Liverpool FC Forum

by **kunilson** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:06 pm

brilliant show from everyone there, makes me proud to support this team.

well done, keep fighting!

by **red37** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:09 pm

RTK: THANKS TO YOU ALL
RTK 08 January 2007

Saturday’s protest at the lies made by Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie served not only to galvanize support for the Justice campaign, but it also brought the issue, once again, slap bang into the public eye.

In the 18 years since the disaster the national profile of The Sun’s lies has diminished. Rumour, prejudice and misinformation still reign in many eyes. Many opposition supporters still casually throw away comments about Liverpool fans killing their own, and being solely to blame for events. They cite our campaign against The Sun as an example of extreme self-pity; our fight for ‘Justice For The 96’ as mawkish and selfish.

All these accusations are founded in the ignorance of the events of 1989. Awareness of the FACTS surrounding the Hillsborough Disaster is low, even – unbelievably - amongst some of Liverpool’s own support. Following McKenzie’s recent public reiteration of his lies, and his rebuttal of his newspaper’s apology, the RTK and HJC campaigns decided that a public protest was necessary.

It was an opportunity for us to publicly expose the Sun’s Lies and make a mockery of their claim to have apologised for their attack on Liverpool supporters and the Hillsborough victims. It was also a chance to expose McKenzie as the self-seeking liar he is, and to protest at his recent recruitment by the BBC. Anfield’s response to the call for a protest was astonishing, the message could not have been any clearer and the press reaction reflects this:

The opening six minutes were dominated by an incredible display on The Kop where, to a man, supporters held up cards which spelt out 'The Truth' in letters 20 feet high (Sunday People )

Stirred by recent sickening comments made by the former editor of (The Sun), fans on the Kop held up cards to produce a mosaic which read: "The Truth" as they sang "Justice for the 96." . The main protest lasted until six minutes after kick-off - a reference to the time it took for the authorities at Hillsborough to realise that people were being crushed to death in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium. (Sunday Mirror )

To say Anfield was noisy at the start of this Cup tie would be the understatement of 2007. The Kop welcomed the television cameras as promised, with a superbly orchestrated protest over slurs on fans' behaviour at Hillsborough, recently re-aired by Kelvin MacKenzie. He was editor of the Sun at the time of the original accusations. The display lasted exactly six minutes into the game … then switched off with military precision, to coincide with the time when the 1989 FA Cup semi-final was abandoned. The protest was replaced by the type of sustained din usually reserved for big European nights. (The Guardian)

Saturday will go down in the annals as one of The Spion Kop’s greatest days. We did more in 10 minutes to reignite the campaign agsinst McKenzie and The Sun than we had in years. And we not only got the message out to our own fans, we got it out to the world, and we did it in Anfield’s own inimitable style.

There are many to thanks for making Saturday such a fabulous success:

Thanks to the volunteers who turned up early on Saturday morning to help put out the 12,000 mosaic cards. Thanks also to those who stayed on to distribute 15,000 leaflets and thousands of stickers in the cold and wet. You are all heroes!

Thanks to everyone who took a leaflet, who stopped and listened to what we had to say; to the Supporters Club coaches who greeted us enthusiastically and helped distribute fliers and stickers.

Thanks To Andy Knott at Expressions, for getting the mosaic printed in such a short space of time and under trying conditions.

Thanks to all the small business around Anfield: the pubs, snack bars, chippies, cafes and shops who lets us distribute leaflets there and talk to their customers.

Thanks to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign for their magnificent support (both moral and financial), and for the use of the shop for sheltering from the rain and for making tea. Big Thanks to Jerry and Kenny for their good humour and hard work on the day.

A very special thank you to Liverpool FC, without whose approval this would not have happened. Rick Parry was wholly supportive of our motives and extended every assistance to us. He listened and then backed up his words with actions – with the full support of our Chairman David Moores. Thanks also to Ged Poynton, the stadium manager, for organising our access to Anfield on the morning of the game and for ensuring that things went off safely and without a hitch. Thank You also to all of his stewards, particularly those on The Kop for their patient support and understanding.

Thanks to our friends in the press for covering both the RTK campaign and Saturdays protest so honestly:

Mike Chapple at The Daily Post was one of our first supporters and remains staunchly behind the campaign. Radio City and the Liverpool Echo – notably Chris Bascombe – are always supportive and a big thank you to them. A special thanks to The Daily Mirror’s Brian Reade for taking the message to a wider audience. His article on Saturday morning can only have stoked the flames and ensured the protest went so well. Cheers Brian!

A special thank you to Mark Platt and everyone at liverpoolfc.tv who have supported the RTK from its inception and continue to do so. They also threw their support behind Saturday’s protest and helped us to publicise events to a world-wide audience.

Thanks also to the Arsenal supporters inside Anfield who could – had they wished – have disrupted proceedings, but chose to be understanding and respectful, and who then applauded us. It is much appreciated. Thanks also to Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger for their generous words praising the fans inside Anfield on Saturday.

Finally – a huge thank you to everyone inside Anfield. You were all amazing; particularly those on all sides of the ground who made special banners in support of the protest. You were seen all over the world. A special word of thanks goes to all you Kopites for holding those cards aloft for 10 minutes and singing yourself hoarse. The words of the press above show just what effect you had and the esteem in which you are held in the football world.

Saturday was one of the greatest occasions ever inside in Anfield, it will be remembered for years. Thank you all for making it all possible.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:12 pm

Faultless display from the fans.

Makes you proud. :bowdown

by **Pineapple Nutty** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:07 pm

omg, we r the best fans ever :o

by **redhayesy** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 6:51 pm

red 37 i couldn"t of put it better myself mate! big respect to you & to all who contributed in any way they did, i was so p1ssed off i couldn"t make it to the game, but as a survivor of hillsborough, i cried my fecking eyes out when i saw the protest on tv. it was so emotional for me as every day i count myself very lucky to be alive, hopefully the demonstraition on saturday will re-galvanise the fight for justice. t.v viewers who didn"t know what the hjc was all about they sure as hell know now! also big respect to john motson imho because he didn"t avoid the issue he let the t.v viewer know what the demonstaition was all about, have to say disappointed in lawro,hanson etc for not adding any comment when they certainly had every opportunity to do so! those feckers at the bbc obviously told them what they can say and what they can"t. still at least motty had the balls to say it as it is, let"s hope the message got across to the all who watched and also help spread the word in this DON"T BUY THE S*N.

by **redmikey** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:18 pm

here here red 37

as i've post on the wrong thread it brought a lump to my throat.. out of this world " you'll never walk alone"

by **Bad Bob** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:57 pm

Apologies if these have been posted up elsewhere:

Sights and Sounds From the Annie Road End

The Sights and Sounds From the Kop

Motson and Lawro Commentary

A Roar of Triumph...Spine Tingling!

Absolutely outstanding stuff. To all the legends who went to the ground Saturday and sang for justice...my sincerest thanks. You've done us all proud! :buttrock

by **Pedro O'Maradona** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:05 pm

well done to ALL involved.....LFC can be proud of the dignified way the point was made. Proof if it was ever needed that this is so much more than a football club. Top marks to Wenger and Henry too for their remarks afterwards.

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