Yesterday (June 04) I participated in a protest against the Israeli invasion to the boats that went to Gaza with humanitarian help. The protest was accomplished under the Art Museum of São Paulo, Paulista Avenue , São Paulo, starting from 15 o'clock.
I arrived at the place before the other people and as they arrived a strange atmosphere began being formed. In spite of my positions I don't have coexistence with the Islamic community of São Paulo. Then funny things happened.
Some people passed, several times, in front of me making comments: "they always order a provocative one", " it is necessary to take care with strangers and provocative ones." When a gentleman made mention of approximating to talk with me, other it disapproved him with a nodding of head. For twice a big and muscular man was to my side seizing his rosary. His attitude was not frankly hostile, but it was "no friendly". I to be reading a book it seems to have inconvenienced some people, because I noticed that at least once somebody approached and he tried to see what I was reading over my shoulders. A bearded gentleman gave me an Islamic pamphlet and I kept it inside of my book.
In spite of these unpleasant things I participated in the protest for my reasons. I believe in the usefulness of the International Law that it was trampled by the Israeli soldiers. Like you they can see the protest had few people and many journalists (what is lamentable).
When an Islamic religious person began to do the prayer of the afternoon I left of the place. I don't have religion and my intention was to participate in a POLITICAL protest. I refuse categorically to participate in any RELIGIOUS ceremony.
For me the mixture of religion with politics in Israel has been the true source of the permanent war. In Brazil we didn't need similar things, even if to criticize Israel or to support the Palestinian.
When I arrived home I was thinking plenty about the people's attitude in the protest. The only explanation that I get to give for his distrust in relation to me is that they are (or they think that they are) in War against Israel. And I am not in war against Israel. Israel exists and this is a fact that does not depend on my will, as well as the existence of Palestinian it is a fact that does not depend on the Israeli rulers' will.