Running Time: 4 mins 48 secs
In one of over a hundred marches for Palestine across the UK today, large numbers of people turned out in Hackney, North East London, to demand the Labour council call for a ceasefire to the continued attacks on Gaza and the West Bank – plus an end to the occupation and the apartheid system.
Although a few Labour councillors are joining the Green Party councillors in calling for a ceasefire, most of the councillors have said nothing – and now disgracefully have refused to see a deputation of residents to discuss divesting from companies who are complicit in Israel’s war crimes – on the grounds that it could “damage community cohesion”.
So there was a busy week coming up. On Friday 24th, Hackney was having its first school strike at the Town Hall from 10am – 11:30am; then on Tuesday 28th, another demonstration at the Town Hall from 5:45pm – 6:15pm as the pensions committee met; and the following day, the council voted on whether to back a ceasefire in Gaza. And of course there was the next national demonstration on Saturday 25th from midday in Central London.
As the demonstration cheered people calling for more militant action in the coming weeks, from joining the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, to supporting the Elbit Eight – eight brave members of Palestine Action on trial for disrupting the arms flow to Israel, to organising industrial action to walk out of work, Hackney council would be sensible to listen to their residents and support the Palestinian people against Israel’s disgusting and horrific genocide – or they may well find themselves voted out at the next election. To find out more about which companies and products to boycott, go to bdsmovement.net, boycott.thewitness.news, or bdnaash.com.
