Tuesday, November 05, 2024

UK
Protesters rage at Labour’s denial of Israel’s genocide

The national demonstration marched on the US embassy in south London on Saturday


People staged a die-in outside Downing Street on the London Palestine march
 (Picture: Guy Smallman)

By Thomas Foster
Saturday 02 November 2024    
SOCIALIST WORKER Issue


Around 100,000 Palestine protesters marched on the United States embassy in south London on Saturday.

The national demonstration marked the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration of 1917. It saw British imperialism formally back Zionist colonists who wanted to found a Jewish state on Palestinian land.

Jim, who travelled from Bedfordshire to protest, said that the Palestine movement of the last year “has opened people’s eyes to the history of Palestine”. “I’ve learnt how severe the colonialism of Israel is and how extreme the settlers are,” he told Socialist Worker.

“They will do anything to get their way, including murder and ethnic cleansing. Israel wants to destroy anyone who it sees as an enemy and drag the US into the conflict.

“I think they want to take over all of Palestine and destroy Gaza. The ultimate aim is to use force and war to achieve domination of the region.”

Mary, a lawyer who specialises in international law, told Socialist Worker, “Israel doesn’t want peace. The Zionist “dream is for an enlarged Israel that includes parts of Lebanon and other neighbouring countries”, she said.

She defended the Palestinian right to resist under law, saying, “When your land is stolen, you have the right to defend it and take it back.”

“That’s clear in international law,” she explained. “The Palestinians were there before, they are the indigenous people.

“The Israelis have stolen their land and Palestinians are justified to fight to get back their land and homes. They should resist however they want to. They are losing everything otherwise.”

Many marchers were furious with Labour foreign secretary David Lammy who denied Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in the House of Commons last week.

Quincy from east London attacked prime minister Keir Starmer for “saying there’s no money to fix our broken public services but increasing military spending as one of his first acts”.

“Keir Starmer seems practically the same as the Tories and he won’t bring sweeping reform,” he told Socialist Worker. “He’s just as bad as the rest of them.”

Lisa, from Worcester, slammed the Democratic administration in the US. “The US could stop it today—all the US has to do is say no more weapons,” she told Socialist Worker.

“The US arms industry doesn’t want it to stop because it makes money from the arms deals”.

Lisa added that the source of hope “is us, the people” as in “many cities around the world people are standing with Palestine”. She said that change will come through “the people pushing up, not it trickling down”.

“It’s ordinary people that will make the difference. Time and time again it’s the same story.”

After more than 12 months of Israeli’s genocide, the mass march showed the resilience of the Palestine movement.

Jehan was carrying a Boycott, Divestment and Sanction banner on the demonstration. “Palestinians are calling on us to boycott Israel as a colonial outpost of the West and a genocidal state,” she told Socialist Worker.

“I think BDS can make an impact on Israel’s economy. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu described it as a strategic threat. Israel knows it impacts them. If Israel doesn’t have the funds or backing to commit genocide, then it wouldn’t happen.”

Jehan argued that activists must “fight for companies and pension funds to divest”. “We have to isolate Israel on the global stage. We need to make companies realise it won’t pay to be associated with Israel,” she said.

Protesters marched from Whitehall along the Thames River to the US embassy. Ben Jamal, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director, said, “The anniversary of the Balfour declaration reminds us of the depths and length of British complicity with these rights violations.

“Every Palestinian knows who Balfour was and every Palestinian knows of the guilt of Keir Starmer’s government in aiding and abetting the current genocide against them.”

In Britain, we need to build a movement that forces the British state to break its links with Israel—and, as a first step, stop all arms sales.

“If we are rose up here, we could make a difference,” said Quincy. “We need to bring social unrest and economic upheaval.”

The workplace day of action on Thursday 28 November is an opportunity to deepen the movement and build resistance under Starmer’s government. Go to Stop The War for more on the day of action

No comments:

Post a Comment