Palestine MADIBA at the World Cup Final.mp4

This post features an entry written by a friend - STEVE - a Palestinian who decided to turn the world's most watched sporting event into a wonderful show of solidarity for Palestine.

He wrote this entry which I posted on my blog A PRIORI (jackson.linefeed.org/blog):

"Lamia and I got this flag commissioned in Hamra, West Beirut. I was blessed with World Cup Final tickets and wanted to show some Filistini love. We got the flag up right before kickoff, and although it wasn't on the broadcast, we got a few texts from people back home who said they saw it in the background.... FIFA officials took it down after about 7 minutes up, as they said it was too big.

In truth, the thing was 12 x 5 meters — pretty massive (really massive) but we made our point. Although lots of people helped put this together, in the end it was (last names withheld) me, Saif, Tarek and Flavia representing Brazil (2014!!!) who put it up, and the crowd around us was totally supportive, if not directly helpful, in assisting; great energy in that sense.

The flag looks like it says "MAD" (which works too) but in fact says "MADIBA" (Nelson Mandela's tribal nickname), which got us LOTS of local support, even from the cops, who were giving us thumbs up and smiles all around!

There were probably 30-40 palestinian flags up all around the stadium and anyone with the audacity to wave an Israeli flag in Free South Africa was heckled (people shouting Palestina! Gaza! etc).

From what i understand, FIFA officials cut up the FLAG and disposed of it. I think that's just protocol, frankly...I didn't really talk to them about it.

Keep up the momentum everywhere....The South Africans did it; my whole experience in that country was enchanting; really can't think of a more appropriate word."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• World Cup Finals
• Palestinian Flag
• Palestine
• Madiba
• South Africa
• Filistine

[argonegyes]

@Josh1980z dögölj meg!

[ThisIsGaza]

thanks from Gaza for the good gesture