They're gearing up for Bibi's speech tonight in my original home town. Plenty of police will be on hand, even though the protesters are promising to be "peaceful." Trust them? I don't think so.
Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,Among the groups whose members plan to protest are Zi and the Progressive Student Alliance at Carnegie Mellon University, the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, the Campus Coalition for Peace and Justice, the Arab Student Organization at CMU, the Muslim Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh, the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the International Socialist Organization.
Oh, and There are no plans for a counterdemonstration, said David Shtulman of the American Jewish Committee's Pittsburgh branch.
Why not? Oh, right. It wouldn't be nice to confuse all those people who'll be watching this on the 11 o'clock news with more than one point of view.
Here's a website where you can view a photo of an adorable but obviously oppressed [palestinian?] child and download fliers to hand out at the rally explaining to Pittsburghers how their tax dollars pay for the slaughter of innocent people.
UPDATE: There may not have been a "counterdemonstration," but there was a pro-Israel rally in Market Square. My mom went and said there was no trouble. She also says that preliminary reports she heard indicate the protesters basically didn't show. She heard 25 people. But a police officer at the rally told her they had the situation very well covered, just in case.
Later: 200 pro-pal demonstrators showed up, along with a "suspicious package," bomb squad called, false alarm; vs. 350 people at the pro-Israel rally, peaceful, candles.
