Ilona Szatmári Waldau under demonstration in Uppsala.
When she said that her party believes that Israel should be allowed to exist, she was booed.
On Saturday, a demonstration for Palestine was held in Uppsala, organized by the Palestinian People’s Association.
Judging by pictures and videos published by the Communist Party, there were at least hundreds of people who marched from Slottsbacken down through town while chanting slogans. The demonstrators stopped at Stora torget, where speeches were made.
One of the speakers was the left-wing Member of Parliament Ilona Szatmári Waldau.
On a film from the scene, she begins by explaining that she wants to say something before reading her speech:
– The Left Party supports a two-state solution. We can never tune in to voices that say Israel must end.
She continues:
– We can never agree with those who believe that Hamas was right in its terrorist attacks against Israel.
She is met by loud boos from the audience.
“You are not welcome!”
– Just leave the microphone and get out of here! You are not welcome, a woman is heard shouting on a video of the incident.
At the same time, people are seen going on stage and trying to snatch the microphone from the member of parliament’s hand. After a while, she hands it over to the organizer Hiba Qatanani.
– Long live Palestine! Long live the resistance! Intifada, revolution!, chants the woman and the audience echoes in response.
The woman then turns to Ilona Szatmári Waldau.
– Ilona, we ask you to spread your speech on social media so they have the right to read. There you have the right to express yourself. Unfortunately, we think we will refrain from handing over the mic to you today, she says.
The audience cheers and Ilona Szatmári Waldau leaves the stage.
The V politician apologized
On Sunday, a post was published on a Facebook account that conveyed harsh criticism of Szatmári Waldau from the demonstration’s organizer Hiba Qatanani. Qatanani said that it “feels terrible and disrespectful to go up on a stage and lecture grown people”.
In a comment to the post, Szatmári Waldau apologized.
“I reacted to the speaker before but I wouldn’t have done that but taken it up with the organizer. I was wrong and I apologize to everyone”she wrote.
She then pasted the strongly Israel-critical speech she had intended to give. It said, among other things:
“We will continue to make demands. We don’t give up. We agree with the chorus, stop killing Gaza’s children, Palestine Palestine – your concerns are mine too. Together with you, we demand a cease fire now!”
Similar event in Malmö
In her comment, the politician explained that she had reacted to what the previous speaker had said, without explaining what it was. Expressen has not found any documentation of the previous speech.
Expressen has searched for Ilona Szatmári Waldau but has not received a reply.
In December, a similar incident occurred at a Palestine demonstration in Malmö. Then S-politician Zinaida Kajevic was booed and prevented from continuing to speak after she mentioned Hamas’ terrorist acts in an otherwise Israel-critical message.
READ MORE: The S politician booed for the words about Hamas