Activists with the campaign group Youth Demand were met with violence and abuse from members of the public on Friday 11 April, as they staged a peaceful protest in central London to draw attention to Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. At one point, a lorry driver could be seen accelerating his vehicle directly into activists – until the police finally intervened.
So, in the face of this repression – what does the Telegraph do? Poke fun at Youth Demand and side with the abusive public (and of course, Israel).
Youth Demand facing increasing aggression
Activists, who temporarily blocked traffic in Moorgate at Farringdon Road and Fenchurch Street,, were pelted with eggs by bystanders in a disturbing show of public aggression:
It seems odd that passers by in the middle of the City of London would be carrying enough eggs just to do this on the spur of the moment. As the Canary previously reported, earlier Youth Demand actions this month were targeted by the organised far-right and Zionists.
The protest was part of a sustained campaign by Youth Demand, a growing youth-led movement calling for the UK government to end arms sales to Israel and to take meaningful action against what they rightfully term a genocidal war on the people of Gaza. Demonstrators also demanded that MPs cease taking donations from pro-Israel lobby groups.
At one point on 11 April, a lorry driver was filmed trying to run over Youth Demand supporters:
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This is not the first time the public have assaulted Youth Demand supporters. As the Canary previously reported, just yesterday a bystander attacked a non-violent activist, knocking her out and causing her to have two seizures.
MSM complicity with genocide
However, rather than addressing the substance of the protest—the UK’s complicity in Israel’s military actions—the Telegraph chose to mock the young campaigners, dismissively likening them to “Just Stop Oil 2.0” and focusing disproportionately on traffic delays.
This tone reflects a broader media trend of minimising or obscuring the devastating human cost of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
At the time of writing, Israel has killed more than 50,000 people in Gaza since October 2023. This includes over 15,000 children, a harrowing statistic that is too often left unmentioned in mainstream UK media coverage.
Yet, instead of engaging with these shocking figures or the evidence of war crimes—including the targeting of civilian infrastructure, hospitals, and journalists—outlets like the Telegraph continue to centre discomfort to commuters over the mass deaths of civilians.
Youth Demand: courage in the face of repression
Youth Demand’s actions are part of a proud tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience. Faced with a government that has shown little inclination to act, and a media environment more concerned with demonising dissent and propping up Israel than reporting on mass atrocities, these young activists are stepping into the moral vacuum.
Their bravery contrasts starkly with the response of those who assaulted them, egging young people for daring to care about a genocide. Such hostility—enabled and amplified by an irresponsible press—is a reminder of the steep social cost activists face for standing on the right side of history.
As Israeli bombs continue to fall on Gaza, and as the death toll rises daily, the actions of Youth Demand should not be ridiculed—they should be applauded.
Rather than throwing eggs, we should be throwing our weight behind their urgent call for justice.
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