The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
23 Feb 2009
On Thursday, 19 February 2009, hundreds of protestors gathered outside the offices of the New York Post for the second day in a row, after the newspaper published a cartoon caricaturing President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee.
The cartoon depicts two white policemen with a smoking gun standing over the body of a dead chimpanzee, with one of the police officers saying to the other "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." On the page before the cartoon appeared, President Obama was pictured signing the Stimulus Bill.
People are outraged that the newspaper published the cartoon, not only for its unacceptable racist depiction, but also because of its suggestion that the architect of the stimulus plan - the president - be killed.
Protests were held over two days and the New York Post has since offered an apology - but a half-hearted one that makes no reference to President Obama.
In a Democracy Now interview, which interrogates the event, Eric Adams, a New York senator contends that the fact that this cartoon slipped through onto the pages of the newspaper also points to a lack of diversity amongst editorial staff.
In a related racism story, overturning the decision made by the Bush administration for America to boycott the forthcoming United Nation's "Durban 2 - World Conference Against Racism," scheduled to take place in Geneva from 20-24 April 2009 -- the Obama administration sent American diplomats over to Geneva, to assist with the planning of the racism conference.
The World Conference Against Racism is being boycotted by Israel and Canada.
Latest Update: After attending the planning meeting, America has decided that it will not participate in the racism conference, objecting to the manner in which the UN's document refers to Israel.
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