from the hip

Four McDonald’s restaurants in Oslo were destroyed by pro-Palestinian demonstrators and the mobs they have attracted in Oslo today.

It started with a false SMS (text) chain message, which stated that “McDonald’s will donate all the money they are making today, Saturday, to Israel”.

That was enough. In the very tense situation in Oslo, the mob did not stop to think, nor check the sources of the message. They just acted. And totally wrecked all the McDonalds they came across in the center of the city!

For the third time there are riots and street fighting in Oslo over the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians. A demonstration against Israel at the Israeli embassy in Oslo turned into a regular street fight when demonstrators threw bottles and stones, and fired fireworks at the police.

As they have one two previous occasions, the police responded with tear gas and spread the crowds. Then the violent demonstration turned into more or less undisciplined street fighting, breaking windows, beating up bystanders, and wrecking havoc on the usually quiet and peaceful city of Oslo.

Norwegian public opinion has increasingly turned in a pro-Palestinian direction over the last few years. Some of the leading newspapers, most notably the once liberal Dagbladet, are relative extremist in its pro-Palestinian view-points. Also, the current left-wing government of the Social democrat party and the Socialist party is pro-Palestinian in its orientation.

embedded by Embedded Video

embedded by Embedded Video