Short but sweet – Palestinian heroine Ahed Tamimi addresses the crowds
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| Ahed Tamimi speaking at the end |
Well the weather could have been better but our spirits were high. An estimated 15,000 people marched through central London, from the BBC Voice of Israel offices at Portland Place, off Oxford Street to Whitehall.
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| During Operation Cast Lead in 2008-9, the Sri Lankan Government murdered an estimated 20,000 Tamils |
Apart from a tiny handful of Zionists corralled in behind 2 rows of police, who were invisible to all unless you went searching for them, there was no Zionist opposition. Missing from the 10-15 oddballs, neo-Nazis and assorted fascists was Jonathan Hoffman. Presumably he doesn’t want to get himself arrested again and face the next couple of months on remand at Her Majesty’s undoubted pleasure.
I also bumped into Paul Besser, the Zionist former ‘intelligence officer’ for the neo-Nazi Britain First who is an ardent Zionist. However he didn’t seem to want to be trapped behind two rows of police and made himself scarce.
There were a large number of banners from the Labour Party, some from Momentum, Trade Unions (including a drum band from PSC) and various left groups. A number of Jewish groups took part including Jewish Voice for Labour, Jews for Justice and Neturei Karta members who, given it was the Sabbath, must have walked a considerable distance to join the demonstration since public transport is forbidden for Orthodox Jews on Saturday.
The highlight was Ahed Tamimi, the young school girl who was imprisoned for 8 months for slapping a soldier who had invaded her family’s grounds having nearly killed her cousin. If Ahed had been an Israeli Jew and had instead just killed a Palestinian lying unconscious on the ground, she would have been feted in Israeli society, had the Prime Minister lobbying for her, had supermarket bags with her picture on and would then have served just 9 months in prison like Elor Azaria, a Kahanist member of the Israeli army. Azaria was only prosecuted because he had the misfortune to have been caught on camera. Normally Israeli soldiers get away with literally murder.
Other speakers included a windbag who otherwise calls himself the Palestinian Ambassador, and Richard Burgon MP, who began speaking as I left.
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| The Zionist Times of Israel places its emphasis on Corbyn's backing for the demonstration and the demand for a 'free' Palestine - which is undoubtedly 'antisemitic' |
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| Police guarding the Zionist Zoo |
Brighton & Hove PSC sent a large contingent to the demonstration but we left behind token forces in Brighton to staff our regular weekly stall at the clocktower.
It was good to meet up with others from around the country and to hear what was happening.
Below are some of the pictures which I took.
Tony Greenstein
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| One of the animals carrying an anti-semitic poster which says that Jews are not part of the many |
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| What would his mother say, smoking a cigarette? |
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| Jewish neo-Nazi Gemma Sheridan on the right, ginger hair, member of Jewish Defence League |
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| 'Mad' Mel Gharia on the left looking none too happy - and who can blame her given the company she is keeping |
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| A pathetic turnout by the Zionists as Hoffman keeps away |
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