I suppose my big question is “how long will this last?” Most of Europe, which certainly leans primarily to the left, has pushed diversity and tolerance and multiculturalism, all while ignoring the threat from Islamists, be they violent or simply espousing and believing in notions of Sharia law and an Islamic state. So, call me a bit cynical
(AFP) More than 700,000 people on Saturday took to streets across France in tribute to the 17 people killed in three days of violence by Islamist extremists, the interior minister said.
From Nice and Marseilles in the south to Besancon in the east and Lille in the north, people poured onto the streets to express their solidarity following Wednesday’s attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that left 12 dead. The massacre was followed by the fatal shooting of a police officer on Thursday and the murder of four hostages during a siege at a Jewish supermarket on Friday.
“700,000 people have marched” in cities around France, Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters on the eve of a huge Paris rally planned due to be attended by a string of world leaders.
They marched with banners saying things like “Live together, free, equal and in solidarity”, “For democracy, equality, freedom, let’s fight fascism”, “Not Afraid!” and “We are all Charlie”.
“It’s a great popular movement… it’s beautiful and significant, infinitely precious,” the southwestern city’s mayor Francois Bayrou told AFP.
Another question would be “is it serious, or simply the protest flavor of the day”? Is it simply “popular” for the moment?
The rallies come ahead of a march expected to draw up to a million people on Sunday in which French President Francois Hollande will be joined by a host of world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Others due to participate include Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and US Attorney General Eric Holder.
The prime ministers of Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands will also attend along with the presidents of Mali, Niger and Ukraine.
Hollande will also be joined by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, president of the European Union Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
There’s a security nightmare, eh? Especially since there’s a report from a source that sleeper cells have been activated. And we do have to wonder about the inclusion of the Turkish Prime Minister, consider the moves Turkey has made towards the hardcore version of Islam.
“This will be an extraordinary demonstration… which must show the power and the dignity of the French people who are going to proclaim their love of freedom and tolerance,” French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.
Whenever I hear/read of a Leftist yammering on about tolerance, I have to wonder about their meaning. Because their “tolerance” schtick has caused much of the issue, which allows Islamist to infiltrate Western society. You don’t tolerate people who are looking to massacre non-believers nor allow them to flourish in conclaves where they go by their own laws. Leftists won’t tolerate Christians and folks who are against gay marriage, but they tolerate through turning a blind eye towards what happens to gays in Islamist societies and countries. Women are treated poorly in the same, yet, once again, tolerance through turning a blind eye.
It is also interesting how so many who have ignored the threat from radical Islam, from the Islamists, have referred to those who point out the danger as racists and bigots and Islamophobes, as well as minimizing the threat, usually with the red herring/strawman arguments about 1.6 billion Muslims not being radicalized, that it is a tiny minority who are radicalized, that they aren’t really “true Muslims”, how these same people are now concerned since they have been attacked. How quickly will this concern fade? It has faded some in the U.S. post 9/11. Fortunately, we have people who care and a security apparatus that works hard behind the scenes. How about in Spain, after their big train bombing? They quickly forgot the issue from radical Islam. Britain post 7/7 bombing? Most have gone back to sleep on the issue.
Anyhow, Prime Minister Manuel Valls has declared war on radical Islam. Will this last? Let’s hope so.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
You are saying that leftist Europeans has been too tolerant of the hard right religious islamists who advocate sharia law and no abortions anti gay anti woman small government (like an emir) or king) Of course those countries that sell us oil cheap like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that have traditionally supported the most radical of islamists got to be cool with them. The oil companies that get there profits there are the backers of the GOP If the GOP loses the finacial support of big oil where will they be?