Dublin Peace March for Tibet on 31st March, 2008

by Joe Mon Mar 31, 2008 14:13

I can't make it today but all best wishes and solidarity.

by march participant Mon Mar 31, 2008 16:04

I just came from the Peace March about an hour ago. It was a good event that garnered media attention and culminated at the Department of Foreign Affairs. A good chance for concerned people to express their solidarity and increase awareness.

HOWEVER, i am dismayed to see that indymedia would use a false photograph, purporting to be taken from the Dublin Peace March (see photo above). Dealing with propoganda from "the other side" is bad enough, but when the human rights community itself begins using small falsehoods (such as this fake photo to convey a greater sense of participation than was in attendance) then we really are in trouble: who else can we now rely on? Why the inaccurate photo?

Can we not be honest and say that there was a reasonably small, but good spirited and successful march? I feel sickened that the posters of this photograph would attempt to manipulate media coverage in this way. We gain nothing from lying in a democracy. I am truly sickened

by march participant Mon Mar 31, 2008 16:08

In addittion, the Tibetan communty in Ireland numbers some dozens of people. This photo contains more Tibetans than are present in the entire Island. Where is the mix of Irish, European and Tibetan that were REALLY present at today's march??? Where does this photo REALLY originate and why has the poster of the photo resorted to China's own tactics of false reporting???? Sickening.

by Chekov Mon Mar 31, 2008 16:26

This is an event notice, posted to advertise the event, two days before it happened. The picture is obviously, therefore, not purporting to be an actual picture from the march, it is, I suppose, a general purpose illustration used to add some colour to the advertisement of the event.

by march participant Mon Mar 31, 2008 17:51

I'm sorry, i thought that the caption under the picture which says "Dublin Peace March" was meant to indicate it was a photo of the Dublin Peace March. "Obviously" not. Incidentally, one wonders why independant media sources struggle for credibility...

by time traveller Mon Mar 31, 2008 18:29

I guess it's more credible with those who realise that pictures posted on Saturday aren't of events which happened the following Monday...

by Coiln Thu Apr 03, 2008 16:21

"one wonders why independant media sources struggle for credibility..."

It doesn't help that anonymous commentators come out with spurious complaints about trivial details.

The notice sub-header makes it plainly obvious that the photo was posted to Indymedia Events on Saturday 29th:
"dublin | rights and freedoms | event notice Saturday March 29, 2008 19:21 ... "

It really is quite obvious that that photo could not be a photo from the event that was scheduled to take place in Dublin two days later. The anonymous march participant's irony is ingracious and inappropriate in the context.

One of the refreshing aspects of Indymedia is that it doesn't follow the old media's pretence at objectivity - a pretence that fails to impress those of us who have compared the media coverage with our own knowledge of "reported" events. Another vital aspect is that Indymedia allows activists to learn to BE the media. This means that people will sometimes make mistakes, and it is a poor show to criticise new, inexperienced contributors for minor errors.

I will ask the original poster to provide details of where the photo actually came from.

Best,
Coilín.