Thursday, April 23, 2009

UN Conference "overshadowed" by Ahmadinejad & protests




UN kicks Jewish, Iranian groups out of racism conference
–Associated Press

The United Nations expelled three groups from a global racism conference for what it called unacceptable behavior connected with the appearance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinajad [pictured above].

The groups whose passes are being withdrawn are the French Union of Jewish Students, Coexist, and the Neda Institute for Political and Scientific Research, said UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville.

Colville told reporters that members of the first two groups had been involved in disrupting Ahmadinejad's speech. He did not elaborate, but a pair of rainbow-wigged protesters [pictured above] threw clown noses at Iran's president while others [also pictured above] shouted "You are a racist!" and "Shame! shame!" from the gallery. Later about 100 members of pro-Israel and Jewish groups tried to block Ahmadinejad's entrance to a news conference.

The Neda Institute from Iran distributed inflammatory material to meeting participants, Colville said.

The weeklong conference has been overshadowed by Ahmadinejad's accusation that the West used the Holocaust as a "pretext" to harm the Palestinians, and for protests against him.
[Jerusalem Post]
*

No comments: