'My family escaped this kind of persecution. My family escaped this kind of genocide. It is because we're Jewish that we're here,' says Jewish protester
Burak Bir |08.05.2024 -
LONDON
Residents of London staged demonstrations Tuesday against Israel's military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is home to 1.5 million displaced civilians.
Students from University College London held a gathering at the main campus in Bloomsbury, where they recently set up an encampment, joining several other university campuses across the Western world.
Placing Palestinian flags in the area, they called for an end to Israeli attacks, demanding an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
They also chanted slogans including "We are students. We won't be silent. Stop the bombing now.”
The rally was also supported by a group of people who gathered behind the gates of the campus.
Later, a large crowd held a separate demonstration outside the Prime Minister's Office in Whitehall, criticizing the UK’s support for Israel.
Pro-Palestinian Jewish activists were among the attendees at the rally, which was organized as an "emergency protest" following Israel's evacuation order in Rafah.
The protesters repeatedly shouted "Cease-fire now.”
Speaking to Anadolu, Amba, a Jewish protester, said that anyone who tries to say that being anti-Zionist is somehow antisemitic is "weaponizing my identity and my family's identity."
"My family escaped this kind of persecution. My family escaped this kind of genocide. It is because we're Jewish that we're here," she said.
She said this is what her ancestors "would have wanted," saying the weaponizing of her identity makes her feel unsafe when not attending a pro-Palestine protest.
"I feel the most safe with this sign in this type of crowd," she added, carrying a sign that said "Jews against genocide. Free Palestine"
On the situation in Gaza, she said: "It is hard to find words to put to that as a Jewish person, I guess all I can say is we know what this looks like. And ‘Never Again’ meant never again."
The Israeli army said the 401st armored brigade seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza.
Army footage showed Israeli tanks rolling through the area and the Israeli flag raised on the Gaza side.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed about 1,200 people. Nearly 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and 78,100 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Downing St demonstrators say no to Rafah offensive
Neha Shah
Labour Outlook’s Sam Browse reports from today’s demonstration outside Downing Street.
As the Israeli military rain bombs on the Rafah crossing in Gaza, thousands gathered outside Downing Street to demand the government and political leaders push for an immediate ceasefire and a suspension of all arms sales to Israel.
The demonstration, supported by a variety of organisations including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop the War Coalition, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, came as Israel began its assault on one of the most densely crowded regions in Gaza. After months of sustained assault and ground incursion, Israel’s military has displaced over a million Palestinians, with many fleeing to Rafah after Israeli authorities declared it safe.
The Rafah offensive has been met with outrage by human rights organisations and multilateral diplomatic organisations such as the UN, with many claiming that it confirms the charge of genocide Israel is currently defending in the International Court of Justice.
However, while the UK and US governments have verbally opposed the offensive, they have not committed to any concrete action to stop it. Speaking for the Government in the House of Commons earlier today, Andrew Mitchell, a Foreign Office Minister, refused to outline exactly what leverage the Foreign Office is using to match words with deeds.
If the Government were serious it would immediately halt the licensing of arms sales to Israel – a step it has so far refused to take – and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Speaking at the demonstration, Palestine Solidarity Campaign Vice Chair, Neha Shah, said “over recent months, politicians have given us meaningless words, expressions of false concern, always far too late, all while shoring up the flow of arms to Israel. As we’ve said before, David Cameron, David Lammy, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak – you are all responsible.”
“We are all here today because we know that our Government’s direct, historic, and ongoing complicity in Israeli colonialism and genocide bestows on us, the British people, a special responsibility. And so, as the tanks roll into Rafah, we must remember that we hold the power to end this genocide.”
Coming from the House of Commons Chamber, John McDonnell told the crowd assembled outside Downing Street “we are witnessing what is a massacre, mass murder of civilians – men, women, and children – and yet the Government is doing nothing.”
“We say to the Government, the least you can do now is make it clear to Netanyahu that there will be no more arms from Britain to feed this war machine. But the Government refuses to act.”
“What we should be saying to Netanyahu is that you are a war criminal and we will pursue you for as long as you live until we get you in the international courts.”
- For updates on more actions, follow the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.
The protest outside Downing Street came as the student movement in the US and Britain grows
On the Rafah protest outside Downing Street
Around 5,000 people raged against Israel at the emergency protest outside Downing Street, central London, on Tuesday. The demonstration was called after Israel rejected a ceasefire proposal and ramped up its slaughter in Rafah.
Protesters blocked the road and chanted, “One solution, revolution.”
Danny from north London told Socialist Worker, “Israel doesn’t want to accept any ceasefire deal. They have their agenda. Israel wants to take over the whole of Gaza and they’re getting away with it.
“We have to push back against the whole establishment.
“We need to go beyond a ceasefire. We need a Palestinian state. That can only happen if the Arab countries stop siding with the West, or the people in the West stand up and revolt.”
One speaker argued that people around the world must stand against Israeli settler colonialism. He said, “The Zionist genocidal state cannot succeed. It’s killing an entire people.”
He added, “Israel’s genocide has exposed a hypocrisy. Currently, across the road, they are flying a Ukrainian flag above Downing Street. Where is the Palestinian flag?” Our rulers “have unknowingly stirred a revolution, a revolution that will smash the gates of the prisons that hold Palestinian hostages”.
“It’s our duty to write on the pages of history the liberation of Palestinians,” he said.
Labour MP John McDonnell said, “We are witnessing a massacre, a mass murder and yet the government does nothing.
“There must be no more arms to feed Netanyahu’s war machine. Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. We must keep marching, shouting and demonstrating.
“I offer solidarity to all those students encamping across the world, and the workers picketing factories to prevent arms. We will not rest until we bring the children of Gaza peace and justice.”
A member of Jewish Voice for Labour said, “What sort of country responds to a ceasefire proposal by attacking Rafah and killing children? It’s not a Jewish or Muslim issue, it’s an issue of humanity. We have to oppose this brutality.”
Jenny from Coventry said, “The forced displacement of Palestinians must be stopped. Women, children and men—thousands of lives have been lost. We’ve got to stand up and fight back.”Over 1,000 people marched from Manchester city centre to the university Palestine encampment. Other events took place in Liverpool, Derby, Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport, Hastings and Brighton.
Calendar of resistanceWednesday 8 May: Globalise the campus resistance: international student-staff assembly, 7.30pm, Register for Zoom link here and share bit.ly/campusresistance24
Hear from students and staff building encampments in Britain, the US, Paris and more.Thursday 9 May: Stop the War has called an activists’ meeting at the Palestine 21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD, 6.30pm to discuss action including building for the 18 May demonstration.
Saturday 11 May:
NW England regional march: Assembly 12 noon Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool, L3 5TQ to march to St George’s Hall for a rally.
SW England regional Nakba Day march: 12 noon, College Green, BristolSaturday 18 May: The coalition organising the national marches has confirmed another national demonstration to mark the anniversary of the Nakba when Zionist settlers and militias forced at least 800,000 Palestinians off their land to make way for the Israeli state. It will also step up demands for an end to the genocide and to the arming of Israel.
Assemble 12 noon, BBC Portland Place for march to Whitehall, London. Route map here https://x.com/PSCupdates/status/1786380570617946278Saturday 8 June: Stop the War trade union conference 10am-4.30pm, Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA. Details here or share at tinyurl.com/STWconf0806
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