Louise Haigh’s office on Chesterfield Road was once again the site of a protest on Friday (Jan 26th) as outraged Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Supporters once again demanded something better from the Heeley MP and Labour frontbencher. This was the second week in a row the local Heeley 4 Palestine group had taken to the streets.
🇵🇸 6.30 pm. Health workers 4 Palestine will once again hold a vigil for all health workers massacred by Israel: all welcome, outside Sheffield Town hall.
Saturday 27th January: 📢 Building the Boycott 📢 🇵🇸 12.30 pm: join us for a local Boycott action: assemble outside Sheffield Town hall;
🇵🇸 2pm. After the action, come to the BDS workshop at the Central United reform church S1 2JB to discuss and plan effective ways to build the campaign to make Sheffield an Israeli Apartheid free city.
🇵🇸 Note: the next national demonstration in London will be Saturday 3rd Feb.
Justice Now Campers visit the Snig Hill police station in Sheffield to report people who have joined the IDF in contravention of the Foreign Enlistment Act and may have participated in war crimes.
You can try this at your own police station . Also, you can call 101 and ask for progress on INC 546 10 Jan 2024. Here are the names submitted:
The camp came to a dignified close today with supporters chalking messages of solidarity in front of the town hall where Lena and Sahar have been camping out.
“We were overwhelmed with love” said Sahar, urging people of Sheffield to keep the pressure on the government and the council and “keep fighting for Palestine”.
The day started with a moving tribute to the journalists and media workers who have been killed as members of the NUJ read out their names. Shortly after over 300 people attended a rally, having marched from Ellesmere Green in a mood of celebration for the camp, defiance against continued lack of local action and anger at the complicity of the government.
The rally was visually stunning with the huge Palestinian flag being carried by supporters and held aloft throughout. Followed by speeches from Sahara, Lena, Musheir – chair of Sheffield PSC – and others, the crowd celebrated the achievement of Lena and Sahar and all their supporters. A team effort!
Sahar congratulated the achievement of South Africa in taking Israel to the ICJ and Lena told a parable from her childhood warning of efforts to divide us and conquer. “We are all human” she said “and must fight for freedom together”.
Lena and Sahar on the last morning of their camp
Christians visit the camp
NUJ members gather to resd names of media workers killed by Israeli onslaught
March comes up Surry Street
Flag held aloft at the rally
Lena (right) and Sahar (second left) with their daughters at the end of the camp - Dima (far left) and Nada (second right)
Lena's first meal after camp. Maqlobih
What next?
There is an imperative not to lose the energy of this camp nor the wide support that has emerged as a result of it.
Tere is a meeting between the Coalition and the council on Friday 19th January. A key issue will be what is the council going to do now.
We continue to demand a declaration of an Israeli apartheid free zone and some political leadership and bravery here.
On 20th January after a ‘bigride4 Palestine’ across town, there will be a rally at the Town Hall followed by a meeting meeting for school students in the Central United Reform Church 1.30 – across from the Crucible Theatre
This wil be an opportunity for school students to find out about ways of supporting Palestinians, inside and outside school. Refreshments will be provided – all welcome. (Interested parents are welcome too!)
Another bitter day but warm in spirit as the camp had visits from Unite, Sheffield Jews Against Israeli Apartheid, South Yorkshire Migration Action Group, Kairos, Gut Level, Workers For a Free Palestine and Healthcare workers who held a vigil.
We were really pleased to be able to project some of the ICJ case and wondered why the council does not provide a public space for viewing such an important international event – like they do the world cup!
A special mention for Annabelle (above with Sahar and Lena ) who travelled from Newcastle to come down show support and plenty of individuals stopped by to write in the visitors book too or just to say hello and late in the day Fran Belbin , deputy leader of the council, visited again.
Unite visit in the morning
The ICJ proceedings for all to see
National Education Union show support
A local book group come by
Off camp - in Heeley, demonstrating outside Louise Haigh's office
Some func chalking at the Town Hall. Maybe it should be permanent
South Yorkshire Migration Action Group
Kairos in prayer
Reading the names of dead healthcare workers at the vigil
Busy day at the camp. Visits from former MP Chris Wiilliamson, now from Palestine Declassified and also ex President of Aslef , Tosh McDonald. The solidarity of trades unionists with an anti imperial struggle is hugely welcomed.
The morning was tense as we listened to UN TV as the International Court of Justice proceedings brought by South Africa , now supported by many countries, in bringing the charges of genocide against Israel.
Such a shame that the council did not see this very important international event worthy of a public viewing space.
Here is the very powerful summing up from the South African legal team:
As a result the planned Town Hall singing of boycott songs included the South African National Anthem:
Just as we were celebrating at last a bit of attention from printed local media, we noticed a gross and highly offensive error in the Sheffield Telegraph. Have they sleeping for three months?
Later in the day we had a visit from Paul Blomfield MP for Sheffield Central and this is to be welcomed of course. He has said he would vote against the boycott bill and this he did but this was in step with the Labour leadership. Always expressing sympathetic words on Palestine Paul has never stepped up to use how public voice.
The Sheffield Street Band, as well as he singers came in the afternoon and as the temperature drops it is still busy with people sending love and support with the Samba band picking up the pace.
A cold and miserable start with rain leaving little else to do but play games at 3am. Spot the ball?
As day broke, Sahar was on Radio Sheffield breakfast having been interviewed yesterday:
But still it is clear that the media are largely silent and the Sheffield MPs and councillors are largely absent (notwithstanding the welcome visit from exceptional Labour councillors on Sunday and Green councillors on Monday)
In view of this we received a statement (see below) from Sahar’s and Lena’s daughters and sent it to the council leader, Tom Hunt (and all Sheffield MPs).
Our mothers are camping in the bitter cold and one is currently on hunger strike demanding a voice and action from Sheffield City Council , and MPs, in the face of the ongoing genocide, massacre, and ethnic cleansing the Palestinian people are facing. They have now been camping outside Town Hall for 4 nights, yet there have been no official visits to discuss their call on Sheffield City Council to declare itself an Israeli Apartheid Free City.
We ask- surely this would be in Sheffield’s great tradition of protest? Considering Sheffield was the first city of sanctuary and the first to declare itself a South African apartheid free zone …why are Palestinians and their plight for freedom and justice not met with the same acts of solidarity and support?”
Dima Ashlami (daughter of Sahar) and Nada Mufli (daughter of Lena)
Late in the afternoon, the flavour of the day was boycott it seemed as everyone was framed with the not in my fridge frame, even the dog!
