18/05/2024
Attacked by a Criminal Mob! [which brazenly one of the thugs posted my retreat on twitter (link here ) https://x.com/henryhendron/status/1791758404484235517 ]
I was having a drink on the grass @ Soho Square last week with a gay jewish chap, on vacation to London, who had, as it happens, just recently finished a stint in the Israel Defence Force (IDF) serving in the current war, when all of a sudden he got up and says 'I must go' and points to a Pro Palestine March which had just entered the Sq and which he had just spotted. I told my friend not to be silly, but he was adamant that the environment was now just not safe for him as a jewish man along side a pro Palestine demo....if I am to be totally honest, up until this point I had assumed that the jewish people in London (and elsewhere) were being a wee bit over sensitive about the 'perceived threat' to themselves and the criminality of these now routine Pro Palestine demos, since fear often drives itself exponentially, so I reassured my jewish friend that he need not stress, least of all should he flee soho square for his own safety, and in an effort to perswade him that he had nothing to worry about (& perhaps rather naively of me) I went over to the front of the marchers, intending to have a chat with them (my thinking was to bring one of them over to my jewish friend to reassure him your safe (he wasnt) )) , however when I approached the front of the March, I was confused as to why a number of the protesters had full face coverings, clearly having gone to some effort to mask their identity (many of whom only showed their eyes, so that not even police facial recognition cameras or even their own mother would be able to tell who they were). With this confusion, I went straight up to them and demanded to know "why are you wearing a face mask to protest, I dont get it" I exclaimed, saying (repeatedly) "put your face to your protest, if your genuine, what are you hiding from' no sooner had I repeated this sentiment a few times in quick succession did I feel the first fist fist across my face and fist to my head, which came from all directions in intensifying form. I must say, I was not expecting a physical reply at all, least of all could I (then) have anticipated that a not insignificant number of the protesters would violently attack me for asking a simple question to 'show your face '; the situation quickly developed and the organisers (to their credit ) in high vis jackets, were equally quick to reach me and pluck/cocoon me to some sort of safety (they clearly know the drill), telling me to leave the sq for my own safety, and while they were pleading with me to do so, some of the organisers and other protester were physically holding back their fellow marchers (the criminal mob) who were trying to attack me, in increasing numbers). Initially I refused to leave the square, I dislike bully's & thugs of all varieties having been on the receiving end of them at school. Since leaving school (many years ago) I have rigidly adhered to a personal policy of always intervening when ever I see bullying behaviour (when ever and who ever) or stand up to it if I experience it; and in that context I initially did not leave, I could not leave for my own self respect and in adherence to my yet unbroken personal policy of standing up to bullying and intimidation. I remained , albeit now with a vague safety ring of sorts of organisers around me desperately trying to keep the mob off me and at the same time urging me to 'leave for your own safety', I repeated my oral questions to the mob (which was growing in number, with not a single police man in sight ), while fists were being thrown in my direction, and the occasional one landing a blow, but the longer I stayed more of the pro Palestine criminal mob arrived, seemingly to try and attack me' - feeling rather ashamed I retreated for my own safety, and some of the organisers insisted on walking with me until I was a few streets clear, and away from the (their) criminal mob of supposed protesters. My jewish friend had unsurprisingly long gone..... I am for Israel as I am also for Palestine; this experience had certainly changed my view on these protests, which I now think have been hijacked by a criminal element for their own disruptive ends. I was totally wrong to have thought that the jewish people were 'just being a bit over sensitive', they were/are not, and the streets of London (and elsewhere) are not safe for Jewish people while these so called protests continue......... In other news, leaving the mob violence of London behind, Iris (my puppy) & I have taken to the waters this weekend for some quite time; being on the sea appears now a much safer / less risker environment than the the solid streets of London (which incidentally is my song for the weekend, enjoy! https://youtu.be/DiWomXklfv8?si=MluM0PUvEt95_3uL
