There was a protest in Birmingham City Centre yesterday against the actions of Irans government against it own people. The Iranian immigrant population (and friends) gathered in a Main Square in the city with placards banners and loud speakers and for the rest of the day shouted forth that Iran should be free and it's people unharrassed.
Just who they were shouting it at I'm not too sure? There was no representative of Irans political authority there, no stand-in Ayatollah for them to vent their anger against. So who was it aimed at? Is Ahmejinedad sitting watching the BBC world service thinking 'Shit they're protesting in Birmingham, pull back the troops and on the double!'
If these people really want change in their country then they should go over there and try to make it happen not stand here in Birmingham, in 'free' Britain and espouse their views on what is wrong with their country. Of course if many of these people go back they will be persecuted, jailed, beaten, maybe killed, but is that not the price many people have already paid across the globe to achieve 'freedom' and 'democracy' for the homeland?
Well I guess thats easy for me to say.
Protesting is an easy way to feel involved withyout actually having to do anything, it achieves nothing and is no longer a viable way of getting political change. The protests in Iran itself have not made any difference so what do they think this one in Birmingham will do? Of course a show of solidarity is always welcome and I stand with the Iranian people (well some) that are trying to get more freedoms.