- Continued from lead story
- The first speaker at the London Rally for Palestine in Whitehall opposite Downing Street at the end of last Saturday’s mass march was Zaynab Kahal from the Palestinian Forum in Britain, who said: ‘Atrocities are being committed on a daily basis by British-supplied weapons in Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus and Hebron.‘We are on the streets today to insist on the need to stop arming Israel. Still Britain supports genocide. Cease Britain’s military collaboration with Israel now!’
Lindsey German, from the Stop the War Coalition said: ‘One thing we know is that they don’t like our demonstrations. They try to restrict the march and people are being arrested for that purpose. However, the more they try to ban us, the more we will demonstrate. They want to silence us and they want to silence the Palestinians. We have a message to Starmer – stop arming Israel, stop supporting the genocide of children in Gaza. He would do the same here. Welfare, not warfare!’
Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, said: ‘You are not only the biggest protest movement in the history of this country, but the longest. Now the government is listening, calling for a ceasefire, condemning the settler crimes and calling for adherence to the International Criminal Court rulings.
‘I just came back from the West Bank and the crimes are the same as in Gaza. 40,000 of our people in Jenin and Tulkarm have been ethnically cleansed. It’s the same as in Gaza. But I have a message to all those who advocate the mass expulsion of the Palestinian people. I have a message – We ain’t going anywhere!
‘Gaza will be reunited with the West Bank. Impose a full arms embargo now! Impose complete sanctions now! War criminals have no place in the UN or London! Their place is behind bars! And recognise the State of Palestine NOW! NOW! NOW! as is our inalienable right.
‘I tell you, not only are you on the right side of history. You are making history. We will complete this march together and we will be together to the end. Thank you.’
Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn said: ‘This is the 25th National Demonstration and we won’t stop holding demonstrations until we win. Also, it is Day 13 of the latest siege of Gaza, with Israel refusing to allow water or electricity in. This is a people who have lost 60,000 killed.
‘I’ve got a very simple message to the UK government:
‘Number 1 – in compliance with international law stop arming Israel;
‘Number 2 – stop using the Royal Air Force surveillance flights on behalf of Israel;
‘Number 3 – think of your place in history. History will pass judgement on you and you will be found guilty as charged.’
Liz Wheatley Chair of the International Committee of Unison, said: ‘We are making a difference. We will never accept the Trump dystopia of a Gaza Riviera, where he sits sipping cocktails with Netanyahu. Unison demands the right of return and also our right to demonstrate. In 10 days time Starmer and Reeves will say that there is no money for the disabled, no money for hospitals.
‘But there’s plenty of money for arms, there’s a lot of money for killing people. We say welfare, not warfare. We have to send out a clear message – Palestinian refugees are welcome here. And we are calling for a permanent ceasefire. And the war criminals have to be held to account.’
Anas Altikriti, from the Cordoba Foundation, said: ‘Solidarity with 29-year-old Daniel Day, who scaled Big Ben this week. Don’t allow our taxes to be used to arm the Israeli genocide, with children systematically targeted and killed.’
Ismael Patel, from Friends of al Aqsa, said: ‘Just as we thought it could not possibly get worse, it has! Now Israel has cut off water and electricity in Gaza. In the West Bank its crimes are increasing. Here in Britain speaking the truth about the genocide can lead to arrest. We cannot remain silent. We are the voice for justice. The struggle to free Palestine is the fight of all humanity.’
Sophie Bolt, General Secretary of CND said: ‘Israel’s sabotage off the ceasefire is increasing. We have to hold our government to account and end arms to Israel. It is overwhelmingly women and children being killed in the war. We defend the right to protest.’
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: ‘This is an extremely important 25th march since the genocide began. We still have a job to do. We must see the establishment of a Palestinian state. We are here because we demand justice and we want to live in freedom and peace. The settled policy of this Labour government is to recognise a Palestinian state “when the time is right”. I say, that time is now!’
Stephen Kapos, Holocaust survivor, said: ‘It is a grave insult to claim that what is being done is being done to protect Jews. The weaponising of false claims of anti-Semitism does great harm to Jews the world over, actually fostering real anti-Semitism.’
Sinn Fein MP Cathal Mallaghan, said: ‘In response to Trump’s horrendous remarks about Gaza, my party, Sinn Fein, has declared a boycott of his St Patrick’s Day event. We will not abandon the right to national liberation, neither for Ireland nor Palestine. This Israel is a pariah state and must be treated as such. Ireland has the chance to be the world leaders. We say to Palestinians, we see you, we are with you, and we will never abandon you.’
Yasmine Adam, from the Muslim Association of Britain, said: ‘Students are rising up and demanding that their universities break ties with Israel. They fear the student movement because it is uncompromising and it is growing. Next Thursday, Labour is going to start rolling out the red carpet for the genocidal Israeli foreign secretary. Our government is complicit in genocide.’
Ruth Locham, from the Jewish bloc, said: ‘In the UK, the weaponisation of anti-Semitism is being conducted in the false name of Jewish safety. Free Mahmood Khalil! Free Palestine!’
Actor Khalid Abdullah said: ‘The writing is on the wall for Israel. They cut Gaza’s electricity off and people are threatened with deportation, yet Israel will never win. Yes, this is a genocide and Jewish people around the world are rising up against the Israeli crimes.’
Jess Barnard, from the Labour National Executive, said: ‘18 months of genocide has taken place. Crimes against humanity, water and electricity cut off. With the support of the US and British governments, the Metropolitan Police have tried to shut us down, but they will fail.’
Lisa Moorish, singer/songwriter, said: ‘Some of us have been speaking out for Palestine for many years and some are new to it. The ceasefire is repeatedly violated by Israel. We must continue to raise our voices as a moral duty, using film, art and music. Free speech is seriously threatened now, with false accusations of anti-Semitism.
‘Those in the arts who had stayed silent through fear of being accused of anti-Semitism must now raise their voices. Shame on the BBC for cancelling the film about the young boy from Gaza.
‘The UK has continued to fund the genocide. Hundreds of journalists in Gaza have been targeted and killed. We will not stand for these nefarious acts of genocide. Never again means never again for everyone, because no one is free until Palestine is free.’
Final speaker was Ben Jamal, of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, who said: ‘They do not want us to hear the voices of the children of the genocide and so they ban TV programmes, and they are trying to drive us off the streets here in the UK.
‘We salute the Jewish comrades who have joined us here today to prove that ours is no anti-Semitic movement. There has not been a word of condemnation from Keir Starmer over the cutting off of water and electricity to Gaza. Please join us next Thursday outside Parliament to give the Israeli foreign minister the welcome he deserves.’