Divided Over Racism

“Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got all the attention he wanted in Geneva… ‘You’re racist… Racist!’”

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com.

Israeli student protestors at the UN anti-racism conference wore clown wigs and threw a “nose” at the Iranian president while he spoke.
In all more than 20 delegations walked out of the conference during Ahmadinejad’s speech.

The Iranian President said such things as this about Israel, “…they sent migrants from Europe, the United States and other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine.” (The New York Times)

The BBC brings the view of British Ambassador Peter Gooderham…

“We believe very passionately in freedom of speech, and I’d say he has a platform, he has a podium at the United Nations. Anchor: and you walked out! Well that’s because his statement tipped over into language that we would regard as inciting racial and religious hatred. And in our view there is no place for such rhetoric, such inflammatory rhetoric in a United Nations conference.” (BBC)

Even though some Western delegates walked out, others stayed and a few cheered…

The New York Times quotes a statement by the Pakistani ambassador to the U.N.
“If we actually believe in freedom of expression, then he has the right to say what he wants to say.” (The New York Times)

Iran’s Press TV talked to former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark who said the walkout was offensive to Palestinians.

"We've had 50 years of assault on Palestinian rights… Practically every Palestinian lives in constant harassment, threat of violence, humiliation. It's been that way for a long long time." (Press TV)

In response to the Iranian president’s words, France 24 had this from an Israeli representative...

“The conference that was open in Geneva is accepting racism and not fighting it. The leading speaker in the conference, Ahmadinejad asked to end Israel and deny the Holocaust - it’s an absolute disgrace.” (France 24)

Several countries, including the U.S., Australia and Italy boycotted the UN anti-racism conference.

Most EU members who walked out on the Iranian president’s speech returned to attend the rest of the five-day conference.