Anne Barker, Seasoned Reporter, Gets Harassed, Spit On At Orthodox Jewish Protest In Jerusalem

Anne Barker, a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, was caught in a violent protest of Orthodox Jews against a local carpark that would be open on Saturday--or Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest--that left her "humiliated and degraded", the ABC reports. Expecting a conservative crowd, Barker tells her story of dressing modestly and maintaining a low profile to cover the protest, only to have the mob turn on her and drench her in spit. It was only later that she learned the abuse had been provoked by her turning on her tape recorder, which by Orthodox standards for Shabbat, is unacceptable even for non-Jews.

Suddenly the crowd turned on me, screaming in my face. Dozens of angry men began spitting on me.

I found myself herded against a brick wall as they kept on spitting - on my face, my hair, my clothes, my arms.

Read Barker's full account of the protest here.

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Comments

[carolontheweb]

a feeble attempt by this news blog to appear even handed in the Middle East.

I'll believe it when we hear about Cynthia McKinney in a Tel Aviv jail cell..... and less about Palin and Jackson...­. [I must admit those stories are getting a little thread bare.... the DIASPORA NEWS needs something new if they are going to keep up the ruse.

CYNTHIA MCKINNEY -- jailed by out ONLY ALLIE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!

tomorrow's headline???? -- not on your life.

this is occupied America.

[mivogo]

Cynthia McKinney is a nasty bigot. And it's spelled "ally"

[TerrapinCB]

"Our IDF" - By Gideon Levy
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098053.html

I love this line:
"The Israel Defense Forces has once again used its power to overcome the weak; the navy has once again acted like pirates. The Arion was abducted in the framework of protecting Israel's security for all eternity, blah, blah, blah."

[me again]

So much for the seasoned reporter..­...one must know the customs before entering a specific World.....­.

[who38]

Not all "worlds" are so intolerant. They are willing to recognize that not all people follow the same customs. Too bad this group did not.

[me again]

She chose to enter a known intolerant World and did not abide by their customs. The reality is that she violated their rules and cried wolf when they expressed their unhappiness in a typical format. (Albeit nasty and crude.) Obviously a less than "seasoned" reporter who did not do her homework..­....those folks take their Sabbath seriously!

[Cinnamonape]

If they oppose electronic devices operating on the Sabbath then why aren't they pulling down the telephone lines, etc.

[AdamX]

Why don't you think before you speak?

[who38]

Why aren't they spitting on all those who use electricity on the Sabbath? Seems to me like they have a biased agenda picking on this parking lot owner and reporter. Israel is a secular society within a Jewish state; is it not?

[salidon]

Protesting violently on Shabbat!!! Somebody should be spitting on the spitters!!! Spitting on Shabbat??? What???? Nerve!!! Where do you draw the line???

[Vurz]

It's too bad we can't move the religious extremists all to their own country so the other 97% can live in peace.

[Freesia2]

Oh that is just awful. When your faith causes you to behave in a way that is a terrible reflection on that faith - then somebody needs to go into their house of worship and think on that.

[S1m0n]

It's legal to spit on people on the sabbath?

[MajorKong]

Where do I get one of those hats?

[AdamX]

Where do you get some respect?

[Octoberluna]

again with the respect...

[mommadona]

"Tradi tiooonnnnn Tradition.­.,TRADITIO­N!"

Anyone else of teh feminine persuasion getting SICK AND TIRED OF MEN IN SKIRTS thinking they're gods or something?

I am SICK of male-dominated ORGANIZED religion. The bane of civilization

[BMS]

Co-sign. You bet I'm sick of it.

[who38]

Faved.

[disgustedbyitall]

there is no insult or anger i could express that condemns these individuals any more completely than their own actions.

extremism is the mortal enemy of wisdom and compassion, but humanity will always survive such infections.

[white mende man]

Frankly what does recording someone's voice have to do with anything in the Bible, were there voice recorders in the days of Moses? After all if someone is walking around with a recorder on they are really not doing any work except maybe the recorder. And if you're not J/e/w/i/s/h aren't you allowed to at least turn on the recorder switch?

[HappyRabbit]

Actually, what does any religious document have to do with reality. I mean, really...s­ome guys who had the really good stuff though god was talking to him and he wrote it down?

[Jezreel]

It doesn't have anything to do with the Bible. This is simply another expression of religious extremism.

[Diogenis]

..........­......oh the sheer hypocrisy !

[roblabrousse]

What are they doing out demonstrating and spitting isn't that some form of activity?

[cavegal]

This has happened before and will continue to happen unless the Israeli government gets on top of the issue.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=487412&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=487412

[ModernTimes1]

After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands. -Friedrich Nietzsche

[The Ghost]

Religion is just an excuse to engage in vile, often murderous behavior.