Lag4Peace Protesters Say “Don’t Iraq Iran”
by Jessica Holyoke on 02/12/07 at 11:07 am
Text and voices raised at replicated U.S. Capitol, usually deserted media islands
by Jessica Holyoke
December 1st saw the multi-sim themed protest Lag4Peace. Avatars from all over the world and the Grid gathered starting at 8am SLT in order to let their text and voices be heard. "Don’t Iraq Iran" was the theme as protesters gathered on Commonwealth Island. The four corners featured a stage that started off the festivities with a musical performance by Leslee McCarey. Shortly, thereafter, the first speakers of the day were heard.
Spiritualist Sequia Pinion gave the first speech of the day. She opened the day of protest by offering that a person’s words and this protest was a form of prayer. Others contributed how peace, true peace, comes from a spirtual or religious center. Some residents objected to the primarily Christian/religious message by the first speaker. Resident Suzi Spicoli stated that the wars being waged now are primarily religious in nature on both sides of the trenches. More religion is not what is needed.
Dalinian Bing then took the main stage. He provided an outline of the talking points on why the protest was happening; the anti-Iranian propaganda in the media, the misinterpretation of Iranian goals and capabilities, neo-conservativism in the U.S. to name a few.
The replicated U.S. Capitol
The protest then went to the steps of the replicated U.S. Capitol building. Throughout the day, protesters would visit CNN iReports, Reuters and the Linden Estates, taking breaks in between to hear music by various SL performers.
iWait for more iProtesters to arrive at iCNN to file iReports
Why were media sims chosen? Italian resident Gloriana Revnik asked if the U.S. media normally covered protests like Lag4Peace, even if it happened in RL. Knowing that many RL protests go unreported, except if it blocks off traffic, I told her no, they did not.
Reuters in-building protests
During the Reuters portion of the protest, Ron Paul for President Supporter Moloch Redgrave spoke out in opposition to HR Bill 1955 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 provides for a broader powers against potential terrorists. (Full text can be found at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1955. A nice analysis by Dahlia Lithwick can be found at http://www.slate.com/id/2178646/nav/navoa/) Asked about the protest afterwards, stated that the protest went very well and that he wished that there were more of them.
Moloch Redgrave
The day was finished out by Louis Landon, the popular SL pianist. After the day was done, I had a chance to talk to one of the committee members, Ruby Glitter. Asked about how the protest went, she had this to say "we had everything from Anarchists to mainstream Democrats to Ron Paul supporters to religious peacemakers and so on, and that’s the best part. We get to see that we are in this together instead of remaining isolated in smaller communities."
Ruby Glitter – protest organizer
Nacon
Dec 2nd, 2007
…..I failed to see any good sense of logic with their plan of “attack” movement.
Go protest in RL…. not SL because that’s not where they are AT!
It’s in D.C., in a big white house? Duhhhh?
Nina A
Dec 2nd, 2007
I know they all mean well but what a waste of time. Do it real life where it matters. If it wasn’t for the SLH I would not have known that they had done this, so what is the point? Do you think Bush reads the SLH?
urizenus
Dec 2nd, 2007
I understand that Bush does not read the Herald but that every day Condi gives him a digest of important Herald stories from the day before. I hear he is especially tracking the babyfur situation.
Angel
Dec 2nd, 2007
> I hear he is especially tracking the babyfur situation.
Hang on… But he *is* a Babyfur isn’t he?
I think you guys should boot him out of office and send him off in a cushy new job to be the ambassador for Iraq.
plot tracer
Dec 2nd, 2007
A real story at last, Herald. Well done. And well done to all of the people who voiced their want for peace.
Bob Stoops
Dec 2nd, 2007
Demonstrations and protests make their participants “feel” good. Participants are not looking to change the world,but they do such activities that they think defines their ideal self. (ponder that)
Other such activities include :vegetarianism, recycling, driving eco-friendly sub-compact cars, buying free-range eggs, wearing ribbons of various colors on their shirts…etc.
To sum up : THEY PREFER SYMBOLISM OVER SUBSTANCE.
Merry Christmas SL!!!…………………………….. If I offended you with that holiday greeting….then feel free to go in-world to deserted sims and protest
Sincerely, An American Airman in the USAF Reserves.
Maria Leveaux
Dec 2nd, 2007
Scoffing aside, This campaign has been Focused on Using the Internet Far more than any other presidential Race to date. You laugh about the idea of the candidates Reading the Herald, But the fact is their campaign management teams ARE exploring the net and looking for opinions, and methods to Sway them. The growth of SL in Pop Culture Has Probably caught their attention, and while they are not yet holding candidates press conferences in SL they WILL be seeing what people have on their minds here. Word of the protest will get into the two parties systems so it WILL have an Effect.
The Biggest problem with using a New media for a protest seems to be the Engrained inferiority Complex many of the users seem to have about their pursuits. “We’re just a bunch of Net Geeks playing a game nobody has ever heard of, No one will ever take us seriously”. SL is NOT a Game, and it’s Far More than Just a Chat Room. haven’t you Clued in YET that Commerce of a Noticable size takes place in SL? NOTHING gets a Governments attention faster than a Place where MONEY can be Made. People from All over the World are meeting in SL with the same Ease as talking over a Back fence. If enough American Citizens are Logged into SL, the government WILL be concerned as to how much International perspectives are Influencing Home Opinions, and Vice Versa.
There IS something going on in SL, a New kind of International Interaction that has never occurred before. It’s Unique.
If you Raise a Protest here you are probably being heard More than you will ever Know.
Maria.
Jessica Holyoke
Dec 2nd, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/09/27/pkg.newt.cnn?iref=videosearch
For Newt’s Gingrich’s press conference in SL.
Angel
Dec 2nd, 2007
> “If you Raise a Protest here you are probably being heard More than you will ever Know.”
WoW MarIa You Need to LeaRn wHen tO cApitAlisE anD wheN nOt to.
As a guide you only use capitals on the first word of a sentence or if you are writing a person, place or thig’s name.
Prokofy Neva
Dec 3rd, 2007
I think it’s great people protest RL issues in SL, and where can they reasonably go to do this? The media sims seem like a good start. Obviously Governor Linden’s Mansion isn’t going to cut it.
On this particular bunch staging this particular protest, I’d say it’s the usual sectarian mish-mash completely with the usual infighting. And I can only say: where were these communists when Sadam was putting people in mass graves? They don’t have solutions that deal with all forms of abuse and misuse of power, they only cherry pick their issues to suit their overall abstract extremist plan to defeat “capitalism” as they understand it. In other words, they selectively protest “imperialist wars,” but not a peep to be heard out of this crowd on mass killing in Sudan or Chechnya or the DRC. Honestly, they make my teeth hurt.
As for Iran, gosh, you’d think they’d care about the fate of women, gays, even their fellow commies in Iran. Lots of mass killing there, too, before a single American boot got to the ground.
Can’t you protest the war in Iraq without making common cause with tyrants? Oops, I guess not.
Rock Ramona
Dec 3rd, 2007
sl is a game for some,for others another world to hide away in,a few builders here and there,artists,musicians,but mostly its a place where messed up people go to do things like have sex with animals and children and treat women likeanimals,ya know,stuff you dont want yer mom and boss and pastor to know about.its not a good place to protest,people here are to busy building,singing,soiling their diapers,beating their women into submission,ya know,the important stuff.and now the new wave of people who came here looking to be the next anshe chung,i feel the saddest for this group,i remember my days of having hope for a new world and wonderful things,then all my dissapointments and finding out what sl was really all about,siiigh…oh ya,,,one more thing,for all you saying you support the troops but dont support President Bush,you cant do that because every single man and woman in the us armed forces has a chain of command,the top of that chain of command is our President,and everyone who is military or has military family,like myself,knows this…so dont say you support the troops and hate bush,you cant have it both ways,if you dont support the chief,you dont support the troops,so do us a favor and shut up if you dont support the troops and their commander in chief,ty so much and ty to all of our troops,(as i go to pack my bags to watch my son become one of the troops)May God Bless Us All,and Merry Christmas!!
plot tracer
Dec 3rd, 2007
Prok, another ideotic post showing your ignorance and bigotry. Where were the communists when Saddam was filling his mass graves? They were in the graves. and it was the left who for years protested the western links and praise and gun-giving to Saddam. Perhaps you should look up some Marxist sites and some socialist websites- look through their archives- and you will see they have been condemning what Western Capitalist protectors…erm I mean Governments, have been doing regarding these dictators.
It was good to see so many people from different political outlooks come together for this protest. It would be abhorrent for America, Britain et al to reign terror on the innocents as they did in Iraq.
There will be photos of the protests on http://slleftunity.blogspot.com soon.
Right Winger
Dec 3rd, 2007
If people want to protest for an important cause, they should be protesting Iran’s state-sponsored support of terrorism, not the free world’s opposition to it. Prok is correct in what she says, and she needs to be. If Iran (official country name – “The Islamic Republic”) gets its way, and imposes its form of Islam and dhimmitude worldwide, Prok will be one of the first women to be buried neck-deep in a hole and stoned to death in public for refusing to follow the dress code and dictates of the “religion of peace.” The rest of you ladies will be able to choose the color of your burkha…just as long as it’s black.
plot tracer
Dec 4th, 2007
Rightwinger- another complete load of old tosh. The fact is, the American Nd other Western governments actually support the most reactionary regimes in the middle east. The Saudis, for example- the country where most of those who reigned terror on New York on 9/11 came from and where sponsored from, are supported not only by the governemnt of the US, but the bin =adens and house of Saud are personal friends of the Bush’s. The left in these countries have been pushing for reforms for years- only to be rounded up and jailed or worse. The western Governments ignore their call for help on human rights until the gas supply or the dividends from the gas companies are effected. Corporate government couldn’t give two shites for human rights; capital has more rights than people in the New American Century/ Western “democracy”. Recently our blog carried this: azady barabary said…
To Whom It May Concern:
As you know, the Student’s Day (Azar 16th, December 7th) which is held every year as a protesting action in the universities of Iran,
we the communist (in farsi: azady khah va barabary talab) students of the universities in Iran are planning a “Student’s Day” demonstration at the University of Tehran.
The main policies of this demonstration include these points:
1. Protest against the war in the Middle East
2. Protesting Against political and social pressures against the student, worker unions and women’s rights and … activists
We want: the freedom of speech all through the society, free unions for students, workers and etc. and …
So, we are asking you to support our demonstration through you media on Tuesday,
December 4th at the University of Tehran beginning in front of the Engineering Faculty.http://slleftunity.blogspot.com
Missed the bit on Fox news where the Western Governments were falling over themselves to agree these fundamental rights should be supported and that these calls for change within Iran should be sponsored…
but then a worker calling for rights is worse than a Saudi prince calling for the jailing of a rape victim because she should not be near men… eh? Cut off the commies hands and tell them to stop wittering. They have never had it so good (for the benefit of Bubba, that is called “sarcasm”. Look it up)
corona
Dec 4th, 2007
The reason to oppose potential war in Iran – is because of what happened in Iraq
America swanned in across flat desert- ideal terrain for armoured warfare to attack an unpopular regime, whose army promptly melted away – leaving America to annouce it had won
and then the real war in Iraq started
And America has been there aver since attracting every terrorist from around the world who wants to have a chance at killing them
Iraq was easy in comparison with the potential situation in Iran
a country twice the size of Iraq with a greater population
where the government is popular
the army are veterens of war with Iraq – which from all accounts included heavy trench warfare using chemical weapons ( by Iraq) -so the Iranian army would be more dedicated to fighting
more significantly a large part of the country is mountainous
Read accounts of the World war two campaign in Italy – to have an idea of what that could involve
Iraq was bad enough – does America ( which would likely supply the majority of troops in any ground war) really want to open another conflict – which will quite possibly make Iraq seem like nothing in comparison -
Sending a mechanized army racing across the Iraq plain is one thing
sending one into predominantly mountainous terrain -ideal for defence -could very easily prove to be a long slow haul – wiht all that could mean for US casualties
A ruthless attacker like Iraq tried and failed to invade Iran
would America which is no where near as ruthless – really do much better
I am no fonder of Iran – or any of these misogynist islamic states than anyon.
But do we really want to risk finding out the hard way whether war with Iran is winnable?