her remarks before being heckled in that general "Go back where you came from" way, observing what she saw as disturbing historical parallels between her old country in the run up to WW 2 and Canada today. "Don't wait until you have to be a hero. It's hard to be a hero. Most of us aren't made for it."
I didn't take seeing her get that treatment very well. Asked them if they'd actually heard her speak. They hadn't. And when I pointed it out, there was some argument over whether or not anyone should dare notice any parallels at all. The "Get a job!" tactic was employed as well. I answered that by asking if they could confirm whether or not a majority of those present were in fact unemployed, never mind whether or not they were on welfare. They didn't take that happily either.
First time I've ever been yelled at by a right-winger for attending what I understood to be a pro-law enforcement rally. First time I've ever seen it happen to anyone else, for that matter.
The paradox is both amusing and frightening.
At least it was only two or three hecklers, this time.
I went to one of those protest rallies to support the investigation into allegations of election fraud during the 2011 federal elections yesterday. Clive Doucet spoke. So did Errol Mendes from Carleton University, as did Anita Vandenbeld, last year's Liberal candidate who found herself losing to John Baird.
There was some open mike time for other attendees as well.
Towards the end, as the gathered crowd was getting ready to start a march-past of three of the big five political parties' Ottawa HQ offices and singing O Canada as they went, one other speaker got a bit of a harangue from a couple of guys who apparently showed up late and had not heard her speak during the open mike session. They noticed her accent and started in with the old "Where did you come from? Why don't you go back there?" spiel, you see. Had they heard her commentary earlier, I wonder if their complaints about her activism would have taken another tack.
I wish I could remember her name right now.
As she explained, she moved to Canada 45 years ago.
From Germany.
Yeah. She went there in her remarks before being heckled in that general "Go back where you came from" way, observing what she saw as disturbing historical parallels between her old country in the run up to WW 2 and Canada today. "Don't wait until you have to be a hero. It's hard to be a hero. Most of us aren't made for it."
I didn't take seeing her get that treatment very well. Asked them if they'd actually heard her speak. They hadn't. And when I pointed it out, there was some argument over whether or not anyone should dare notice any parallels at all. The "Get a job!" tactic was employed as well. I answered that by asking if they could confirm whether or not a majority of those present were in fact unemployed, never mind whether or not they were on welfare. They didn't take that happily either.
First time I've ever been yelled at by a right-winger for attending what I understood to be a pro-law enforcement rally. First time I've ever seen it happen to anyone else, for that matter.
The paradox is both amusing and frightening.
At least it was only two or three hecklers, this time.
