Palestine solidarity demos in the UK

[hitmouse]

Novara had a reporter at this week's arms factory blockade in Dorset, but for some daft reason it doesn't seem to be on their website or youtube channel, so if you want to watch their video, you can pick your poison, twitter/nitter, insta or fb.

 

[TopCat]

London was a big demo. Whole route full up.

 

[teqniq]

1 person. This is laughable from Sky News, they have disabled comments as well:

 

[TopCat]

The police were really leery to a block of Jewish people down at Aldwych who were supporting the demo. They had home made placards. Might have had a banned word or phrase.

 

[teqniq]

The police were really leery to a block of Jewish people down at Aldwych who were supporting the demo. They had home made placards. Might have had a banned word or phrase.

I was just looking at this tweet:

 

[planetgeli]

I was just looking at this tweet:

The guy in the scarf and hat is my brother-in-law

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Organisers reckoned 'more than 100,000'. Seems fair. Nothing like the 800,000, but not small. Felt like a much increased police presence today. Not sure what that shows. Also felt like many more Jews for Palestine banners, certainly compared to the first couple of marches.

I heard a few of the speeches before leaving. Apsana Begum was good. Proper anger at the British bombs dropping on Gaza. John McDonnell read out a letter to the children of Gaza, which was quite moving. The demo was definitely more directed at the UK government than previous ones. Lots of love for Benjamin Zephaniah. A few Guernica banners as well, including a massive embroidered one.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

dp

 

[Wilf]

Went to the Manchester demo this morning. Probably about 2,000, which was okay given there was a national demo on the same day. I'd say around 70% Asian and/or Muslim, the rest being a range of white people, all ages. I only mention that as it's the first demo I've done of late and was a bit surprised at the lack of the usual suspects (paper sellers, people with obvious left affiliations). There were just 2 or 3 union banners though, again, that might have been affected by the London demo.

 

[Wilf]

Went to the Manchester demo this morning. Probably about 2,000, which was okay given there was a national demo on the same day. I'd say around 70% Asian and/or Muslim, the rest being a range of white people, all ages. I only mention that as it's the first demo I've done of late and was a bit surprised at the lack of the usual suspects (paper sellers, people with obvious left affiliations). There were just 2 or 3 union banners though, again, that might have been affected by the London demo.

Just to add, this was about the best behaved demo/march I've ever seen (though I wasn't there right at the start and bailed out from the march when it passed Victoria Station). There were a lot of police, but they were mainly about keeping the march and traffic/trams separate.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Just to add, this was about the best behaved demo/march I've ever seen (though I wasn't there right at the start and bailed out from the march when it passed Victoria Station). There were a lot of police, but they were mainly about keeping the march and traffic/trams separate.

All the Palestine demos have been incredibly peaceful and good-natured. The police presence in London was beefed up today. No idea why. They were mainly about standing around in lines doing fuck all.

 

[Pickman's model]

Didn't see any fash round the demo

 

[planetgeli]

The guy in the scarf and hat is my brother-in-law

Is he my brother-in-law? He's civilly partnered with my sister-in-law (Liza's sister). Here they both are with my niece and a friend today, not surrounded by cops.

 

[TopCat]

I had to go when it got too crowded. A good turn out.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Didn't see any fash round the demo

Nope I didn't see any. Not even guarding the cenotaph this time. Slackers.

 

[Gramsci]

All the Palestine demos have been incredibly peaceful and good-natured. The police presence in London was beefed up today. No idea why. They were mainly about standing around in lines doing fuck all.

Missed this one as was ill.

All the ones Ive been on have been well behaved.

 

[Gramsci]

Went to the Manchester demo this morning. Probably about 2,000, which was okay given there was a national demo on the same day. I'd say around 70% Asian and/or Muslim, the rest being a range of white people, all ages. I only mention that as it's the first demo I've done of late and was a bit surprised at the lack of the usual suspects (paper sellers, people with obvious left affiliations). There were just 2 or 3 union banners though, again, that might have been affected by the London demo.

The demos in London have been the same. The ones Ive been to have not had large contingents of the usual suspects. Attending are a lot of whole families and home made placards. So not quite like other demos.

 

[Gramsci]

I was just looking at this tweet:

Im wondering if it was the Star of David on posters with red on it like blood.

Police arent very bright.

 

[Wilf]

The demos in London have been the same. The ones Ive been to have not had large contingents of the usual suspects. Attending are a lot of whole families and home made placards. So not quite like other demos.

And when I said it was well behaved it was meticulously so. It was near Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester in a tight area between the tram lines and various Christmas Market/Streetfood stalls. Even in a 'well behaved' demo, you'd normally get a few lads breaking off and wandering outside of the policed or stewarded area. None of that. Mind, the absence of booze was probably in there as a factor (as well as it being largely Muslim, it was also the morning).

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Lots of great placards. Someone had written out the whole of Refaat Alareer's poem. Made me well up a bit.

If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze—
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself—
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up
above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale

 

[littlebabyjesus]

And when I said it was well behaved it was meticulously so. It was near Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester in a tight area between the tram lines and various Christmas Market/Streetfood stalls. Even in a 'well behaved' demo, you'd normally get a few lads breaking off and wandering outside of the policed or stewarded area. None of that. Mind, the absence of booze was probably in there as a factor (as well as it being largely Muslim, it was also the morning).

Same with the big ones in London, really. A few lads climbing bus stops to wave their flags and let off flares and the odd firework. But never any aggression.

They've been entirely self-policing. A gentle 'this way' from a steward is all that's been needed. Coppers entirely superfluous.

I do agree, though, that the absence of booze has been a factor in that. Very much a family feel to the whole things.

 

[Wilf]

Same with the big ones in London, really. A few lads climbing bus stops to wave their flags and let off flares and the odd firework. But never any aggression.

They've been entirely self-policing. A gentle 'this way' from a steward is all that's been needed. Coppers entirely superfluous.

'Hate marches'.

If your only take on the marches - and by extension the Palestinian cause - is shaped by media reporting, there's got to be a disconnect watching these marches go past. As well as the inevitable 'from the river' chants and Israel as an apartheid state, the focus of the chants and placards was entirely about a ceasefire and calling for the end to slaughter.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Makes it that more infuriating when you see media reports concentrating on the odd arrest or the very very occasional dodgy banner. It totally misrepresents what the marches have been about. Twas always thus, though, particularly for something with a large ethnic minority presence. For years, the number of people arrested at the Notting Hill Carnival was the first topic of discussion on the likes of the BBC. Strangely they don't keep a count of the pissed up twats who get themselves taken away at Ascot.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

'Hate marches'.

If your only take on the marches - and by extension the Palestinian cause - is shaped by media reporting, there's got to be a disconnect watching these marches go past. As well as the inevitable 'from the river' chants and Israel as an apartheid state, the focus of the chants and placards was entirely about a ceasefire and calling for the end to slaughter.

And Rishi Sunak is a Wasteman, I hope.

 

[Wilf]

And Rishi Sunak is a Wasteman, I hope.

Oh yes.

 

[ska invita]

Makes it that more infuriating when you see media reports concentrating on the odd arrest or the very very occasional dodgy banner. It totally misrepresents what the marches have been about. Twas always thus, though, particularly for something with a large ethnic minority presence. For years, the number of people arrested at the Notting Hill Carnival was the first topic of discussion on the likes of the BBC. Strangely they don't keep a count of the pissed up twats who get themselves taken away at Ascot.

out of interest there were 27 last year!

Police make 27 arrests at Royal Ascot following attack and public order

27 arrests were made following an attack at Royal Ascot.

www.bracknellnews.co.uk

 

[Puddy_Tat]

out of interest there were 27 last year!

and the way that 'high spirited behaviour' is stewarded / policed at something like that is very different to football, for example...

 

[8ball]

Strangely they don't keep a count of the pissed up twats who get themselves taken away at Ascot.

Let’s get a campaign going to get a live ticker on BBC News recording each red-trousered drunken bellend eviction as it happens.

 

[Wilf]

Bullington yahoo's v total bad behaviour amongst 100s of thousands on 'hate marches'.

 

[8ball]

Bullington yahoo's v total bad behaviour amongst 100s of thousands on 'hate marches'.

Well, I wasn’t thinking of a head to head thing. Would need to organise a lot of things at the same time for starters. And what about the red-trousered twats who wanted to Ascot and the Palestine protests?