Walkout at Iran leader's speech

Diplomats have walked out of a speech by the Iranian president at a UN anti-racism conference after he described Israel as a "racist government". Two protesters, wearing coloured wigs, briefly disrupted the beginning of the speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but he continued speaking. Walkout at Iran leader's speech Shortly afterwards a stream of Western delegates walked out when he attacked the creation of the state of Israel. France, which had warned of a walkout, described it as "hate speech". Some of those who stayed clapped as Ahmadinejad continued his speech. The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is supposed to do best - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC in Geneva. The walkout by about 40 delegates happened within minutes of the speech starting on Monday. When it became clear what direction the speech was going, they [the ambassadors] walked out to huge cheers from a large number of pro-Israeli groups in the audience who had already tried to disrupt the proceedings. It is hugely disruptive and very damaging to the United Nations which had really wanted this conference to be an example of what the UN is good at - uniting the international community against injustice and racial discrimination. It is difficult to see how this conference can get back to that agenda after today's scenes. Moments earlier security guards escorted two protesters from the conference hall after one threw an object at the Iranian president and they yelled "racist, racist" as he stood at the podium. Ahmadinejad, the only major leader to attend the conference, said Jewish migrants from Europe and the United States had been sent to the Middle East after World War II "in order to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine". He continued, through an interpreter: "And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine." French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei said: "As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room," Associated Press reported. British ambassador Peter Gooderham, also among those who left, said Ahmadinejad's comments were "offensive and inflammatory". "Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a UN anti-racism forum," he said. The US, Israel, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and New Zealand had all boycotted the conference being held in Geneva, in protest at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance, and Israel recalled its ambassador to Switzerland. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had warned that French delegates would walk out if the forum was used as a platform to attack Israel. Speaking after the walkout, he said: "The defence of human rights and the fight against all types of racism are too important for the United Nations not to unite against all forms of hate speech, against all perversion of this message. "Faced with attitudes like that which the Iranian president has just adopted, no compromise is possible." UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed dismay at the boycotts.

Walkout at Iran leader's speech

Shortly afterwards a stream of Western delegates walked out when he attacked the creation of the state of Israel.

France, which had warned of a walkout, described it as "hate speech".

Some of those who stayed clapped as Ahmadinejad continued his speech.

The walkout is a public relations disaster for the United Nations, which had hoped the conference would be a shining example of what the UN is supposed to do best - uniting to combat injustice in the world, says the BBC in Geneva.

The walkout by about 40 delegates happened within minutes of the speech starting on Monday.

When it became clear what direction the speech was going, they [the ambassadors] walked out to huge cheers from a large number of pro-Israeli groups in the audience who had already tried to disrupt the proceedings.

It is hugely disruptive and very damaging to the United Nations which had really wanted this conference to be an example of what the UN is good at - uniting the international community against injustice and racial discrimination.

It is difficult to see how this conference can get back to that agenda after today's scenes.

Moments earlier security guards escorted two protesters from the conference hall after one threw an object at the Iranian president and they yelled "racist, racist" as he stood at the podium.

Ahmadinejad, the only major leader to attend the conference, said Jewish migrants from Europe and the United States had been sent to the Middle East after World War II "in order to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine".

He continued, through an interpreter: "And in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine."

French Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei said: "As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room," Associated Press reported.

British ambassador Peter Gooderham, also among those who left, said Ahmadinejad's comments were "offensive and inflammatory".

"Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a UN anti-racism forum," he said.

The US, Israel, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and New Zealand had all boycotted the conference being held in Geneva, in protest at Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance, and Israel recalled its ambassador to Switzerland.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had warned that French delegates would walk out if the forum was used as a platform to attack Israel.

Speaking after the walkout, he said: "The defence of human rights and the fight against all types of racism are too important for the United Nations not to unite against all forms of hate speech, against all perversion of this message.

"Faced with attitudes like that which the Iranian president has just adopted, no compromise is possible."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed dismay at the boycotts.