Protesters shout "Shoot the Jew" outside concert at Wits University (UPDATE)

I mentioned a few weeks ago that a concert by the Daniel Zamir Quartet was coming to Wits University in South Africa in order to make up for the concert by Yossi Reshef last March that was cut short by obnoxious protesters who crashed into the show.

The haters, of course, were going crazy that an Israeli jazz group would be playing. The sponsors, including the South Africa Jewish Board of Deputies, took some precautions to ensure that attendees would not disrupt the concert - an eminently reasonable move.

They used a ticket broker who asked all who wanted to purchase tickets for information like their student numbers. However, one ticket broker misunderstood the instructions and told some of the haters on the phone that "only Jews" would be allowed to attend.

This was of course not true, but the BDSers tried to spread the recording and then protested to the university that the event was a "Jews-only" event.

The concert went off today without a hitch and all races and religions were in the audience. As the Wits Vuvuzela reports:

A Wits PhD student, Serge Tshibangu, said the allegations made by BDS were false because he had ordered a ticket and had received confirmation of the order, even though he is “African”: I totally disagree that it is a racist concert.”

Tshibangu said he ordered his tickets on Monday. He had to give his full names and identification number to buy the ticket but he understood it was so his ID number could be checked by Campus Control officers when he arrived at the concert.

Krengel said he “applauded Wits University for upholding the democratic values and freedoms that have made it so fine an academic institution and for its forthright rejection of the intimidatory, bullying tactics of those who do not scruple to undermine those freedoms in order to push their own radical political agendas.”

What has been so far unreported in the media is the bigoted actions of the protesters outside the concert. While the haters said they were going to hold a silent protest - and the Mail & Guardian claimed that they did - a reporter from the Vuvuzela, Emelia Motsai, a journalism student, tweeted otherwise:

Emelia Motsai

Some protesters have tapes on their mouths, some are singing softly. It was said that this would be a "silent protest" #Witsconcert

Protester are now in the corridors of the great hall shouting "down with zionism down" to those who are going into the #Witsconcert

There is no silence in this protest. The protesters are now singing loudly as #Witsconcert attendees arrive.

Some #Witsconcert attendees rolling their eyes as they pass the shouting protesters. another passed by holding up a scarf written 'israel'

"You have the blood of Palestine children on your jersey" shouted a protester to a lady attending #Witsconcert

Some protesters throwing papers at #Witsconcert attendees as they arrive.

'Dubula e Juda" shoot Judah, sings the protesters #Witsconcert

. A campus control officer just confirmed that the auditorium was full.

"Dubula e Juda" of course means "Shoot the Jew."

These lowlifes were claiming that the Jews were acting in a discriminatory way by their bogus charge that only Jews would be allowed. Yet they are the biggest bigots of all.

And news outlet SABC called the BDS movement "a human rights organization!"

UPDATE: The protesters actually justify the chants, claiming that "Shoot the Jew" is not antisemitic!

At some point the protesters threw papers at concert attendees as they arrived. They also sang, “dubula e juda” (“shoot the Jew”), and chanted “there is no such thing as Israel” and “Israel apartheid” as the concert attendees were coming in.

{Muhammed Desai, coordinator of BDS South Africa] said many African people in South Africa when using the word “Jews” meant it in the same way they would have during the eighties. “Just like you would say kill the Boer at funeral during the eighties it wasn’t about killing white people, it was used as a way of identifying with the apartheid regime”.

He said there was no evidence of Jews being harmed because of anti-Semitic impulses, – “the whole idea anti-Semitism is blown out of proportion”. He said if there were anti-Semitic sentiments they would flatly challenge it even if it came from within their protest.

Let's shoot Desai. But by "Desai" I simply mean people who justify saying "Shoot the Jews." Nothing offensive about that, right?

(h/t Joseph)