Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is currently in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. While he’s there, he might as well meet with his buddies in the Occupy Wall Street movement, right? Wrong. Early reports claiming this are all sizzle, no steak.
“Ahmadinejad is also set to meet American university students, artists, intellectuals and elites, including Occupy Wall Street anti-capitalist protestors, despite the ongoing efforts made by the pro-Zionist lobbies to prevent direct link between American people and the Iranian president,” said Iran’s Fars News Agency . But there’s a thing about trusting media reports from government controlled media, Weekly Standard . And if I have to explain it to you, you really need to go back to Journalism 101.
When asked if OWS has any intention of meeting with Ahmadinejad, spokesperson Dana Balicki said “No. None.”
“I’ve been trying to reach someone from Fars to ask them who they are talking about. Anyone going is doing so as an individual,” She said. “There is no organized effort on behalf of OWS to meet with Ahmadinejad. This smells like a propaganda effort to me.” Her efforts have gone nowhere. “In fact, when you e-mail them, it bounces and there are no phone numbers listed. Amazing news agency.”
Other OWS members have said the same.
“Nobody in their right mind would meet with a fascist dictator like Ahmadenijad,” Shawn Carrié, a longtime Occupy activist, told BuzzFeed . “I think it’s been blown way out of proportion. There were some emails floating around on listservs about going to *protest* his appearance.”
“Anyway, it must be stressed that no one speaks for OWS,” Carrié said. “Any moron can go say they’re gonna go do something, but to say OWS meets with Ahmadinejad? That’s just ridiculous.”
So yes, Ahmadinejad is in New York. Yes, his appearance is wreaking havoc like it always does. But take heart, OWS supporters. The rumors are just that.