Three Youth Demand supporters defied Met Police restrictions on the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) demonstration on Saturday 18 January by standing outside the BBC with signs. Youth Demand are calling for a two-way arms embargo on Israel and for the new UK government to halt all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021.
Youth Demand: not letting the BBC get away with it
At around 4:00pm, the three were arrested under Section 14 of the Public Order Act after marching to the BBC and standing on the pavement with signs, defying the conditions imposed on the protest by the Met. One Youth Demand supporter was holding a sign saying “Can I protest here?”, another held a completely blank sign:
🚨 YOUTH DEMAND SUPPORTERS ARRESTED FOR BLANK SIGN OUTSIDE BBC
Young people refuse to comply with @metpoliceuk and accept conditions imposed by a genocidal state. A ceasefire agreement is nowhere near Palestinian liberation.
Hear our 2025 Plan: https://t.co/P1UdgzixMy pic.twitter.com/MFXOtssYAi
— Youth Demand (@youth_demand) January 19, 2025
A Youth Demand spokesperson said:
The BBC heralds itself as an institution built on truth, but it has treated genocide like a matter of opinion. We see the BBCs previous and ongoing complicity in the destruction of Palestine, and we recognise that when our institutions fail us it is down to the people to tell the truth
We will not comply with the repressive conditions imposed by the Met police in order to silence dissent and protect the interests of a genocidal state. Our government is complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people and we refuse to stand by and watch it happen. On February 1st, we will announce our plan to take resistance to a whole new level.
Our spineless politicians have armed Israel for 15 months and now want us to go home and forget about Gaza, but we will not forget their crimes. It’s time for all of us to escalate our resistance and to fight for nothing less than full liberation.
On Wednesday 15 January the genocidal Israeli regime finally submitted to international pressure and agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza.
On the same day, the PSC called for “defiance” of the Met Police ban on their demo at the BBC and said they would not go back on their commitment to hold march in support of the Palestinian people, and against Israel’s genocide.
After negotiations with the police, the PSC finally agreed to the demand of a static assembly at Whitehall, not the BBC.
Meanwhile, since agreeing to a ceasefire Israeli Defense Forces have continued to drop bombs, killing over 100 Palestinians.
Youth Demand summed up by saying:
A ceasefire agreement is nowhere near Palestinian liberation. This ludicrous display of repression proves that the government believes we are a threat. So in 2025, we go big.
On Saturday 1 February, the group is holding a launch event for 2025’s actions. All the details are here.
You can join Youth Demand here.
Featured image supplied
