Semi Truths A highly irregular weblog dedicated to Truth, Justice, and American Cheese…!

February 18, 2003

PEACE PICTURES

Filed under: Politics — semi @ 9:58 am

Shortly after September 11 2001, I was honored to be part of an internet-wide effort to post pictures of reactions to the terrorist attacks from around the world. I received many messages thanking me for my efforts; more importantly, it helped me to feel connected to a global community of grief and compassion. (I just did a quick check and it appears that my page is one of the few still up).

It was with this experience in mind that I gathered and posted pictures of dissent from around the world after the F15 events. The contrast and irony are inescapable — after September 11, the world joined us in mourning; not quite a year and a half later, millions poured into the street to protest an American-led war. I feel confident saying that, with few exceptions, this is not a “pro-Iraq” movement; this is an anti-war, anti-Bush, and sadly, now, an anti-American protest. This ill-conceived “war on terrorism” may yet squander every opportunity we may have had for uniting the peaceful nations of the world. Who could ever have guessed that, after watching my own government feverishly heading to war, I would find myself admiring the French for their bravery and the Germans for their caution?

I am not the only one gathering these pictures. I have found at least one other page on the BBC World News site that is asking readers to submit their own pictures of global protest. I particularly like this one from the South Pole, Antartica. The caption reads “We organized a rally here at the US Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole, Antarctica. We were only five rallying, probably the smallest protest in the world. Antarctica is the only continent where no wars ever happened and where all countries recognise that the only way to survive is collaboration.

If you find other sites with similar pictures, please let me know. Drop me an email or post a comment below. Thanks.

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