Protesters’ stunning end to anti-Israel demonstration

JACK MILNER

It turned out that the noise was emitted by two stun grenades thrown by protesters, which did no harm other than frighten some people.

Clearly, intimidation was part of the anti-Israel activists’ agenda. The stun grenades put paid to their demonstration as the police ordered them to disperse after this incident and go home.

The protesters had arrived in two buses and a minivan a couple of hours before the first match was due to start.

After lining the street at the main entrance to the club, some demonstrators forced a blockage of traffic by driving their vehicles up and down the narrow road.

Others assembled on the opposite side of the street with their flags and anti-Israel posters.

Having arrived so much earlier than the start of the match at 16:00, it appears their aim was to create a traffic jam to prevent people from gaining access to the grounds.

While the stun grenades caused much consternation among the media, the tennis courts and stands were set away from the entrance, so it had minimal impact on most of the players and spectators. Afterwards, the players said the noise just sounded like a couple of very loud firecrackers.

There were also reports of stones being thrown over the wall, but again, that was far from where the tennis was being played.

“When I arrived, these guys were standing at the gate singing and shouting things like ‘You’re supporting child killers’ at us,” said tennis fan Freddie van As, from Centurion.

“I came to cheer for the South African team and they were not going to stop me.”

A number of pro-Palestinian organisations – including BDS, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the National Coalition 4 Peace – called for government to intervene and stop the tennis encounter between South Africa and Israel.

The calls heated up when BDS referred to a press statement by Thulas Nxesi, Minister of Sport and Recreation, in which he supported their actions. “I would actually have loved to attend the Davis Cup, but given the concerns that activists and fellow South Africans are raising regarding the presence of an Israeli team, I believe that it would not be proper for me to attend,” he said.

After much badgering by SA Jewish Report, the minister’s media officer responded by saying: “Kindly be informed that we are not able to comment any further on the minister’s statement. He released the statement in his personal capacity as [a member of] the ANC and member of the SA Communist Party.”

Tennis South Africa CEO Richard Glover said they were ready for the demonstrations and had prepared another entrance at the other end of the club as back-up. “We told the players and members of the media to use the entrance leading to the cricket fields in case this happened.”

According to Tennis SA’s communications manager, Phuleng Maake, the only time he got a fright was when the stun grenades were set off. “The media room was much closer to the wall and suddenly we heard these two big bangs. That was scary.”

As they left the premises, the demonstrators threatened to return on Saturday. They didn’t.

“We were a little concerned on Friday, but all the necessary security was in place and at no stage was anybody in danger,” said Glover.

Ben Swartz, national chairperson of the SA Zionist Federation, attended the tie and lauded the organisers. “It was magnificent in every way. It was competitive, exciting and very well run. They gave the demonstrators a chance to protest, and when they pushed the boundaries with the stun grenades, they were told to go.

“As a proudly South African Zionist Jew, I couldn’t be more pleased. We could express ourselves without fear or favour.

“Many South African Indians are currently supporting the Indian cricket team and one can understand that. In the same way, we could support the Israeli team. On the day there were no losers, whichever way the matches went,” said Swartz.