Thousands of people gathered outside parliament once again on 21 February, demanding the end to the Israeli state’s brutal offensive on Gaza. Inside, Members of Parliament were debating a motion from the Scottish National Party calling for a ceasefire.
Socialist Party members were, as always, with others outside; selling the Socialist newspaper and talking to people. It was easy to approach protesters for discussion because of the huge queue outside Parliament!
We were focusing mainly on the topic of this year’s general election. Neither the Tories nor the Labour Party are standing up for the Palestinians. People know this and explained how that they don’t really see any option of who to vote for. That’s why we need an alternative. Socialist Party members are preparing to stand as part of TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), calling for an end to Israeli state terror and to fight for working-class people’s interests.
Asking people questions is important. Sometimes they don’t even know that the opinion they are making is basically what the Socialist Party and TUSC are saying! And it concerns everything – Gaza, the lack of working-class representation in government, the frustration about cuts and austerity.
I had a long conversation with one protester, I spent most of it thinking: “I agree completely. I should be saying this to you, because that’s why I’m here!”
Rose Kwiecinska, East London Socialist Party
Southampton students organising in solidarity with Palestine
Southampton Socialist Students helped organise events that made up the Southampton portion of a national student day of action in solidarity with Palestine.
We started with a campaign stall on campus, which got a lot of interest and a positive reception.
The meeting in the evening included; two speakers who spoke from their own families’ experience, as well as outlining the historical background to what is unfolding in Gaza; a lecturer whose family is from Palestine; and at the end I spoke about the university’s involvement with the Israeli state, as well as the need for a political alternative.
At least 50 people attended, students and from the local community. It was a great event to build confidence in the movement. Those who stayed on watched a documentary called “5 Broken Cameras”, which was created by a Palestinian documenting their life in the 2000s.
Nick Davies
Bradford Gaza protest
Leeds and West Yorkshire Socialist Party members took part in a march from Thornbury roundabout to Bradford City Hall.
The march was massive, over 2,000 strong, with plenty of supporting honks from cars. There was clearly an anti-government and anti-Labour sentiment, with chants against both Starmer and Sunak.
Interestingly, there was another smaller protest outside the Gurdwara, in solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protests in Punjab. Both protests were very friendly towards each other, showing the international nature of this great city.
Tom Gibson
The Socialist Party is fighting for:
- End the siege – for the permanent withdrawal of the Israeli military from the occupied territories
- For a mass struggle of the Palestinians, under their own democratic control, to fight for liberation
- For the building of independent workers’ parties in Palestine and Israel and links between them
- For an independent, socialist Palestinian state, alongside a socialist Israel, with guaranteed rights for all minorities, as part of the struggle for a socialist Middle East
- No trust in the capitalist politicians, internationally or in Britain. Fight to build a workers’ party in Britain that fights for socialism and internationalism
