True to their word, they have done it again as thousands, on foot or by bike, have thronged the streets of Birmingham to have their voice heard.
We are riding for Palestine. We want a cease fire now.
Cyclist Protestor
People and children are being killed in Gaza, which is completely unacceptable.
Protestor 01
Stop murdering children and innocent people.
Protestor 02
In the run-up to this protest, activists glued shut a branch of London headquartered banking giant Barclays in Birmingham for allegedly investing in Israeli weapons manufacturers.
I think a lot of people are now fed up with carrying out totally non violent, non interactive events and now they are taking a proactive step so that they get noticed and this is desperations.
And in one way it’s showing the great crisis that we face in this country, that when the public wants the government to call for a ceasefire, yet our politicians are not listening to the majority of the British public.
Ismail Patel, Friends of Al-Aqsa
Britain’s support for apartheid Israel takes many shapes. Visiting Tel Aviv in mid October last year, British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, stood next to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and declared his support for Israel.
As your friend, we will stand with you in solidarity. We will stand with your people, and we also want you to win.
UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak
Whatever win might look like for apartheid Israel. Sunak’s conservative party and the opposition Labour Party, whose leader Keir Starmer has also backed Netanyahu’s war, have both lost voters like Karen, who is a lawyer.
I feel like we’ve been massively let down by all governments of all parties across the board, and I’ve completely lost all faith in all of them.
Karen, Lawyer
One group that say the UK position on the US is really genocide in Gaza, has completely alienated them are British Muslims, who constitute nearly 7% of the population.
We feel that the people that we have elected to represent us in the corridors of power have become a bunch of Yes-men.
They are saying yes sir, yes sir, three bags full sir, mainly because they are afraid to lose their careers. This is how bad it has become.
Shakeel Afsar, Human Rights Activist
Disappointed and disillusioned with the government and the political establishment, it is in the streets of Britain that people see the future of pro Palestine Solidarity in the UK as they hope for peace, a peace that cannot come a minute too soon.
