Durban II Anti-Racism Conference

The United Nations Durban II anti-racism conference in Geneva, hit snags early on due to an anti-Israel tirade by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the subsequent walk-out of Western envoys in protest.

Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel (L) stands among Israel sympathizers and demonstrators at the entrance of the press room after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered his speech during the opening of a five day UN review conference on racism on April 20, 2009 at the UN Offices in Geneva.

UN security officers arrest a demonstrator who threw a clown's false nose at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his speech during the opening of the Durban Review Conference (UN's Conference against Racism) at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, April 20, 2009.

A demonstrator is expelled at the UN review conference prior to a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Wearing red noses and colourful headgear, the demonstrators were hustled out of the Durban Review Conference minutes before the Iranian leader denounced Israel as racist. The French Union of Jewish Students claimed responsibility for the incident, in a statement that denounced the five-day conference as a 'masquerade.'

Israel sympathizers and demonstrators hold papers at the entrance of the press room after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered his speech during the opening of a five day UN review conference on racism on April 20, 2009 at the UN Offices in Geneva.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves next to Ali Reza, head of Iran's mission to the United Nations, after a bilateral meeting with Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations on the sideline of the Durban Review Conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 20, 2009. The Conference will evaluate progress towards the goals set by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.

A photographer takes a picture of the empty seats of the Israeli delegation during the Durban review Conference.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers his speech during the opening of the Durban review Conference (Durban II) at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, South African Navanethem Pillay, delivers her speech during the opening of Durban.

The empty seats of the U.S. delegation are pictured during the Durban review Conference.

A general view of the assembly hall during the opening of the Durban.

President Barack Obama meets with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the White House on March 10, 2009. President Obama decided the US should boycott the Durban Conference explaining participation would have been "putting our imprimatur on something that we just don't believe."

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