Some thoughts on the march yesterday:
1) Even by police estimates this was one of the largest 3 marches in British history. We believe there were at least 800k there and we know many coaches got stuck in traffic and didn't reach the start.
1) Even by police estimates this was one of the largest 3 marches in British history. We believe there were at least 800k there and we know many coaches got stuck in traffic and didn't reach the start.
2) As with previous marches, this one was overwhelmingly peaceful,as reflected in the number of arrests ( I understand less than 10) and the live reports from media many of which accurately described the family atmosphere.
3) The message of the day was reflected in advance in all statements by organisers and in speeches from the platform: We call for a ceasefire to end the killing of thousands of civilians in Gaza including over 4500 children; we call for indiscriminate application of Int'l Law...
.....we call for the root causes of the violence to be addressed : Israels ongoing military occupation and imposition of apartheid on all Palestinians; we echo Paolo Freire's words: "with the establishment of a relationship of oppression violence has already begun"
4) As expected pro Israel groups, who attend every march to photograph those attending, have produced images of home made placards held by a handful ,chants or words spoken by a handful to suggest they are indicative of the overall tone or message of the march.
Today I have counted on social media about 10 such images from a crowd of over 800,000.
The message being delivered by these pro Israel actors is that these isolated incidents prove that the march was pro Hamas or an unsafe space for Jews. This message is being pushed by....
The message being delivered by these pro Israel actors is that these isolated incidents prove that the march was pro Hamas or an unsafe space for Jews. This message is being pushed by....
....many elements of the press. All of those pushing this message have in common that they defend Israel's bombing of civilians and reject all calls for a ceasefire.
5) Yesterday there was a large block of Jewish activists who did not feel unsafe to attend, visibly as Jews. They did so because they too abhor Israel's current killing of civilians and it's enduring oppression of the Palestinian people. Some spoke from the stages of the demo
6) Some of the placards shown and incidents captured are antisemitic. The organisers including @PSCupdates would dissociate ourselves entirely from them. But we reject absolutely the attempt to suggest that they are indicative of our views or the vast majority of those marching.
As I said from the stage yesterday ,we believe that the struggle against all forms of racism including antisemitism, Islamophobia and Israel's system of apartheid are indivisible. You are not an antiracist unless you oppose all of them
7) We witnessed scenes yesterday of serious violence by the pro israel far right many of whom sought to attack the march but were prevented from doing so by the police. It is deeply worrying that many of those defining our march as hateful are devoting little energy to ...
...addressing these scenes, the islamophobia and anti Palestinian racism on display. This is as one with the ongoing failure by many pro Israel actors to address the links between the current Israeli gov and the far right globally.
There are reasons why figures like Tommy Robinson attend pro Israel demos here in the UK and are greeted warmly by many of those in attendance.
8) Those who displayed extreme violence yesterday are responsible for their own actions,but those including @SuellaBraverman who have pushed notions of hate mongers and terrorist sympathisers marching in London seeking to disrespect armistice day are complicit in what occurred.
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