Demo Speech - January 10th
We have all watched in horror over the last two years the genocide being perpetrated on the people of Gaza by Israel.
For the last two years we have stood here every two weeks to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
And then on Oct 10th last year we were told there was a ceasefire. But there is no ceasefire! It’s a fake ceasefire! Since that date another 400 or more Palestinians have been killed, including children.
The promised aid of food and medicine and tents is not getting into Gaza. It is heartbreaking to see the images of flooded tents, of poorly sick children.
And now Israel has banned 37 aid agencies from Gaza - Oxfam, Medicine Sans Frontiers, Action Aid, the Norwegian Refugee Council…
And yet despite the horrendous situation, the children of Gaza have returned to school this month. Pictures of children sitting in tents with the teacher as the only resource, the children have a thirst for learning.
In the West Bank the Israeli security cabinet has approved the building of another 19 illegal settlements. Settler violence, alongside the IDF rages on. But there too, the children are in school, playing, learning with hopes and dreams for their future.
Netanyahu and his ministers have made clear that there will never be a two state solution, their actions are making life unlivable for Palestinians, and ultimately they wish for Israeli sovereignty to extend over Palestinian land.
Although leaders of countries around the world are quick to condemn, very little is being done by the international community to stop the killing of Palestinians.
So we must not look away. Although our own government may be trying to dissuade us from demonstrating and speaking out, by arresting and imprisoning those who stand up against genocide, We must refuse to look away.
The Gaza catastrophe has horrified people and we and most of those we speak to are full of empathy for the thousands of people suffering both there and in the West Bank.
But empathy is not enough, as we know. Action is needed. So what can we do here in Southport? What can we do this week? What can we do today? There are many actions we can take, but here is a suggestion for you and forgive me if you are already aware and taking part!
We can be part of the global Boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. We can boycott all things Israeli and those businesses that directly or indirectly support the ongoing genocide. We can Get the App!!!
https://bdsmovement.net/BDS-Has-Partnered-With-Boycat-App
Boycat is the named official partner app for the Boycott campaign. Once it is on your phone you can check whichever product you intend on buying, to make sure you are not inadvertently contributing to genocide. Download the app.
Don’t buy anything on Amazon. Amazon Web Services is delivering the infrastructure of genocide with a $1.22 billion contract with the Israeli state - vast cloud storage, artificial intelligence tools and analytics to the Israeli government, the security services and other entities. It may cost us more in time and money to search and shop elsewhere, but it is a small price to pay - don’t be complicit.
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethical-campaigns/amazon-palestine-genocide
The content of this blog is written by multiple contributors. Any views or opinions expressed in individual posts are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the group as a whole.
