A message to all supporters,
We are so glad to have had this much interest in relaunching a local branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, it is definitely the right time to do so after Norwich lost its local branch last year. With the events in Gaza escalating, it was more important than ever to have local representation.
We’re the newly formed Norfolk PSC and we’ve only been around since mid February. We’ve been busy organising local activities jointly with Norwich Stop the War Coalition and getting groups of us on as many of the national marches as we can. We’re working on a website and getting familiar with how to set up a new group, so please bear with us. We also have an active Facebook page, Norfolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign(PSC).
From the PSC’s main website we’re described as “… a community of people working together for peace, equality, and justice and against racism, occupation and colonisation…… We believe in People Power. The more of us standing together, the louder our voice.”
Today we find ourselves in what feels increasingly like some dystopian nightmare, where committing a genocide in full view is accepted, but those of us calling out for peace and the ones protesting AGAINST the genocide, are labelled the extremists. Here in Norfolk, we have an active and growing movement of people who feel utter revulsion at what Israel are doing, at what our government and many other western governments are funding them to do. But its not just in Norfolk, there is a huge and growing movement across the UK and across the world. People have had their eyes opened and at its heart is the connection we feel for those oppressed brothers and sisters in Palestine. Their humanity has called out to us and we are answering. Our protests, marches, sit ins and other demonstrations are showing the world that we WON’T be silenced. We have elected to bear witness as Israel’s crimes are live-streamed and shared again and again on social media platforms and Palestinians endure unimaginable horrors at the hands of ‘the world’s most moral army’. Mainstream media have shown themselves to be shamefully complicit in attempts to de-humanise the Palestinians and we have quickly learned to go elsewhere for our news. As a result, we’ve been introduced to Bisan, Motaz, Hind and little Lama and so many others who have shown us the true Palestine, the true Palestinian spirit that we grow more in of awe of each day.
Our unelected prime minister may try to muzzle us with threats of being labelled ‘extremist’s’ and by telling us our protests are ‘undemocratic’ and ‘mob rule’. But we are an army of likeminded, ordinary people who are dedicated to disrupting the status quo and we will NOT be gaslighted into looking away from the genocide that is unfolding in front of our eyes. For as long as our government continues to fund and excuse Israel’s vile crimes, our message remains loud and clear; ‘Not in my name’!
We won’t vote for politicians who refuse to support a full ceasefire and who make a mockery of attempts by others to do so, our mantra remains; ‘No ceasefire, No vote!’. Our politicians ARE feeling the pressure, all the social media exposure, the meltdown in parliament, the election in Rochdale…. What we’re doing IS working and Sunak and his cronies are scared. We mustn’t lose heart, we mustn’t lose faith. We have to hold each other up in our communities of fellow activists, we have to keep going.
Bisan, an amazing 25yr old storyteller from Gaza, posts regularly of her life . we wait to hear her voice, saying , “Hello Everyone, its Bisan from Gaza and I’m still alive”. Like many others my morning doesn’t feel right until I’ve heard those words from this incredibly spirited and gifted and beautiful young woman. On the 2nd of March she said that she knew that if the army wanted to kill them in Rafah, they could have the job done in 2 or 3 days. She then said that it was the noise that WE are making in our demos and marches that was preventing that final invasion, stopping them from taking that final step: the ground invasion of the tents in Rafah. She ended by saying ‘keep marching, keep being loud, we are so proud of you’. So, when we feel that we are too small to make a difference, just reflect on her words.
This is why we believe in People Power, the more of us standing together, the louder our voice.
So, If you haven’t joined us yet, please do, your voice matters more NOW than EVER before. We would love to have your voice raised alongside us.
In Solidarity,
The Committee
Norfolk PSC
Please check with National PSC and Norwich Stop the War Coalition on actions and events and keep up the pressure on our government to support all calls for an end to the slaughter taking place in Gaza.
Thanks to you all,
Links:
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD)