Sunday, May 30, 2021

Free Palestine protestors climb on to BBC building to demonstrate anger over coverage

Hundreds gathered to protest against BBC coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict.


By Louisa Gregson
MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
 29 MAY 2021
Free Palestine protestors climb on to BBC building at Media City (Image: Manchester Evening News)


Protestors climbed on to the BBC building at Media City today and let off flares as hundreds gathered to protest against its coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Chanting "BBC shame on you" protestors gathered outside the BBC in Salford before marching en-masse around Media City.

Speakers labelled the BBC the "Biased Broadcasting Corporation" and claimed the organisation has barely allowed Palestinians a voice when reporting on the conflict.

"In an oppression, why not speak to the oppressed?" one speaker said.

The BBC launched a separate complaints page over its coverage of the Israel-Palestine violence after viewers complained about its reporting with many people taking to social media to slam ‘biased’ coverage of the situation.
Free Palestine protest at Media City in Salford (Image: Manchester Evening News)

The protestors, waving Palestinian flags and brandishing placards declared: "We are not going to stop until Palestine is free."


Chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, one, two, three, four - occupation no more," they let off colourful flares and took the knee to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The youngest speaker, a seven-year-old boy read out a poem saying: "I see you Palestine, I know you are not fine. What is happening is so wrong, why has this been going on so long?"

Jaudhan Khan, 19, from Oldham was among the protestors. He said: "I am here to help give Palestine a voice because they are being silenced.

"The BBC are complicit by being biased.

"They are siding with the oppressor when they should be siding with the oppressed."

Free Palestine protestors march over bridge at Media City in Salford (Image: Manchester Evening News)

Another protestor Abeda Parveen, 44, from Oldham said: "I have come here today because I feel so strongly.

"The UK is complicit in funding the war.

"It is not about religion or politics it is about humanity and that is what we are fighting for."

The four hour protest finished with protestors giving a round of applause to Palestinians "Around the world."

About 250 people have been killed since fighting began between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Students stage 'Free Palestine' protest at the University of Manchester

Protesters marched from the university's Oxford University building to the National Graphene Institute on Friday

By 
Charlotte Dobson
28 MAY 2021

Students protest at the University of Manchester (Image: Adam Vaughan)

Students held a 'Free Palestine' demo at the University of Manchester.

The protest took place outside the university's main campus on Oxford Road followed by a procession to the National Graphene Institute.

More than 30 protesters, some carrying Palestinian flags, attended the demo today (Friday).

It follows a number of 'Free Palestine' protests held across the city after renewed violence in Israel and Palestine in the last month.

(Image: Adam Vaughan)

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes after more than a week of sustained conflict.

An Israel-Gaza ceasefire was declared on Friday.

The ceasefire came after an 11-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip considered the worst violence in the region since 2014.

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The University of Manchester has agreements with partners across the world to provide study placements for our students and via which we accept in-bound exchange students.


These agreements are vital to delivering a world class learning experience to our students and to maintaining an international experience on campus.

"One of these agreements is with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which is an internationally widely recognised institution in Israel which in turn has agreements across 27 countries.

"These links form part of the University’s engagement in Israel which incorporates both student exchange and research collaboration.”

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