On Saturday 6 January, protests will take place across the UK regarding Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, at two locations there is a different focus – with one calling for solidarity with activists facing trial, and another calling on Labour leader Keir Starmer to effectively fix up.
UK protests over Israel’s genocide number 100 on 6 January
Tens of thousands of people across the UK are expected to protest in the fifth national Day of Action against Israel’s attacks on Gaza:
- Up to 100 actions are taking place across the UK.
- As Israel is charged with genocide at the International Court of Justice, the demand grows for a permanent ceasefire and lifting of Israel’s illegal siege to allow in desperately needed humanitarian aid.
- UK political leaders are urged to stop their complicity in Israeli war crimes.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said in a press release:
Tens of thousands of British people will show their opposition to Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip which has claimed the lives of more than 22 000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. Thousands more are missing, presumed dead. More than 85% of the population of Gaza have been displaced, more than 60% of buildings damaged or destroyed. Nearly 2 million people face winter without safety from bombing or the basics of human survival – shelter, adequate food and water.
This will be the fifth national Day of Action and it’s a continuation of the protests that have been held ever since Israel began its attacks on Gaza in early October. It comes the week before a seventh national March for Palestine in London on January 13th, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to protest against Israeli war crimes and the UK government’s complicity.
There are actions from Bath to Wolverhampton – protests, rallies, petitions, fundraising and marches, mainly led by Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s network of branches across the UK. Several protests will highlight the complicity of corporations like Barclays Bank, which holds over £1 billion in shares, and provides over £3 billion in loans and underwriting to 9 companies whose weapons, components, and military technology have been used in Israel’s armed violence against Palestinians.
Free the #Bristol7
First up, 6 January will see the latest of the fortnightly local Palestine marches organised by the group “Bristol Palestine Alliance” (BPA). People will assemble at 12.00 noon at the bandstand on Castle Park, BS2 0HQ for circular march around Broadmead shopping centre followed by a rally back at the Bandstand.
The event will headline the message “Stop Arming Israel”. In addition to conventional banners and flags the march aims to carry a 30m-long banner which reads “From Slave Trade to Arms Trade Bristol says NO” which includes an image of a slave ship and a modern-day missile.
Organisers say this is “probably the longest banner ever carried on a march in Bristol”. In addition, the march will have banners showing solidarity with the “Elbit Seven” who are due to start their jury trial at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 8th January.
The “Elbit Seven” are charged with breaking into the Elbit UK Technical Headquarters in Aztec West Business Park in Patchway on “Nakba Day” (15 May) 2022 and causing substantial damage to the building and the interior. You can read more on the #Bristol7 here.
‘No happy new year for the people of Gaza’
A spokesperson for the BPA said:
There is no happy new year for the people of Gaza. The situation and the suffering of the people can only be described as apocalyptic.
This Saturday 6 January, the day of our march, will be the 92nd day of the attack – with the civilian population deprived of adequate food, water, shelter, and medical aid. Imagine if that was happening to us here in Bristol? The death toll has passed 22,000 and over 57,000 have been injured, plus many more unaccounted for under the rubble. Many hospitals have been attacked with the remaining staff sometimes having to carry our operations such as amputations without anesthetics. According to UNRWA, 1.9 million people, or nearly 85% of the total population of Gaza, are internally displaced.
They continued:
What’s even more shocking is this country is helping supply the weapons. Britain has a massive two-way arms trade with Israel. Added to that there are arms companies in north Bristol which are not only linking up with our universities but also supplying essential parts for the US planes being supplied to Israel and used to bomb Gaza. Plus the big name that stands out now is the Israeli arms company, Elbit, which is currently opening a new factory site in Patchway.
The BPA spokesperson concluded:
Bristol is the city that prides itself, correctly, for standing on the right side of history. We’ve faced up to the shocking involvement in the slave trade historically. Now we should say NO to the arms industry.
Starmer: toothless
Meanwhile, in north London people will also be marching on the offices of Starmer and Labour MP Tulip Siddiq – calling for the Labour Party to support an immediate ceasefire:
Joint action with @camden_psc calling on @Keir_Starmer and @TulipSiddiq to support an immediate ceasefire and an end to the genocide #CeaseFireInGaza pic.twitter.com/emN5DG5ZJz
— Brent & Harrow PSC (@BrentHarrowPSC) January 4, 2024
As Not The Andrew Marr Show said in an email:
With Labour’s leader still refusing to condemn Israel’s genocide or call for a permanent ceasefire, Camden Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and Brent & Harrow Palestinian Solidarity Campaign have joined up for a march to the offices of Starmer and Tulip Siddiq.
The march assembles at 12:30pm at Chalk Farm and Kentish Town stations before marching to Camden Town and Mornington Crescent for the final rally at 2pm.
The show will have footage and interviews from the protest on its Sunday 7 January edition. You can sign up to watch via the link in the X post below:
The protest that mainstream media won't cover
👉Massive crowd expected in Camden on Saturday afternoon.
👉Join us on Sunday (from 10:30am) for footage and interviews if you can't attend the march.
Register here to watch👇https://t.co/bN1dyjZWT4 pic.twitter.com/D1dGktzi6K— The Crispin Flintoff Show (@CrispinShow) January 5, 2024
Permanent ceasefire, now
Overall, PSC Director Ben Jamal said:
The international community is beginning to confront the reality that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to the crime of genocide, as they demonstrate an “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. Israel is attempting to erase the foundations of Palestinian life in Gaza and ethnically cleanse the population. The government of South Africa has led the way in charging Israel at the International Court of Justice, and shown up the hypocrisy of UK political leaders who pay lip service to human rights and the application of international law, but actually support Israel’s crimes through diplomatic cover, military cooperation and arms sales.
This Saturday, ordinary people across the UK will come out again to show that the vast majority of them support the demand for a permanent ceasefire and stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. They will also demand the root causes are addressed – Israel’s decades-long military occupation of Palestinian territories and its system of apartheid against Palestinians. We demand justice for the Palestinian people – their right to self-determination and to live in freedom, dignity and with equality.
Find out more about the local protests here.
Featured image via BBC iPlayer
