Last Saturday we attended the largest pro-Palestinian Protest London has ever held. Over 300,000 people attended. There was a diverse crowd all chanting for the freedom of Palestine – Gaza and joint together for the cause of humanity.
The news will have you believe otherwise.
Reiterating the number volume set by the police at 100,000 attendees. No western mainstream journalist checked the official channels of the Palestinian organisers for details and numbers. They also concentrated their efforts on the end of the protest where 2 people were arrested.
The shameful reporting is helping the agenda of stopping further protests from occurring, lessening the amounts of people from attending any future protests as well as attempting to prove that the Palestinians do not have much support by the public.
Since the 18th of October, 10 days after the massacre in Gaza began and Al-Ahli Hospital was bombed; pro – Palestinian campaigners have held vigils outside Downing Street every evening. These have included speeches and prayers. However this has received hardly any news in the mainstream media.
Using words to misconstrue the truth
These are all further insinuated by government officials who are interviewed by the same mainstream media outlets. These officials share their “fear” and “distress” at what was being chanted. Immigration Official Robert Jenrick spoke to Upday1 and “condemned the complete reprehensible chanting of jihad on the streets of London.”
Let’s unpack this. The words “From the River to the sea – Palestine will be free” – a line that Suella Braverman declared she would make illegal in Britain. This line is a call for breaking out of oppression. It gives hope and strength to the Palestinians as well as others who support them. It holds the perpetrators accountable for what they did to the whole of Palestine as well as the displaced people during the Nakba of 1948 and after.
“1, 2, 3, 4 occupation no more – 5, 6, 7, 8 Israel is a terror state.” This chant is nothing more than telling the truth. If this chant scares you or makes you feel uncomfortable then you need to do some inner work. If you feel that this is a call to jihad, then let me give you some education. The meaning of Jihad is ‘to strive or struggle’ not a holy war as it is widely interpreted by the West.2
Coming back to the chant – Point number one; “occupation no more” equates to no oppressors. The world should not be allowing an apartheid to exist in 2023. For us to allow this to happen we need to question why.
Number two; “Israel is a terror state” is nothing but the truth. It is a terror state. Any state that steals the land of others and continues to oppress them. Takes away their rights, freedom, uses high tech surveillance, falsely imprisons and murders for no reason other than them being Palestinian. What would you call them?
Media and Leaders on Gaza
When the world watches atrocities like what is occurring today. The world leaders and mainstream media down plays the affects, whilst allowing it to carry on. Giving the green light for the oppression to worsen. What would you call that state?
Funny enough I ended up back in London the day after the pro-Palestinian protest and came across a pro-Israeli vigil set up in Trafalgar Square. When I talk numbers I would equate it to no more than a couple of 1000 attendees. Though in the news it claimed “a large rally…” [Mail Online News] not having actual numbers of attendees. The tweets on X and other news outlets gave an overview of a peaceful gathering. There were no arrests, no one was chanting, and supposedly no one was calling for a jihad on Palestine.
The last bit can be seen as hypocritical as the ‘jihad’ as the West call it, is physically occurring right now in Gaza and has been in Palestine for 75 years. But we will claim that this vigil was ‘civil’.
They were holding place cards up for those hostages Hamas ‘has’, however ignoring the fact that the state they are standing with have innocent civilians in prison without a reason or trial. These prisoner numbers equate to 1,000,000 since 1967 with over 1000 arrested just this year.3 Prisoners can range from children to the elderly, male and female. However these are just the prisoners, Israel also kills whilst claiming ‘defense’.
Defense against a people that have no weapons – only rocks. They have no military or army. Their every move is under surveillance. The IOF [Israeli Occupation Forces] rule the streets and use their state enforced power to torment Palestinian civilians on a daily basis. This document from Palestine Campaign gives a detailed yet bite-size history of the how Israel came to be and the affects of the ethnic cleansings that have taken places since 1947.4 Published in 2012 these figures have increased since then – not including the genocide in Gaza happening today.
What is happening today in Gaza?
Returning to Gaza, here Israel are killing innocent children, women and men for nothing. They are also killing their own civilians whilst carpet bombing Gaza, knowing full well that they may possibly be held there. Israel have zero concern for their own civilians, only their agenda. The agenda to eradicate the world of Palestinians and grab more Palestinian land.
On Friday night – October 27th Israel caused a complete blackout with no access to the internet or communication services. This led to bombing the Gaza strip at an unprecedented level. With up to an estimated 100 warplanes and bombing every second across the strip. Palestinians had limited ability to communicate with emergency service teams.
“We are deeply concerned about the ability of our teams to continue providing their emergency medical services, especially since this disruption affects the central emergency number ‘101’ and hinders the arrival of ambulance vehicles to the wounded and injured” – Palestine Red Crescent call out, Instagram
This continuous bombing and ground invasion attempts is doing no one any favours other than Israel, the US and their Western benefactors. Creating a “…better future for the Middle East…” [X Quote by US President Biden – 24 Oct 2023] allowing them to spread themselves over Palestine so they can attack the neighbouring countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon heading into Iran. A strategic placement of a European state works in the favour of the West as they have a foothold in a region they otherwise wouldn’t be allowed to control. Giving them access to raw materials and land that isn’t available where they are.
Therefore standing with an Israeli flag does more damage than good for the people who want their civilians back. They are giving the go ahead, green light to a state who only cares for itself. By holding up that flag they are agreeing for Israel to carry on. When they know that isn’t going to help. Instead it is going to cause more death and more unrest.
For more information and ways to help, check out the previous article: Palestine – Gaza: there are no two sides to this.
Ways to support Palestine:
Get involved with BDS – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement to hit Israel’s economy.
Join a protest near you – Check out Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Follow the journalists and accounts on the ground – @eye.on.palestine @aljazeeraenglish @mohammedelkurd @motaz_azaiza @wissamgaza
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