Local support but local media

The continued absence of local television at a prolonged event that has clearly garnered much local interest and support is baffling.

In our visitors book, some wonderful and powerful comments; local people speaking out about an issue that is about Sheffield but with international ramifications.

So why have Calendar and Look North not turned up?

If this had been two Ukranian women 18 months ago, the local media would have been down here instantly. Why not for Palestinian women?

Visitors today

Visits from some people from Lebanon in the morning was followed by som Afghanis thi safternoon. They happened on the camp having come to visit thier cousin in Sheffield. They signed the visitor book ‘with love from Afghanistanin’

Then Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign brought warm hats , £100 for the emergency relief fund and many memories (see slides below)

Solidarity to you all . Your fight is our fight Jo, deptuy chair OTJC

The visitor book is brimming with many more supportive comments

“Your visible courageous stand and camp is an inspiration – ceasefire now”

“Thank you for the good work you are doing – I am proud of you”

“Solidarity from Sheffield cyclists”

“Thank you for making a stand – if not us, who will?”

“Thank you Sahar and Lena. Your samud is an inspiration to us all. Thank yiou for taking the fight to the next level. I will be along with my family during the next days to offer our love and support”

“Thank you for all you are doing – I am extremely heartened to see fellow peoplewho are disgusted and horrified by the genocide in Gaza. We must all show up until Palestine is free”

“Absolute shame on the Government and the Opposition that they allow this genocide and horror in silence. I have been a healthworker for 22 years: I call on all healthworkers to speak out and call for a ceasefire!”

How many layers …?

And so to the competition which we said had a serious aspect. It is bitterly cold today and camp support are there for four hours only.

Lena and Sahar are here all the time of course though they move to warm spaces from time to time.

But in Gaza, while it is not so bitter, there is no recourse to warm space, no recourse to comfort, no easy access to showers and soap, clean clothes and hot water. Nearly 2 million people are being forced to live in squalor and when they resist they are deemed to be terrorists: and the UK government is largely silent about this aspect.

So : Angela informs us she had seven layers as follows:

thermal vest, thermal t-shirt, cotton ‘vest’-T, acrylic sweater,
long-sleeve fleece collar, mac w fleece lining, blanket

No winners but the chocolates will be delivered to camp tomorrow. Thank you Nick the wonderful Tidewell cholcatier!

Today Lena Mussa started her hunger strike. She has been buoyed by visit from Labour councillors yesterday and green councillors today (see slides below). As she started her hunger strike she told us

“it is clear what is happening in Gaza is not colateral damage as claimed by Israel but ethnic cleansing, a genocide”.

In a conversation in the morning, both Lena and Sahar expressed extreme disappointment that having both said they would come, Look North and Calendar failed to turn up – ” a clear case of anti-Palestinian racism” they said. But they did get interviewed by the Islam channel.

Later in the day, a delegation of green councillors came to meet with Lena and Sahar to express their support.

Alexi Dimond (Gleedless ward) issued this statement:

“Sheffield Green Party Councillors visited the Peace Camp today to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people and the campers outside the Town Hall. We are pushing for the Council to reaffirm its historic pledge for Sheffield to be an apartheid-free zone, and for the government to support South Africa’s submission to the ICJ.“

We are urging all Sheffield residents to write to their MPs and insist that their elected representatives visit the camp and listen to Sahar and Lena. Their absence on an issue that has clearly got so much local support is neglectful at best and complicity with genocide at worst.

Some councillors have visited notable the head of the Green Party and some Labour councillors.

You can find a template letter as pdf here and as rtf here

A busy day at the camp with constant stream of visitors.

A lovely visit from Sheffield Families for Gaza who set up an Arabic writing workshop, and , one of the highlights, was Tadhamon choir coming to sing, prompting Sahar to do some much loved dabke

We also had group visit from Sheffield councillors and two Church of England priests. All listened hard to both Lena and Sahar and showed support for their stance.

We need Sheffield council to look at the lack of humanity in Gaza just now, the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli state and lack of food and shelter. This is the key symbolism of this camp.

Late Sunday night the camp was pleased to welcome visitors from Rotherham and do a short workout as Lena prepares to start her hunger strike on Monday.