Removal of Gaza flag in Croke Park!

[ONeill]

Saw none in the first game. Maybe Sky cameras purposely ignored them?

Far more prevalent by the Dubs in the second game.

[mylestheslasher]

I was in Croke Park today & can't say I noticed any Palestinian flags during the first game.

Can someone tell me, how does flying Palestinian flags in Croke Park change anything in Gaza?

Just asking like......

It doesn't and it won't.

Sure why bother to do or say anything about anything.

[BluestackBoy]

I was in Croke Park today & can't say I noticed any Palestinian flags during the first game.

Can someone tell me, how does flying Palestinian flags in Croke Park change anything in Gaza?

Just asking like......

It doesn't and it won't.

Sure why bother to do or say anything about anything.

But that is my point myles. Waving a flag when your team scores & then going home to your dinner & out for some pints that evening is neither doing nor saying anything. It is just childish.

[BennyHarp]

I was in Croke Park today & can't say I noticed any Palestinian flags during the first game.

Can someone tell me, how does flying Palestinian flags in Croke Park change anything in Gaza?

Just asking like......

It doesn't and it won't.

Sure why bother to do or say anything about anything.

Yes, but is it not about doing appropriate things in appropriate places? Waving a flag inside the stadium at a national sporting event isn't really effective nor appropriate. If people want to attend a demonstration like being held in Dungannon (or outside the ground) then that's great and I support that. But some people seem to want to take their flag for their own publicity, which in my opinion does feck all to help the cause in Gaza and only serves to create controversy as they know the GAA doesn't allow political banners. It then becomes just another stick for people to beat the GAA with.

[CD]

Local issues also get an airing on the Hill

[Aoise]

Well very proud of those who turned up yesterday with a flag just to make a small statement of their discontent.  The television cameras showed none of them which really wasn't a surprise and fully expected.  For those who say it was more about the people carrying them well you obviously don't have a clue how people feel on this issue and thats really the only answer I have for you on that.  For anyone else who thinks this was in any way anti-GAA, I'm as pro GAA as the next member so that also doesn't wash. 

I saw more outside of the ground than I did inside so I don't know if any were removed.  If they weren't removed then I would like to commend Croke Park for permitting people's individual demonstration as they obviously have seen people's feelings on this and decided not to intervene.  Humanitarian causes should offend no-one and really, what harm did it do yesterday?  I will be doing more work for the people of Gaza and I would urge those who feel of the same mindset to do the same. 

[Syferus]

Saw a Saudi Arabian flag today. Saw nothing yesterday.

[BennyCake]

The flag thing is pointless in my opinion, but if people choose to participate, that's their choice. Yes, it's shocking what's happening but a few flag waving ain't going to stop it.

But it always baffles me why Irish people look further afield when there are things happening in their own country that's should be highlighted. Countless things during the recession, bailouts, taxes, charges, cuts, bankers, the Sean Quinn situation etc. there was the South Africa thing in the 80s when things closer to home needed hughlighting more, particularly in the North.

[Johnnybegood]

Hamas are no angels

[dowling]

Well Benny you've a fair point about what has happened at home although the scale of things are slightly different. I would say if you trawled the threads you will find expressed discontent about all that. What was done and what could have been done are different matters.

As for what a display of support or solidarity by waving a flag does?
Well say you're somewhere and there's a collection for a good cause but all you have is one euro in your pocket. And you want to donate, but like it's only one euro.
Do you decide one euro wont amount to anything and not bother donating or do you think, 'feck I know it's only one euro but if there is maybe a thousand people with one euro they're prepared to give away, well, it all adds up'?

[dowling]

Hamas are no angels

Relative to?

[dowling]

Well very proud of those who turned up yesterday with a flag just to make a small statement of their discontent.  The television cameras showed none of them which really wasn't a surprise and fully expected.  For those who say it was more about the people carrying them well you obviously don't have a clue how people feel on this issue and that's really the only answer I have for you on that.  For anyone else who thinks this was in any way anti-GAA, I'm as pro GAA as the next member so that also doesn't wash. 

I saw more outside of the ground than I did inside so I don't know if any were removed.  If they weren't removed then I would like to commend Croke Park for permitting people's individual demonstration as they obviously have seen people's feelings on this and decided not to intervene.  Humanitarian causes should offend no-one and really, what harm did it do yesterday?  I will be doing more work for the people of Gaza and I would urge those who feel of the same mindset to do the same.

Aoise, I think that was a great initiative. Just a pity that some wig thought it appropriate to try to remove the banner last week. But because of that there's no doubt what you have done has helped raise awareness of what is happening in Palestine at the very least.
Of course there will always be the conservative element who feel uncomfortable when issues like this are raised and find arguments to oppose these expressions of support.
But as I said before, fair dues to you. 

[BennyHarp]

Well Benny you've a fair point about what has happened at home although the scale of things are slightly different. I would say if you trawled the threads you will find expressed discontent about all that. What was done and what could have been done are different matters.

As for what a display of support or solidarity by waving a flag does?
Well say you're somewhere and there's a collection for a good cause but all you have is one euro in your pocket. And you want to donate, but like it's only one euro.
Do you decide one euro wont amount to anything and not bother donating or do you think, 'feck I know it's only one euro but if there is maybe a thousand people with one euro they're prepared to give away, well, it all adds up'?

The flags don't all add up to make any real difference though - money does. All I found that happened this week that the flag issue was all about whether the GAA should or shouldn't have let the banners be shown and whether or not Sky told them to take it down. The message about Gaza was nearly lost in the internal argument we were having at home. Which, to me, does no good to the cause at all, other than to have us bickering amongst ourselves. There is some great work being done to highlight the plight in Gaza and show the solidarity the Irish people have with the Palastinian people, none more so than our own Give her Dixie who I have massive respect for, but once again we manage to get bogged down in a flag issue which we, in Ireland, put far too much importance on.

[maddog]

The flag thing is pointless in my opinion, but if people choose to participate, that's their choice. Yes, it's shocking what's happening but a few flag waving ain't going to stop it.

But it always baffles me why Irish people look further afield when there are things happening in their own country that's should be highlighted. Countless things during the recession, bailouts, taxes, charges, cuts, bankers, the Sean Quinn situation etc. there was the South Africa thing in the 80s when things closer to home needed hughlighting more, particularly in the North.

England Ireland just the same, among the most conservative people on earth. Don't rock the boat and take your medicine as prescribed.

[ballinaman]

Leeds fans in London for the game v Millwall yesterday bumped into a protest...

http://youtu.be/YTp_wnbpHRU