Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 2nd June 2006

it is clear they are embarrassed and the black press around the world is beginning to be outspokenly critical of his brutality and hypocrisy – including some newspapers in the West Indies.
It has driven the head-in-the-sand diehards hysterical. They are so wedded to the image of Mugabe as the great liberator that they are in a state of deep denial and continue to swallow Zanu-PF propaganda however absurd. Mugabe is reported to have paid over US$1.6 million to the London-based magazine “New African” to counter bad publicity emanating from the 11 March beatings.
We are sorry that this money has not gone towards desperately needed food and medical care in Zimbabwe. Our Caribbean critic was faced by Vigil supporters who have themselves been tortured and have had relatives killed by the regime. But he would not be shaken from his prejudice and neither will the man who drives the van for Global Foods who always hurls insults at us as he drives past. It is partly to stand against brain-washed people like these that we hold our demonstration every Saturday outside the Embassy.
For this week’s Vigil pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/
FOR THE RECORD: 72 signed the register.
FOR YOUR DIARY: Monday, 11th June – The Zimbabwe Solidarity Campaign based in Belfast are presenting a petition: “ZIMBABWE: A CALL FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION” to Stormont (home of the Northern Ireland Assembly). Meet at the gates of Stormont at 10:45 am. From there the group will walk up to Parliament Buildings at 11:00 to present the petition at 11:30. Carmel Hanna of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) has agreed to receive the petition. To sign online, go to: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ZSC02/petition.html.