To the Editor:
I found myself at DaRosas on a rainy Saturday afternoon last week. As I browsed the aisles I overheard a conversation between the clerk and a customer. The customer mentioned that she was having a sign printed for a protest the following day. My ears perked up, and a seed was planted. Should I go and make a statement?
A week prior I was in our nation’s capital visiting a friend not far from the Mall. I had heard about the Stand with Israel Rally, and thought that it might be interesting to check out. I am by no means a political activist, nor am I Jewish. I did decide to join the rally, and I was grateful I did. It was fascinating to see one hundred thousand people peacefully gathered, and all on the same page. One of the main takeaways for me as a Christian, was the reminder of the persistent antisemitism in this world. It was also moving to hear family members of victims and hostages speak about their pain.
It takes two to tango, and it takes two to untangle. I would expect to see two different flags at a ceasefire protest, one representing each side. That is not what I saw at this event. It was a small gathering of exclusively Palestinian flags, not one Israeli flag. I hadn’t made a sign or committed to making a statement until that point. I turned around and drove home to make a sign. Now what to say to make a point? Words are great for editorials – not so much for signs. The fewer the better. I believe it is more effective If you can make your point with imagery like flags, symbols, and brief slogans. The goal is to draw people in, and get their attention. Then they need to take the time to get informed on the issue.
What to use as an image? Let’s use the most evocative image of antisemitism and genocide; the swastika. I went and found a big 4 foot diameter piece of cardboard. I then got a roll of black duct tape to tape out a swastika. Before doing so I actually had to look up the image to make sure I got it right. What to use as a staff? A fishing pole? Perfect. I was essentially going to troll the protesters. One trolls with a fishing rod. I thought that imagery might be enough to convey that I was not there to hate Jews. In retrospect I should have taped a Star of David to the reverse of the sign to make that more clear.
I pray to God for a ceasefire. I was in no way protesting a ceasefire or calling Palestinians Nazis. I was protesting the one sided imagery at the event. I want people to think before they use terms like genocide. I want people to think about what the message looks like when only one flag is being flown. In this case it looked like it was dripping in antisemitism.
I wasn’t interested in engaging in dialogue with the protesters at the event. I was there to send a counter message to the motorist driving by. As it turns out, it’s hard to explain yourself to a group of Jewish people when you are holding a giant swastika. I didn’t have the words to articulate my point when being aggressively surrounded. I did, however, not expect to get assaulted so quickly. I kept my mouth shut and tried to get away from a man who had a camera inches from my face. When he put his hands on me, I moved to get distance from him. It was only moments later that a young woman aggressively put her hands on me and grabbed hold of my pole. She then wrestled the sign down. I was attacked by a pacifist — the irony. I do admire the young woman’s passion, but in this society we call that assault. If I were to put my hands on a woman without her consent, I would get arrested.
In closing I was not protesting a ceasefire. I was protesting one sided support that leads to everyday antisemitism. Next week it would be nice if the group made an effort to look less one sided.
Christian Quebec
Oak Bluffs
