NEWSLETTER
No. 1079 24 January 2009
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
STOP THE BBC BLOCKING GAZA AID APPEAL
There is now massive pressure on the BBC to reverse its
decision to block an aid for Gaza appeal, with government
ministers joining the campaign to make the BBC reverse its
decision.
Tony Benn, many MPs and celebrities and thousands of
protestors will deliver a letter (see below) to the BBC today
demanding that the BBC reverse what government Health Minister
Ben Bradshaw calls its "inexplicable decision" to refuse a
broadcast for an emergency appeal to raise desperately needed
aid for Gaza. Bradshaw says the reasons the BBC gave are
"completely feeble".
(See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7848614.stm)
Tony Benn, President of Stop the War, says, "To deny the help
that the aid agencies and the UN need at this moment in time
is incomprehensible. I appeal to the chairman of the BBC Trust
to intervene to reverse this decision to save the lives of
those who are now in acute danger of dying through a lack of
food, fuel, water and medical supplies."
WHAT YOU CAN DO
* Join the protest at the BBC today 24 January at 1.30pm, when
we will be assembling for our LIFT THE GAZA BLOCKADE
demonstration
* If you can't join the demonstration, complain to the BBC and
insist it reverses its decision:
TO COMPLAIN TO THE BBC
PHONE: 03700 100 222
TEXT: 03700 100 212
ONLINE:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml
******************************
LETTER SIGNED BY TONY BENN, CELEBRITIES, MANY OTHERS
To Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the BBC Trust, Mark
Thompson, Director General of the BBC, Caroline Thomson, Chief
Operating Officer for the BBC
The International Committee of the Red Cross say that
conditions for the people of Gaza are "worse than Dafur" but
the BBC refuses to allow the Disasters Emergency Committee to
broadcast an appeal for aid.
We agree with Government Health Minister Ben Bradshaw, who
says the reasons the BBC has given for blocking an appeal for
humanitarian aid are "completely feeble" and it was "an
inexplicable decision".
We urge the BBC to reconsider its decision and to contact the
Disasters Emergency Committee as a matter of urgency so that
its appeal can be broadcast nationally. Not to do so is to
deny relief needed immediately for people suffering
catastrophic and life-threatening conditions.
BRING CHILDREN'S DOLLS TO THE BBC
If you are coming to demonstration on Saturday 24 January,
which assembles outside Broadcasting House, we are asking
protestors to bring children's dolls, wrapped if possible in
white shrouds, to be laid on the steps of the BBC, as a
memorial to the hundreds of children who died in Israel's
attacks and as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians in
Gaza, now denied urgently needed aid by the BBC.
DEMONSTRATE FOR GAZA: SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
STOP THE BBC BLOCKING GAZA AID APPEAL
END THE BLOCKADE: STOP ALL ARMS SALES
BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
Assemble 1.30pm BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place, London W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes: Great Portland Street or Regents park.
March starts at 3.00 pm. Ends with rally in Trafalgar Square
4.30 pm.
BRING CHILDEN'S DOLLS WRAPPED IN WHITE SHROUDS TO LAY ON THE
STEPS OF THE BBC
*********************************
STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1076 22 January 2009
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) END GAZA BLOCKADE: DEMONSTRATE 24 JANUARY
2) SHOES WITH A MESSAGE FOR GORDON BROWN
3) WAVE OF STUDENT OCCUPATIONS FOR GAZA
4) NATIONAL ACTIVISTS MEETING: 24 JANUARY
5) A GOAL FOR GAZA
**********************************************
1) END GAZA BLOCKADE: DEMONSTRATE 24 JANUARY
One in every six buildings in Gaza has been damaged by
Israel's three weeks of mass murder and devastation. Israel
has withdrawn its troops, tanks and bombers for now but says
it will not lift the blockade which starves Gaza's population
of food, water, fuel and essential medical supplies. The
United Nations says that the aid now being allowed by Israel
into Gaza is nowhere near enough to meet the basic needs of
its people.
Saturday's demonstration in London, assembling at BBC
Broadcasting House at 2pm, will be calling for an immediate
end to the blockade and a stop to all arms trade with Israel.
We will also be demanding that those responsible for war
crimes in Gaza are brought to justice. There has never been
such unanimity between the United Nations, the Red Cross,
Amnesty International and numerous human rights organisations
that there is prima facie evidence of war crimes by Israel:
the use of phosphorous chemical weapons, the bombing of
residential buildings, the mass slaughter of civilians, the
bulldozing of homes with people still in them - the list of
crimes indictable under international law is almost endless.
(See Channel 4 News report on Israel's war crimes:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk)
We will be marching past Downing Street and delivering shoes
(see below), with messages inside to Gordon Brown, who has
disgracefully supported Israel by not voicing a single word of
condemnation of its crimes against humanity over the past
three weeks.
Please join the demonstration on Saturday and encourage
everyone you know to show their solidarity with the people of
Gaza, who have suffered unimaginable barbarity and continue to
be subjected to inhuman treatment by Israel.
DEMONSTRATE FOR GAZA: SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
END THE BLOCKADE: STOP ALL ARMS SALES
BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
Assemble 2.00pm BBC Broadcasting House for rally
Portland Place, London W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes: Great Portland Street or Regents park.
March starts at 3.00 pm. Ends with rally in Trafalgar Square
4.30 pm.
MARCH ROUTE:
Assemble and rally Portland Place, March to Regent Street,
Piccadilly, Lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square,
Northumberland Avenue, Embankment, Parliament, Downing Street,
Trafalgar Square (End rally)
**********************************************
2) SHOES WITH A MESSAGE FOR GORDON BROWN
A week ago Gordon Brown was supping with war criminals at
Israeli prime minister Olmert's home and offering him the
British navy to tighten the blockade on Gaza. What he should
be doing is banning all arms trade and breaking off all
diplomatic relations, following Israel's terror bombing and
invasion of Gaza.
Please bring shoes to the demonstration on 24 January with a
message for Gordon Brown inside, to be thrown into Downing
Street as we pass.
SHOE THROWERS OF THE WORLD UNITE
See video of shoe throwers from the Middle East to Mexico,
celebrating the end of George Bush's presidency:
http://tinyurl.com/d5hjmc
**********************************************
3) WAVE OF STUDENT OCCUPATIONS FOR GAZA
There has been an extraordinary wave of student occupations in
solidarity with Gaza in universities and colleges across
Britain -- in London, Oxford, Sussex, Warwick, Kingston and
elsewhere. (See Guardian report here:
http://tinyurl.com/d6r8u4)
Among the students' demands are a call for aid to be organised
for Gaza and for colleges to disinvest in arm companies which
supply Israel. The occupations in SOAS, the London School of
Economics and Essex have all been victorious in winning these
demands.
Other occupations are demanding that old computers and text
books are sent to Gaza to replace those that have been
destroyed.
At Kings College, the students are occupying to demand the
rescinding of the honorary doctorate awarded to Shimon Peres,
the president of Israel. At Oxford, the students want a series
of lectures by Peres cancelled.
SEND MESSAGES OF SUPPORT
Five website have been set up by students involved in the
occupations for Gaza, through which you can send messages of
support.
LSE: http://lseoccupation.blogspot.com/
KINGS: http://kcloccupation.blogspot.com/
SUSSEX: http://sussexoccupation.blogspot.com/
WARWICK: http://warwicksolidaritysitin.wordpress.com/
OXFORD: http://occupiedoxford.wordpress.com/
JOIN THE OCCUPATIONS FOR GAZA CAMPAIGN
If you are a student in a college or school and want advice on
how you can join the occupation campaign in solidarity with
Gaza, call 020 7278 6694. We will then put you in touch with
students already organising occupations.
There will be a discussion of the student occupation campaign
at the national activists meeting in London this Saturday (see
below for details). Representatives from the university and
college occupations have been invited to attend.
**********************************************
4) NATIONAL ACTIVISTS MEETING: 24 JANUARY
On the morning of this Saturday's Gaza demonstration in
London, Stop the War is organising a national activists
meeting for representatives from local Stop the War groups
across the country. We will be discussing our continuing
campaigns on Gaza, Afghanistan and Iraq and the preparations
for the mass protest taking place at the G20 meeting in London
on April 2nd, which will be Barack Obama's first visit to
Britain.
We are asking all local Stop the War groups and
representatives of student occupations for Gaza to send
delegates to this important strategy meeting.
Stop the War Activist Meeting 11am - 1pm
St Pancras Church Hall
Lancing Street, London NW1 1NA
100 metres east of Euston Station
**********************************************
A GOAL FOR GAZA
Star footballer Fredi Kanoute, now playing in Spain but
formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, celebrated scoring a goal last
Saturday by lifting his shirt to reveal a T-shirt with the
word Palestine blazoned across it. He was booked by the
referee and fined 3000 Euros. Spain prohibits players from
displaying religious or political messages on the pitch. See
video of Kanoute's goal for Gaza here:
http://tinyurl.com/bmh4q8
***********************************
STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1078 23 January 2009
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
URGENT REQUEST TO ALL STOP THE WAR'S SUPPORTERS
GOVERNMENT COMPLAINS TO BBC FOR BLOCKING GAZA APPEAL
JOIN THE GOVERNMENT'S PROTEST: COMPLAIN NOW TO THE BBC
Stop the War understands that the government has contacted the
BBC to complain about its decision to refuse the broadcasting
of a humanitarian appeal for Gaza.
The BBC's decision will prevent the raising of millions of
pounds in emergency aid being sent to Gaza. Stop the War is
demanding that the exchange between the government and the BBC
be made public immediately.
The BBC says it is blocking the emergency appeal "to avoid any
risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC's
"impartiality", as if this has anything to do with
humanitarian aid for a devastated people. Either they need the
aid or they do not.
This is the first time in the 48 years of similar national
appeals for humanitarian aid that a broadcast has been
refused. It is estimated that £10 million of urgently required
aid will not now be sent to help Palestinians in Gaza, living
in catastrophic conditions.
"This is a betrayal of the BBC's obligation to be a public
service," said Tony Benn, President of Stop the War. "To deny
the help that the aid agencies and the UN need is
incomprehensible."
It is imperative that the BBC responds to the government's
complaint and reverses its decision to refuse this broadcast.
If it does not, we will see people in Gaza continue to suffer
due to being denied emergency relief because of BBC
"impartiality" .
Stop the War urges all its supporters to complain to the BBC.
We must mobilise all the pressure we can to get the BBC to
reverse its decision.
TO COMPLAIN TO THE BBC
PHONE: 03700 100 222
TEXT: 03700 100 212
ONLINE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/
BRING CHILDREN'S DOLLS TO THE BBC
If you are coming to demonstration on Saturday 24 January,
which assembles outside Broadcasting House, we are asking
protestors to bring children's dolls, wrapped if possible in
white shrouds, to be laid on the steps of the BBC, as a
memorial to the hundreds of children who died in Israel's
attacks and as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians in
Gaza, now denied urgently needed aid by the BBC.
DEMONSTRATE FOR GAZA: SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
END THE BLOCKADE: STOP ALL ARMS SALES
BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
Assemble 2.00pm BBC Broadcasting House for rally
Portland Place, London W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes: Great Portland Street or Regents park.
March starts at 3.00 pm. Ends with rally in Trafalgar Square
4.30 pm.
BRING CHILDEN'S DOLLS WRAPPED IN WHITE SHROUDS TO LAY ON THE
STEPS OF THE BBC
BRING SHOES WITH MESSAGES TO GORDON BROWN INSIDE TO DELIVER AS
WE MARCH PAST DOWNING STREET
Instead of banning all arms trade with Israel and breaking all
diplomatic relations, Brown has offered to send the British
navy to help Israel tighten its blockade on Gaza.
MARCH ROUTE:
Assemble and rally Portland Place, March to Regent Street,
Piccadilly, Lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square,
Northumberland Avenue, Embankment, Parliament, Downing Street,
Trafalgar Square (End rally)
**************************************
STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1076 20 January 2009
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
1) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SATURDAY'S GAZA DEMO
2) NATIONAL STOP THE WAR ACTIVIST MEETING
**********************************************
1) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SATURDAY'S GAZA DEMO
There will be a rally with speakers in Portland Place from 2pm before the
demonstration sets off.
The demonstration will leave for
DEMONSTRATE:
GAZA: END THE BLOCKADE, STOP ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL,
FREE PALESTINE, BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
2PM, SATURDAY 24 JANUARY,
PORTLAND PLACE,
LONDON, W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes Great Portland St, Regents Park
**********************************************
2) NATIONAL STOP THE WAR ACTIVIST MEETING
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
11AM - 1PM
ST PANCRAS CHURCH HALL
LANCING STREET
EUSTON, LONDON NW1 1NA
100 METERS EAST OF EUSTON STATION
-- STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1076 20 January 2009
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
1) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SATURDAY'S GAZA DEMO
2) NATIONAL STOP THE WAR ACTIVIST MEETING
**********************************************
1) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SATURDAY'S GAZA DEMO
There will be a rally with speakers in Portland Place from 2pm before the
demonstration sets off.
The demonstration will leave for
DEMONSTRATE:
GAZA: END THE BLOCKADE, STOP ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL,
FREE PALESTINE, BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE
2PM, SATURDAY 24 JANUARY,
PORTLAND PLACE,
LONDON, W1A 1AA
Nearest tubes Great Portland St, Regents Park
**********************************************
2) NATIONAL STOP THE WAR ACTIVIST MEETING
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
11AM - 1PM
ST PANCRAS CHURCH HALL
LANCING STREET
EUSTON, LONDON NW1 1NA
100 METERS EAST OF EUSTON STATION
