Spring was one step ahead of the organizers of today's Al-Nakbah rally in Dag Hammarskjold Park. High winds and pouring rain drenched the few supporters who showed for this well-publicized gathering. But the weather can't take all the blame.

I've been to other rallies in this park, some held in the dead of winter, yet I've never seen a more poorly-attended rally.

According to this poll, only 9 percent of Americans consider themselves to be "supporters of the Palestinians." Americans know that Iran, the Gulf Arabs and many other Arab nationalist states are currently using the Palestinian cause as a weapon to wage war against Israel. Some Americans know about plans to apply Sharia law in the Palestinian constitution, Hamas’s use of children’s shows to recruit toddler-martyrs, the significant Palestinian suffering caused by Hamas’s mismanagement and Palestinian infighting, and the massive ethnic cleansing of Jews from Arab/Muslim areas of the Middle East. It's strange that any Americans would support this cause, but, since 7% of Americans think Elvis is still alive and 10% would eat a rat or an insect on a "reality" TV show, it's not too surprising.

I arrived at about 1:30 in the afternoon, and missed the noontime march. Pamela of Atlas Shrugs was there. She noted that it consisted mostly of female schoolchildren who were bussed in. She took some great photos, and a video.

By the time I arrived most of the kids had packed up and left. They left their signs out in the rain...

...melting in the dark

..all that sweet green paint flowing down. So went the 60th anniversary of Nakba. The organizers will never have that recipe again.

Standing in front of a garbage can full of expensively-produced signs, organizer Charlotte Kates, spokesperson for New Jersey Solidarity, supporter of suicide bombing and former scientologist seemed to be taking it pretty well. Maybe her sunny umbrella cheered her up.

Former Congresswomen Cynthia McKinney, who became infamous in New York for begging Saudi Prince Talal for the ten-million dollar check Rudy Giuliani turned down, stood up to speak. Representing the Green party, she mostly described the reasons she hated America, the Democrats and the Republicans. No one seemed to be listening. Most of the press were trying to hide from the bad weather inside the coffee shop. They'd dart out and to take pictures, then they're run inside to finish their lattes.

Some sign carriers..

..and supporters remained...

..including a hostile looking fellow handing out copies of Worker's World News. I took one and used it to keep my camera dry.

The Neturei Karta were there, with plastic bags on their heads

A few people read their signs.

A woman carrying a sign demanding the end of the occupation "by any means necessary"...

..cried "Goody, Palestinian flags!"

Signs echoing Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahar's demand for 'Palestine from river to sea' were popular.

One organizer told the crowd that the heavens were sympathizing with them, crying tears and blowing winds of outrage. That message didn't spread much cheer.

During an intermission, I headed west, looking for the pro-Israel demonstration that Pamela had organized. On the way, I saw this man standing across the street from the rally, holding this sign in the rain. I asked him what the sign said. It was a quote from the Babylonian Talmud concerning Sephardi Jews and Ashkenazi Jews. Check out my website, he said. Click on the exploding nuke and everything will be explained. I clicked and I still don't understand.

I found Pamela's group and took a few shots...

..as I crossed the street to get closer, my Nikon D70 flew out of my hands and crashed to the ground. The detached lens rolled on the sidewalk, the camera body lay open to the rain. A bicycle messenger shouted, "Oh, crap!" as he sped past the mess. I ducked under a canopy, dried the camera off, re-attached the lens and hoped that it wasn't dead.

After a few error messages, the LCD came back to life, and I was able to take this shot of C., happily standing out in the rain. But then it was time to go home.

All in all, this 60 years of Nakba rally at Hammarskjold Park was very similar to the last Charolotte Kates production I attended. Her New Jersey Solidarity: Activists for the Liberation of Palestine organization held a pro-Hezbollah teach-in in a dank church basement. Like Nakba, it was attended by alienated marxists and a smattering of Palestinians and their youthful supporters.

Like Kates' fan rally for Hamas, her Hezbollah fans saw themselves as lone idealists facing a hostile world. They hated the United States, but they also hated the United Nations. They hated the Republicans and the Democrats.

There was a lot of hate in that little Nakba rally.

UPDATE: Sam at Yid With Lid was there earlier. He took some great photos - go visit!

Like me, he also wonders what this drawing, which was on most of the signs, was supposed to represent..?

Chaim was also there earlier. He experienced a nasty Jew hating incident, which he describes here.

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Pamela H. was there too, and she's posted photos of:

The Nakba Youth and their Leftist advisors

The Nakba adults, signs and non-muslim Leftist supporters

the Pro-Israel and U.S. supporters

Dusty, commenting at Sol's, says:

Even the lure of live hip hop music and unbridled hate couldn't fill San Francisco's Civic Center's Nakba 60 rally. And they can't blame it on the glorious California weather...