Defending Justice: Condemning Repression of Pro-Palestine Activists and the Right to Protest

19 Jan 2025
Defending Justice: Condemning Repression of Pro-Palestine Activists and the Right to Protest
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Solidarity with the People of Turkey is alarmed and outraged by the recent British police and state attacks against the Palestinian movement and its activists.

We stand with all those who faced repression on the day. Our solidarity is with those who oppose injustice.

On Saturday 18 January, the Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of A-Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Muslim Association of Britain and CND organised a rally on Whitehall to call for a permanent end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. 

The police, under political pressure from pro-Israel groups, banned the planned march to the BBC. In response, organisers announced plans for a rally and a peaceful protest against this anti-democratic ban.

On the day, pro-Palestine marchers were confronted with extremely heavy-handed and aggressive policing. Police arrested people without warning, on flimsy pretexts.

At the end of the rally, it was announced from the stage that, as an act of protest against the police ban, a delegation of organisers and rally speakers – including an 87-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor, politicians including MPs, and prominent cultural figures – would walk silently and peacefully towards the BBC. 

While the delegation was awaiting a response for their request to go to the BBC, the police violently arrested the chief steward of the rally, Chris Nineham. 

The policing on the day was a direct assault on freedom of assembly and democracy. The police’s actions, including their false statements after the event, are deeply troubling. 

● We demand the immediate release of all those arrested and the dropping of all charges. We remain resolute in our support for freedom and justice for the Palestinian people.

● The arrests are a blatant suppression of the democratic right to protest and were made without any valid justification.

● We support protests, rallies and campaigns called by the 18 January march organisers to highlight the issues on the day and to secure justice.

The people of Turkey working and living in Britain are familiar with oppressive policing. We stand with all those targeted for standing up for freedom and justice, and we demand the right to protest peacefully.