Breaking story - Zundel Demonstration in front of German Embassy
May 7
zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org
zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org
Wed May 9 11:05:26 EDT 2007
--
Breaking story of the Zundel Protest Demonstration in front of the
German Embassy in Washington, D.C.
To All -
There will be a more detailed write-up about our protest
demonstration two days ago, on Monday, May 7. I have just returned
from Washington and need to get my bearings and catch up with myself.
Please bear with me - this is only the beginning of many such
demonstrations I hope to organize in front of embassies and
consulates in this and other countries. After all, this is a story
of international significance, especially for Germans world-wide -
for I don't think that there has ever been a demonstration in front
of any German embassy accusing their officials of having aided and
abetted a political kidnapping of one of their own nationals to
please the Holocaust Lobby!
We set out by car on a sunny but quite chilly and windy Sunday
morning. I was worried about holding up our signs without having the
wind rip them apart, but I need not have worried - the angels were on
our side. We could not have had more perfect weather for what we had
in mind.
The German Embassy is located in a quiet neighborhood to the West of
downtown Washington, D.C. I worried about getting a group together,
because most of our supporters are working people, and it was not
easy for many of them who would have liked to have come to sacrifice
part of their paycheck. We had about 35 people who showed up on
time, plus several photographers and media folks, including at least
one outfit which came from the Enemy Front. I had brought along some
20 Zundel posters and had additionally printed up four large banners,
three of which we used. You can preview them in the jpeg attachment.
I hope to have many more later in the day.
I worried about the JDL showing up and giving us a hard time, but
they were nowhere to be seen - in itself a telling sign, since the
ADL had posted a nasty "Extremist" notice about our demonstration. A
previous Zundel demonstration some two years ago had walked into a
JDL ambush, so naturally there was some concern. We had notified the
police, and we had a legitimate demonstration permit - we just
braced ourselves, willing and able to take on whatever might come our
way. I had gone out of my way pleading with potential demonstrators
to conduct ourselves with dignity and not to act provocatively, and I
must say I am proud of the way the two-hour demonstration was
handled. There was not even a hint of any potential confrontation -
there was only gritty determination that we would have our say our
way!
Across from us on the other side of the street collected a small
handful of raggedy folks who looked like they had risen from under
some bridge and needed a good shower. As many of my friends know, I
have a serious vision problem and could not really read their
posters, but I hope to get a description of their so-called "street
action" later. I could hear the noise with some cow bell they made!
Some humorous incidents need to be recorded for posterity. When we
arrived, the iron gate to the Embassy was closed, and behind it stood
two men, one of whom looked like a guard, and the other one was
nattily attired like a bureaucrat. His fear - of what? - was
palpable. I walked up to the gate and said to this gent, to quote
from memory: "I am Mrs. Zundel, the wife of the political prisoner
on whose behalf we are demonstrating." He took two hasty steps
backward and stuttered: "You - you are Mrs. Zundel?" I said, "Yes,
and you? Do you have a card I could have?" He looked as though he
had just confronted Dracula instead of a lady of decorum and simply
shook his head. I said, "Then can you tell me your name?" He took
two additional steps backward, raised his hand, and said in almost a
whisper: "No. No. I am not part of your group!"
Next, I turned to a member of the police who had meanwhile shown up
in five vehicles. That in itself is an interesting story. As we all
know, the Washington police are largely of the rainbow variety, but
these officers who were assigned to keep an eye on this small group
of dissidents were all very young, very white - and except for one
who thought he was the cat's meow, apparently quite interested in
what we had to say. One of them gave me what looked like a furtive
thumbs-up!
Another one of them walked up to me and asked if I was the leader. I
said there was no leader - that we were just a bunch of friends of
Zundel's. I said to him, "I am very happy to see you!" He cracked
the tiniest smile. I followed up with "Are you equally happy to see
me?" At that, he produced something that could pass for a half
smile, which I matched with one of my own sunniest smiles: "You are
from the Washington Police?"
"No," he explained. "We are the Secret Service."
I must say I was floored! This specimen here was a Chertoff man! I
said, "I didn't know you are allowed to say that!" That finally
produced a full-scale smile I would not at all describe as menacing
in any way, shape, or form.
So I asked my counterpart to see if he could get us permission to
enter the Embassy and have a little chat with whoever was there and
could answer a couple of questions. He disappeared behind the
Embassy gate, but I never got a reply. By the way, that gate opened
and closed throughout the demonstration for Embassy staff as well as
civilians who apparently entered to get travel visas, and every time
that happened, the Secret Service asked us politely to step out of
the way and let the cars and visitors pass. Of course we obliged
politely.
A little later, Willis Carto and a reporter from the American Free
Press showed up, and Willis had a bright idea. Why didn't we take
the opportunity and simply walk in while the gate was still open? I
said immediately that I was game if my two attorneys and our
reporters would come along. One of them, Michael Collins Piper of
AFP, was at that moment giving an interview to someone - I believe
National Geographic, who I was told was there. I was perfectly
willing to step inside the Lions' Den, but I was waiting for Mike in
the hope of getting an on-location write-up in the American Free
Press for that historic moment.
In the meantime, one of our demonstrators came to me, pointing out
that if I were to step inside, it could be dangerous for me because
it was considered Vaterland territory. I hadn't thought of that - I
have an arrest warrant outstanding for my heretic Zundelsite posts.
That made me change my mind.
Willis thereupon asked one of the "insiders", who were still peering
through the gate, making me think of a zoo and a few untoward
comparisons, if we could all walk in.
The answer from the Enemy Command was that we needed an appointment.
All right. So that's what we will do. I'll get myself an
appointment and march in there with witnesses and legal follow-up -
and we will take this matter up again in a few weeks, God willing.
Then Willis said something to me I record as a bona fide joke. He
said, "Don't laugh, Ingrid. Why don't you go across the street, hit
one of those punks over there, and get yourself arrested? That's how
you get publicity!"
I told him, not this time - I had a handicapped son who needed me to
be available.
There will be more about this demo and what we hope is going to be
follow-up and unpleasant media fall-out for the deceitful honchos.
Let me just say that I am very pleased the demo went the way it went.
I believe that we have set a precedent - and I am telling you that
this was not exactly good PR for the nice folks inside that Embassy.
Their involvement in this political kidnapping has not exactly been
to their credit!
We will have a great many more pictures - and additional write-ups, I
hope. I just wanted to give you a sneak preview and thank our
participants for providing the footage and photos we need - and being
there where angels fear to tread.
Ingrid Zundel
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