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Let everyone build a day of workplace and student action on Wednesday, February 7th
by socialist worker journalist
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Saturday, February 3, 2024
Issue 2891
Palestine march in London (Photo: PSC)
At least 200,000 people marched against Palestine in London on Saturday, a sign of continued public anger over Israel’s genocidal attacks in Gaza. Some speakers at the march said the number was 250,000.
Around 10,000 people were on the streets in Edinburgh at the same time (see below). It was the largest march in the city since Israel began its offensive on Gaza.
In London, Amara, a young Muslim woman from Tower Hamlets, told Socialist Labor: She said: “Israel needs to return land to Palestine, and those who have been forcibly removed from Palestine must be allowed to return.
“Just as the British Empire was forced to give back its land, the State of Israel must do the same. It’s not something they should keep.”
Marchers chanted: “Rishi Sunak, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” and “Keir Starmer, you can’t hide, you support genocide.” I’m here,” he shouted.
Farah, who lives in London and is originally from Iraq, said: “There is no other word for what Israel is doing than genocide. But I am not shocked by the reaction of Western countries or Arab leaders. . They care about their own interests.”
Safa and Meenal, from west London, said: “The reduction in Unruwa aid funding is unacceptable and the accusations against it are false. Kudos to Spain for actually increasing funding.” Labeling the Houthis terrorists is ridiculous. The British and American forces are two of the world’s largest terrorist organizations.
“It doesn’t work when police try to scare people into silence and take them off the streets. We know what we stand for, everyone who is protesting today is part of history. I’m on the right side.”
Sophie, from Northampton, said: “The Houthis are standing up for what is right in Yemen and the UK needs to stop bombing them.”
Police became noticeably more aggressive toward the demonstrations. They had previously issued a ban on face coverings, considered an insult to Muslim women. At one point they arrested a protester for this.
They then barged into the Socialist Workers and Students’ Society (SWSS) section of the march and grabbed the leading banner with the slogan “Victory to the Resistance,” but later returned it.
At least 31 trade union banners were hung in a special section of the march, with many others scattered throughout the rest of the march.
Workplace and Student Action Day on Wednesday, February 7th is an opportunity for workers and students to deepen their activism. “We need more direct action targeting the military industry,” said Pete, from the Union branch of King’s College London.
On February 7, he said: “We are on a lunchtime strike by staff and students for Palestine.”
Teacher Jane told Socialist Labor that in Cambridge the NEU union was “planning a series of protests in conjunction with the Stop the War Coalition”. Five different protests will be held at schools and a teach-in at universities.
“We have no choice. Our government is not speaking out, so we must speak out. There is nothing we can do.”
Dr. Ismail Patel is co-founder of Friends of Al-Aqsa, one of the march organizers. “Israel is openly committing genocide,” he told the rally. “We will not stop until we have a free Palestine.”
Rian Mohammed is a Palestinian who is running as an independent candidate against Wes Street, the right-wing Labor MP for Ilford North. “We will never forget this as we approach the general election,” she said.
“We choose silence over humanity and remember the names of all MPs who did not vote in favor of a ceasefire. No ceasefire, no vote.”
Alex Gordon, president of the RMT union, said: “This is the eighth national march for Palestine, and this movement is changing the politics of this country. We will be holding a mass rally with other trade unions on Tuesday.
“Stop the War, the Nuclear Disarmament Campaign and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign are calling for action in your workplace this Wednesday.
“Such actions could increase pressure on the government for an immediate ceasefire.”
Anyone can do something on Wednesday, but that action must be as combative and destructive as possible.
- Tomorrow, Sunday 4th February, Day School Palestine, Imperialism and the Struggle for Freedom, 11am to 4pm, central London. For more information and reservations, please visit http://tinyurl.com/Palestine0402.
Marching in Edinburgh and Cardiff
Up to 10,000 people took part in a demonstration in support of Palestine in Edinburgh. Hector reports: “This is the biggest demonstration in Edinburgh since the movement began, and the biggest demonstration in the city since the huge Scottish Independence March.” Union attendance was the highest ever, which they hope bodes well for Wednesday’s day of action.
“There were delegations and banners from trade unions PCS, Unison, Unite, Aslef, EIS, RMT and NASUWT. “For the first time there was also a large Jewish bloc.”
Helen said around 400 people marched in Cardiff. “Loud and dynamic demonstration in a rainy and windy city. Denouncing Mr Sunak and Mr Starmer and calling Israel a terrorist state.”
5 damning facts
- “More than 100,000 Gazans are estimated to be dead, injured or missing,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing earlier this week.
- In the week since the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel may be committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have killed at least 874 Palestinians.
- Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant officially declared that “victory will not be complete until the army expands to Rafah.” Rafah is an enclave in southern Gaza that is home to more than 1 million Palestinians.
- “Most of Gaza’s population lives in Rafah,” Emad, a Palestinian, told Reuters. “If the tanks come, we will be left with two options: we will die, or we will climb the walls and enter Egypt. There will be carnage like no other war has ever seen.” “Rafah is a pressure cooker of despair and we fear what will happen next,” Jens Ralke, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told a news conference in Geneva.
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released a report this week on the social and economic destruction in Gaza since October 7. According to the report, if the current military operations end immediately, reconstruction begins immediately, and growth trends from 2007 to 2022 continue, it would take Gaza 2092 It will take up to a year.