Global Alarm as IDF Takes Aim at Nasser Hospital Full of Sheltering Civilians

"Nasser is the backbone of the health system in southern Gaza. It must be protected," said the head of the World Health Organization.


Injured Palestinians, including children, are brought to Nasser Hospital to receive medical treatment following Israeli attacks in Khan Younis, Gaza on January 22, 2024.

(Photo: Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images)

JAKE JOHNSON
Feb 14, 2024

Israeli troops further closed in on the largest hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Wednesday, ordering thousands of Palestinians sheltering at the facility to evacuate amid reports that Israeli snipers have been shooting people trying to flee the compound.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which has waged a devastating and illegal war on Gaza's healthcare system, claimed without evidence that it has information proving that Hamas "continues to conduct military activities within Nasser Hospital complex"—echoing the al-Shifa Hospital allegations that were found to be spurious.

"If Hamas does not stop this terrorist activity, within 12 hours, the IDF reserves its right to act against these actions according to international law," the Israeli military said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement intensified fears that Israeli troops, which have encircled the hospital for weeks, are preparing to storm a medical facility overrun with wounded patients and displaced people seeking refuge from Israeli airstrikes.

More than 8,000 people are believed to be inside Nasser Hospital, and around 400 are reportedly in critical condition.

"We won't leave the hospital without our patients," Nahed Abu Taeema, the hospital's head of surgery, toldThe New York Times on Wednesday.



Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said Wednesday that he is "alarmed" by developments at Nasser Hospital, noting that "hostilities have reportedly destroyed storage facilities for medical equipment and supplies."

Tedros said that two WHO missions have been denied access to the facility over the past several days and that the organization has lost contact with Nasser's personnel.

"Nasser is the backbone of the health system in southern Gaza. It must be protected," said Tedros. "Humanitarian access must be allowed. Hospitals must be safeguarded so that they can serve their life-saving function. They must not be militarized or attacked."

Israel's evacuation orders came after Al Jazeera reported that Israeli snipers stationed outside of the Nasser Hospital complex have been shooting civilians outside the facility and medical staff on the inside.

Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud said last week that Israeli snipers were "shooting at every moving object" around the hospital, including people trying to reach the facility from nearby neighborhoods. At least 21 Palestinians were killed by Israeli sniper fire on Friday, according to Al Jazeera.

"Attack drones also targeted a group of young people who gathered on the roof of the hospital," said Mahmoud. "Because of the communications blackout, they were trying to get signals for the internet on their mobile phones so they could communicate with family members."

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor confirmed Tuesday that a Palestinian civilian was killed "by an Israeli quadcopter aircraft" while "attempting to obtain Internet signals" from the roof of Nasser Hospital.



The Associated Pressreported Wednesday that video footage from the Khan Younis hospital "showed dozens of Palestinians carrying their belongings in sacks and making their way out" of the complex.

The IDF claimed Wednesday that it had "opened a secure route to evacuate the civilian population taking shelter in the area of the Nasser Hospital" toward a so-called "humanitarian zone." The Financial Timesreported that the IDF "declined to say where this zone was located."

"In an audio message sent to the Financial Times by a nurse at the Nasser compound, women could be heard weeping over the sounds of distant gunfire and an Israeli military loudspeaker delivering instructions," the newspaper added. "The nurse, who declined to be identified, said that evacuees—including the elderly and some wounded—were being held at a checkpoint."

UK

Teen girl stabbed in London in suspected ‘transphobic hate crime,’ police say

The teen survived being stabbed 14 times at a roller skating party, local media reported.


Feb. 14, 2024
By Matt Lavietes

A teenage girl was stabbed in London over the weekend in what authorities are treating as “a transphobic hate crime,” police said.

London’s Metropolitan Police said Tuesday that the 18-year-old was attacked in Harrow, a borough northwest of the British capital, on Saturday evening. The girl was taken to the hospital and has since been discharged, authorities said.

“This was a shocking and violent attack and we continue to support the victim and her family as she recovers from her injuries,” Detective Inspector Nicola Hannant, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement. “At this stage, we are treating this as a transphobic hate crime and we know this will cause significant concern.”

Four people have been arrested in the incident, Hannant added.

Local media reported that the teen had been stabbed 14 times at a roller skating party after being subjected to transphobic slurs. At least one of the alleged assailants, who is also a teenage girl, appeared in court Tuesday, according to The Standard.

The attack Saturday came almost exactly a year after the fatal stabbing of a British transgender teenager, Brianna Ghey. Ghey was found fatally stabbed in a park in Warrington, England, about 16 miles west of Manchester, sparking global condemnation from LGBTQ advocates around the world.

This month, two 16-year-olds were handed life sentences with minimum prison terms of 20 and 22 years for Ghey’s murder. A vigil commemorating the first anniversary of Ghey’s death was held on Sunday.

“Another young trans woman stabbed multiple times in a clearly transphobia motivated attack,” trans activist Katy Montgomerie wrote on X Tuesday. “How many more until you all see that platforming transphobic extremists day in day out has consequences.”

Authorities urged anyone with further information to reach out to police and said they dedicated “LGBT+ points of contact across London who can offer advice and support.”

Look what the cat dragged in: Why the plague won’t go away

John Elder
Feb 14, 2024

A sick cat infected its owner with the bubonic plague. No flea bite involved.

The plague lives on. The good old Black Death may have passed its prime – killing more than 25 million people in Europe in the 14th century – but it keeps bobbing up.

This week, a resident of Deschutes County, Oregon, was diagnosed with bubonic plague – and the person’s cat, sick with symptoms, appears to have passed it on.

The bacteria that causes the plague, Yersinia pestis, is most commonly passed on to humans in a flea bite.

But in this instance, the cat probably infected its owner via plague droplets. Cute little sneezes turned deadly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cats are “particularly susceptible to plague, and can be infected by eating infected rodents”.

Several cases of human plague “have occurred in the United States in recent decades as a result of contact with infected cats”.

The last confirmed case of plague in Oregon was 2015. To learn more about plague in cats, see here.

See a doctor before the black boils settle in

According to the World Health Organisation, bubonic plague is the most common form of plague.

When you’re bitten by an infected flea, Yersinia pestis, enters at the bite and travels through the lymphatic system to the nearest lymph node where it replicates itself.

A plague doctor from the bad old days. Photo: Getty

The lymph node then becomes inflamed, tense and painful, and is called a ‘bubo’. At advanced stages of the infection the inflamed lymph nodes can turn into open sores filled with pus.

Human-to-human transmission of bubonic plague is rare.

Bubonic plague can advance and spread to the lungs, which is the more severe type of plague called pneumonic plague.

What to look for, just in case

The last cases of human plague in Australia occurred in the 1920s. Between 1900 and 1910, an epidemic killed about 550 people.

There are up to 2000 confirmed cases of plague globally each year, and most of those occur in Madagascar.

And while Australia seemingly remains plague free, the disease might hitch a ride with overseas travellers.

Plague now and then occurs in many countries in Africa, the former Soviet Union, the Americas and Asia.

For the sake of giving yourself a fright, bubonic plague symptoms include:

• Sudden high fever and chills
• Pains in the areas of the abdomen, arms and legs
• Headaches.

As do flu and viral infections. So keep your eyes peeled for those large and swollen lumps in the lymph nodes (buboes) that develop and leak pus.

Symptoms of septicemic plague may include blackened tissue from gangrene, often involving the fingers or toes.

The plague is a rapidly progressing disease that can lead to death if untreated.

If you suspect you have it, call a doctor right away or go to an emergency room for immediate medical attention.

What happened to the cat?

Both resident and cat have been treated with antibiotics, intimates have been examined, and the risk of the disease spreading is very low.

A Deschutes County health official, in a statement, advised: Fortunately, “this case was identified and treated in the earlier stages of the disease, posing little risk to the community”.

How is the plague persisting

According to Healthline, the risk of plague is highest in areas that have poor sanitation, overcrowding, and a large population of rodents.

Over the past 20 years, nearly all cases have been reported among people living in small and agricultural villages rather than overcrowded cities.

According to the CDC, plague occurs in rural and semi-rural areas of the western US.

In the semi-arid upland forests and grasslands many types of rodent species can be carrying the bacteria.

These include rock squirrels, wood rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mice, voles, and rabbits. Wild carnivores can become infected by eating other infected animals.

Scientists think “plague bacteria circulate at low rates within populations of certain rodents without causing excessive rodent die-off”.

These infected animals and their fleas “serve as long-term reservoirs for the bacteria”. This is called the enzootic cycle.

Where it really started in the US was in the early 20th century, with the steamships bringing rats and their fleas from abroad.

And there is no getting rid of rats or these other rodents. It has been tried.

And if we can’t get rid of rodents, we can’t get rid of the plague.

Can the average person spot a deepfake?

As deepfake technology advances, the ability of the average person to differentiate between authentic and manipulated content is being put to the test.

Sarah Brady

February 14, 2024

Credit: Shutterstock/Tero Vesalainen

In January 2024, US voters in the state of New Hampshire received a call from President Joe Biden, urging them to refrain from voting in the primary election. Only, they didn’t. It was a robocall using deepfake audio to impersonate the President.

The likeness of the AI generated audio to President Biden’s voice (which can be listened to here) speaks to the growing sophistication of deepfakes, raising alarm bells about the potential misuse of the technology.

In the lead-up to major elections, concerns about the proliferation of deepfake content have surged, prompting investigations into the average viewer’s ability to discern between genuine and artificially generated media.

The challenge in detecting deepfakes lies in the technology’s increasing refinement. High-end manipulations, often focus on facial transformations, make it challenging for viewers to discern authenticity.

GlobalData analyst Emma Christy warns, “a significant number of people will be unable to discern deepfake audio from reality, with catastrophic implications for countries holding elections this year.

Christy cites a 2023 University College London study in which participants were only able to identify fake speech 73% of the time, only improving slightly after they received training to recognise aspects of deepfake speech. “The samples used in the study were created with relatively old AI algorithms, which suggests humans might be less able to detect deepfake speech created using present and future AI,” says Christy.

A recent study, published in iScience, revealed that people struggle to reliably detect manipulated video content. Despite being informed that half of the videos were authentic, participants guessed that 67.4% were genuine.

As the ability to generate deepfakes has become more accessible, concerns about accountability and the use of deepfakes in deceptive campaigns, such as mass voter misinformation efforts, are coming to the fore.

MIT’s DetectFakes Project, developed as a research project, explores how well ordinary individuals can distinguish authentic videos from those produced by artificial intelligence.

The Kaggle Deepfake Detection Challenge (DFDC) enlisted the collaborative efforts of industry giants like AWS, Facebook, and Microsoft, along with academic institutions, to incentivize the development of innovative technologies for deepfake detection, awarding a substantial $1m to the competition winners.

The challenge posed by deepfakes goes beyond traditional fake news, as these AI-generated content pieces are more convincing and tend to create false narratives that resonate with individuals’ beliefs.

Former Google fraud czar, Shuman Ghosemajumder, warned of the societal concern surrounding deepfakes, emphasising their potential to damage individuals and influence public opinion.

Research indicates that people struggle to differentiate between real and deepfake content, with the potential for deepfakes to sow uncertainty and erode trust in genuine media.

How do you spot a deepfake?

Pay attention to the face

Deepfakes typically involve facial transformations – that is, alternate faces transposed on another body.

Founder of prompt library company, AIPRM, Christopher Cemper says that examining fine skin textures and facial details is another important factor to consider.

“While the deepfake generation has rapidly advanced, fully photorealistic reproduction of complex human skin and the minute muscular motions around our eyes, noses and mouths remains extremely challenging,” adds Cemper.

It’s all in the hand

While the complexity of hand anatomy stumps even the best artists, AI image generators are, too, notorious for their inability to produce a realistic hand. Often, they’re missing fingers or have one too many; maybe they have joins, maybe they don’t.

A lack of spatial understanding in some AI models can result in unrealistic hand shapes and unnatural posing, especially in images of hands performing fine motor tasks, suck as grasping small objects.

Look at the lip-syncing

For videos, Deepfakes may struggle with accurate synchronisation. Check for lip-syncing errors, where the audio and the movement of the lips do not match.

There may be other audio anomalies such as unnatural pauses, glitches, or artefacts – or the speech may be stilted and off-pitch

Try an AI image detector

There are plenty of free AI image detectors including Everypixel Aesthetics and Illuminarty. These platforms use neural networks to analyse images for consistencies in AI generated images.

Jaime Moles, senior technical manager at ExtraHop, says that there are already detection algorithms in place to catch some Deepfakes, which work by scanning where the digital overlay connects to the actual face being masked.

“This tech is broadly called a ‘general adversarial network’ (GAN), and these tools have reported 99% accuracy in catching Deepfakes. The challenge is that GANs are used to train AI models to improve performance, meaning the tools that catch the Deepfakes are used to train those same models to avoid being caught in future,” says Moles.

Check the source

Compare the video with known source material, such as other videos or images of the same person. Look for discrepancies in appearance, voice, and behaviour.

If the source cannot easily be found, check the metadata of the file.

Metadata is automatically inserted into images or videos during their creation by the camera, and some media editing programs also incorporate it into files, so metadata can offer valuable insights into the origin of a video.

However, relying solely on metadata is not enough alone to identify deepfakes. Embedded metadata can be easily manipulated by saving a video in a different format, processing it through editing software may erase the original metadata, a file can be re-uploaded without its initial title, and creators can manually alter the metadata.

A multi-faceted approach

Efforts to detect and prevent deepfakes are underway, with researchers developing software and proposing updates to election campaign fraud rules. However, the continual advancement of AI technology poses a persistent challenge, making it crucial to educate the public on the existence of deepfakes and how to identify them.

As deepfakes become more accessible and convincing, addressing this threat requires a multi-faceted approach, involving technological advancements, regulatory measures, and public awareness initiatives.

Such a big election year in 2024 may serve as a critical testing ground for society’s ability to navigate the challenges posed by AI-generated content.

Instacart cuts seven percent of workforce, 250 staff laid off

The grocery delivery giant revealed the layoffs alongside the release of its fourth-quarter earnings report.

Sarah Brady

February 14, 2024

Credit:: Shutterstock/T. Schneider

In a letter to investors, US ecommerce site Instacart’s CEO Fidji Simo disclosed the company’s decision to lay off 250 members of its workforce.

“This will allow us to reshape the company and flatten the organisation so we can focus on our most promising initiatives that we believe will transform our company and industry over the long term,” Simo said.

The layoffs were revealed alongside the release of the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report. In an SEC filing, Instacart explained that this move aims to align its organisational structure with current business needs, top strategic priorities, and key growth opportunities.

Adding to the reshuffling, Instacart disclosed the departure of three executives, including its chief technology officer and chief operating officer, citing personal reasons.

In financial terms, Instacart reported fourth-quarter revenues of $803m, slightly below analysts’ estimates of $804.7m. Despite this, shares of Instacart experienced a three percent increase in after-market trading.

Simo expressed optimism about the company’s trajectory, noting, “Our consumer product is the best it has ever been, enabling us to invest more than we ever have before on marketing and incentives that have the ability to resurrect and attract new users as well as deepen engagement with existing users. We’re doing all of this while maintaining our relentless focus on profitable growth and our long-term financial targets.”

Instacart’s workforce reduction continues the ongoing trend of tech industry layoffs, with several companies, including Google, Microsoft, Snapchat and eBay, all conducting significant layoffs in the past two weeks.

According to data from layoffs.fyi, over 140 tech companies have already conducted mass layoffs in 2024 resulting in around 34,000 jobs lost.

Strategic shifts, macroeconomic difficulties and the race to AI all continue to be major reasons behind these layoffs.

Verdict’s round-up of the biggest tech layoffs made in 2023 can be found here.

What is AI washing?

AI washing is coming under increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies.

Sarah Brady

February 14, 2024

Businesses are increasingly making unfounded AI claims, similar to the practice of “cloud washing.” Credit: Shutterstock/Deemerwha studio

Today (14th Feb) US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler warned businesses engaging in AI washing against making false claims regarding their artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

Drawing a parallel with the agency’s crackdown on greenwashing, Gensler emphasised that securities law explicitly prohibits deceptive claims and mandates companies to provide disclosures that are “full, fair, and truthful.” But what exactly is AI washing?

AI washing has become an informal term, akin to greenwashing, referring to businesses making groundless AI related claims to the public.

The surge in the number and complexity of AI applications has raised concerns that marketing assertions may not align with the actual capabilities of the products.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning in February 2023, alerting companies across various sectors about bogus AI claims within company advertising and marketing materials.

This includes exaggerations of AI-powered product capabilities and outright fabrications regarding the incorporation of AI technology.

The SEC, known for cracking down on greenwashing by fund managers, has blocked funds from using names suggesting a focus on environmental, social, and governance issues if their portfolios did not align with those principles.

The phenomenon of AI washing has gained momentum due to the hype surrounding generative AI.

Businesses are increasingly making unfounded AI claims, similar to the practice of ‘cloud washing’.

This involves promoting products or services as ‘powered by AI’ without substantial AI integration, with the aim of creating an illusion of advanced technology.

For instance, companies may label a product as AI-powered merely because it uses a basic algorithm that vaguely falls under the umbrella of AI.

The lack of clarity in marketing materials can mislead customers into thinking they are purchasing a more sophisticated product. The issue extends across various sectors, including system management technologies, databases, middleware, security, and other offerings.

The consequences of AI washing are detrimental to the reputation of the AI industry, fostering false expectations and misconceptions about AI’s actual capabilities.

It also poses challenges for customers trying to discern genuinely innovative AI products amid a sea of misleading claims.

Distinguishing AI washing from cloud washing can be challenging, as customers often rely on salespeople’s assurances regarding the technology’s authenticity. While some technologies may technically be AI-powered, the absence of true, practical applications renders such claims misleading.

Many products claiming AI capabilities often fall short in delivering tangible advantages from their AI-driven systems. Honest product managers admit that AI use is anecdotal and not core to the product’s functionality.

UK

Bombshell MRP poll puts Tories on track for biggest election defeat in history

Rishi Sunak will be left with just 80 MPs after the election as 17 cabinet ministers get ousted.

by Jack Peat
2024-02-14 
in Politics


The Conservatives are on track for an electoral defeat unlike anything seen in the history of British politics.

A new bombshell survey of 18,000 people conducted by Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus has projected that Rishi Sunak will be left with just 80 MPs if there was a vote tomorrow.

A whopping 17 cabinet ministers would be among the casualties, including Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, Gillian Keegan and Mel Stride.

Jacob Rees-Mogg would also lose his seat, as would Lee Anderson and Jonathan Gullis.

The poll puts Sir Keir Stamer on track for a Labour landslide with an unprecedented majority of 254 seats. This would be an even bigger victory than Tony Blair’s historic win in 1997.

According to the numbers, Labour has 42 per cent support giving it a 20-point lead over the Conservatives on 22 per cent.

Voters said they believed health, the economy and immigration were the most important issues facing the country. Nationalising utility companies and building more homes were among most popular potential election policies.

Over the past three weeks, the pollsters surveyed 18,151 people – which is nine times as many as a typical poll. The MRP (multi-level regression and post-stratification) method – that successfully forecast the 2017 and 2019 elections – was then used to project what this would mean in individual constituencies.

Martin Baxter, founder of Electoral Calculus, said: “The public seem even more disenchanted with the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak than they were with John Major in 1997.

“A Labour landslide looks increasingly likely, and Labour voters want nationalisation, increased public spending and higher taxes.

“The next election could have a seismic impact on British politics as the recent Conservative era crashes to a close.”

A General Election has to take place by next January at the latest, although Sunak is expected to either hold one in May or the Autumn.

Find Out Now interviewed 18,151 adults in Britain online between January 24 and February 12.

Tories face being reduced to 80 seats, poll of 18,000 voters suggests

18 Cabinet ministers are predicted to lose their seats in total in what would mark the worst Conservative wipeout in history

By Poppy Wood

Politics and Education Reporter

February 14, 2024 

Senior Cabinet ministers – including Jeremy Hunt, Gillian Keegan and Grant Shapps – are on track to lose their seats at the next general election, a major new poll has found.

A survey of more than 18,000 people by polling firms Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus suggested that Rishi Sunak will be left with only 80 MPs after the next general election in a wipeout that would mark the Tories’ worst result in history.

Eighteen Cabinet ministers are on course to lose their seats in total, according to the poll first published by the Daily Mirror. It includes Mr Hunt, the Chancellor; Ms Keegan, the Education Secretary; and Mr Shapps, the Defence Secretary.

Other predicted senior Tory defeats include Penny Mordaunt, Mel Stride, Claire Coutinho, Victoria Prentis, John Glen, Johnny Mercer and Simon Hart.

The 18 Cabinet ministers on track to lose their seats

Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor – predicted to lose seat to the Lib Dems

Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Michelle Donelan, Science Secretary – predicted to lose seat to the Lib Dems

Lucy Frazer, Culture Secretary – predicted to lose seat to the Lib Dems

Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary – predicted to lose seat to the Lib Dems

Claire Coutinho, Energy Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Mel Stride, Pensions Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

David T Davies, Welsh Secretary – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Victoria Prentis, Attorney General – predicted to lose seat to Labour

John Glen, Paymaster General – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Esther McVey, Minister Without Portfolio – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Andrew Mitchell, Foreign Minister – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Johnny Mercer, Veterans Minister – predicted to lose seat to Labour

Michael Tomlinson, Illegal Immigration Minister – predicted to lose seat to the Lib Dems

Simon Hart, Chief Whip – predicted to lose seat to Plaid Cymru

Alister Jack, Scottish Secretary – predicted to lose seat to the SNP

The polling firms used the multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) method, which creates large national samples to estimate public opinion at a local level.

It found that Labour is on course to secure 452 seats at the next general election, which would top the party’s 1997 victory and mark a record Labour landslide. It would mean an increase of 249 seats compared with the 2019 election.

By comparison, the Conservatives are predicted to lose 285 seats – three-quarters of the seats won at the last general election.

Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats are expected to perform fairly similarly, according to the poll – with 10 per cent and 11 per cent of the vote respectively. However, this would leave Nigel Farage’s party with 0 seats, compared with 53 for the Lib Dems.

Poll results

Conservatives: 22 per cent, 80 seats, down 285 seats compared with 2019

Labour: 42 per cent, 452 seats, up 249 seats

Lib Dems: 11 per cent, 53 seats, up 42 seats

Reform: 10 per cent, 0 seats, no change

Green: 7 per cent, 2 seats, up 1 seat

SNP: 4 per cent, 40 seats, down 8 seats

Source: Find Out Now/Electoral Calculus.

Martin Baxter, founder of Electoral Calculus, said: “The public seem even more disenchanted with the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak than they were with John Major in 1997. A Labour landslide looks increasingly likely, and Labour voters want nationalisation, increased public spending and higher taxes.

“The next election could have a seismic impact on British politics as the recent Conservative era crashes to a close.”

The poll of 18,151 adults took place between 24 January and 12 February, before the suspension of two Labour candidates over alleged anti-Israel comments, which has thrown the party into turmoil.

Pollsters told i the recent crisis facing Sir Keir Starmer could dent his party’s chances at a general election, coming shortly after Labour’s U-turn on promises to invest £28bn each year on green projects.

Starmer said earlier this month it was no longer possible to meet the spending target announced more than two years ago, and Labour would half the figure.

A separate poll published by Savanta on Wednesday suggested Labour’s watering-down of the policy has already had an impact on voters.

The survey of more than 2,000 adults last week showed Starmer’s lead over Sunak has slimmed to 12 points – a 7 point drop compared to January. 

UK
Hundreds of Christians begin 240-hour climate change protest outside Parliament




Christian protesters outside the Houses of Parliament (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

By Piers Mucklejohn, PAToday 

Hundreds of Christian climate activists have begun a 240-hour vigil of protest and prayer outside Parliament in a bid to fight for “climate justice”.

Protesters assembled in front of Carriage Gates, New Palace Yard, on Wednesday – the first of a 10-day occupation which will see activists swap in and out every few hours to ensure a round-the-clock presence.

They said they want “bold climate action” by the Government, including moving away from the use of oil and gas, reparation payments for damage caused by climate change in the Global South, and investment in green policies.

Ruth Jarman, information officer at Green Christian, said: “There’s a massive climate crisis that is putting all of God’s creation at risk and all our children’s futures at risk, in the Global South particularly.

“As Christians, the first thing you do when you have a problem is to pray and that’s what we’re doing.”

Ms Jarman said people of all faiths or none are welcome to participate.

The No Faith in Fossil Fuels Lent Vigil was organised by an alliance of Christian organisations, including Christian Climate Action, Green Christian, the Salvation Army and Christian Aid.

Wednesday was the first day of Lent, the Christian period of reflection and religious observance which lasts for 40 days.

The Bishop of Kingston, Martin Gainsborough, and the Bishop of Reading, Olivia Graham, were at the Westminster demonstration, while environmentalist and Green Christian patron Sir Jonathon Porritt attended an Ash Wednesday church service in Waterloo, which marked the beginning of the vigil.

Christian protesters in Parliament Square (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

David Coleman, a minister in the United Reformed Church and “eco-chaplain”, said the religious element of the protest was important.

He said: “Our scriptures and traditions are a spiritual response to threat, oppression and crisis.

“I think we’re building a sort of spiritual resilience.”

He and Ms Jarman said Labour’s environmental policies are better than the Conservatives’ but are still not enough.

“Doing better than really, really bad is just not good enough when we’re talking about something that is an existential crisis,” Ms Jarman said.

“Nothing is as important as this.”

Protesters can register for hourly slots during the day and seven-hour slots during the night, and will be collecting donations, raising awareness and praying.