Waaahhhh

Saturday's Salt Lake Tribune said that

Salt Lake City will allow local defense attorney Robert Breeze to hold a "Death to Israel" demonstration Wednesday despite concerns from the Jewish community.

Well, this is Wednesday, and I don't know what happened. Surely these protests were not that one: Thousands of anti-war protesters demand: "Give us the truth"

Some 4,000 protesters streamed into Washington Square surrounding The Salt Lake City/County Building downtown to protest the war in Iraq and President George W. Bush, who was scheduled to arrive this evening for an appearance before the national convention of the American Legion.

A few blocks south, uniformed military veterans and civilians spoke in support of the U.S. troops at a 300-strong Freedom Rally in Liberty Park.

I never knew Salt Lake City was so, well, active. Now back to this "Death to Israel" business (I'm biting my fingers so as not to type, whoops, UFB):

The permit will be approved next week, after the city and Breeze finalize where the demonstration, one of several planned for that day, will be held. It will run from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

From 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.? That's a 14-hour rally. Where do the antisemites get their strength?

Breeze, 52, said his goal is to protest "the torture and murder inflicted on Muslims by Israel and the penetration of the U.S. media by Israeli intelligence."

While he said his group - the Center to Prevent Corporate Media Lying - has other members and financial donors, Breeze wouldn't name them. And he acknowledged some of his past protests against media coverage of the Iraq war that he held in front of the KSL studios included paid participants from the homeless shelter. Some demonstrators Wednesday also may be paid.

Oy vey, this gets worse and worse.

When asked if he wants to see the elimination of Israel, Breeze said: "The President of Iran has an excellent idea. . . . I would like to see them move Israel to Virginia and put all the current Virginians in a concentration camp. Then we'll see how popular Israel is [in the United States]."

And last but not least, we have the "concerned," "frightened" and "deeply saddened" Jewish community.

Bill Tumpowsky, chairman of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said he expected the city would grant the permit. He and others remain concerned.

"We collectively stand in tremendous support of the First Amendment," he said. "This has many members of the Jewish community frightened. When you say, 'Death to Israel,' it speaks death to Jews. We're deeply saddened to see that form of ugly bigotry express itself here in Salt Lake City."

Deeply saddened? They should be furious! They should be collectively standing in tremendous support, not just for the First Amendment, but for their family! for their Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel.

Sometimes only Yiddish will do. Oy, es vert mir finster in di oygen. - Lit., It's getting dark in my eyes.

Lila tov.