WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-12-16 Time: 03:00:15 Posted By: Jan
By Deon de Lange
Fearing a violent clash between ANC and COPE supporters, the police prevented members of the breakaway party from driving through Bloemfontein, triggering an ugly standoff.
COPE supporters had planned a campaign motorcade to drum up support for Tuesday’s rally following its inaugural congress.
The rally coincides with an ANC gathering – within spitting distance – expected to be attended by MK war veterans and where party leader Jacob Zuma was scheduled to speak.
On Monday, hundreds of frustrated COPE supporters eventually backed down after security officials blocked the exit of the University of the Free State and COPE co-founder Mluleki George intervened, appealing to supporters to abandon the planned street caravan.
George, who negotiated for almost an hour with the police to try to arrange permission for the impromptu event, said the police had informed him that municipal by-laws required prior permission for a march involving more than 15 people.
“As the party that is at the forefront of protecting the constitution, we cannot be seen to be the ones causing problems,” he told the disappointed supporters.
George said the police had actually relented, but said they could not guarantee the peace, and that if there was a clash it would be “on COPE’s shoulders”.
“We simply cannot accept this responsibility. If something were to happen out there (in the city), the ANC will turn around and accuse us of going there to attack them,” said George, who then implored COPE delegates to “lead by example” and return to the conference hall.
George explained that the party was given the green light to hold its conference in the city, but this did not include permission to “go into the streets”.
What began as a high-spirited gathering of about 100 cars, plastered with yellow COPE branding, T-shirts and flags, took on an ominous tone when about 20 police officers began unpacking riot gear and formed a line with shields across the exit road, blocking all traffic onto and off the campus.
They were soon joined by a number of traffic officers.
This raised the temperature somewhat, prompting some COPE delegates to begin shouting accusations of “ANC manipulation” at the police.
“This is all the ANC’s doing. This is too much. Look, they are holding us hostage here like criminals,” shouted one supporter, who claimed that the ANC-led Free State government was abusing state resources to prevent COPE from organising.
Vernon Mosterd, a delegate from the Eastern Cape, said: “They (the police) won’t let us out. They say this is for our own safety. But then one has to wonder who told them our lives would be at risk.”
Speaking over a police loud-hailer, George defused the situation by convincing delegates to return peacefully to the conference hall.
He said party leaders would be speaking on local radio stations on Monday night to inform Mangaung residents of the planned rally.
“The rally will go ahead as planned. We will not be intimidated by anyone. Our buses have already left the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape. They are on their way,” he said.
George explained that – in the absence of a publicity drive through the streets of the otherwise subdued city – COPE leaders would be publicising the rally on local radio stations throughout the evening.
Supporters took this in their stride, turning their cars around and heading back up the road with hooters blaring, music thumping and flags waving.
“We have got a country to govern next year. Let us go back and discuss our policies,” shouted one man as he encouraged others to follow him away from the entrance gate.
Meanwhile, ANC supporters began flooding into the city on Monday night ahead of their own rally.