Palestine, Boris & Democracy Camp: Ten years in the past on Friday seventeenth October 2014 I lined a protest in opposition to bans on household visits to Palestinian prisoners, a spoof newspaper claiming Boris had seen the sunshine over housing shortages and a rally in Parliament Sq. the place Occupy Democracy have been meaning to camp and maintain an unauthorised nine-day occasion.
Ban on Household visits to Palestinian Prisoners – Victoria
Folks had come to protest exterior the brand new workplaces of the G4S Chief Government Officer in Peak Home, a brand new workplace constructing reverse Victoria Station.
It was a difficult web site to carry the protest as many of the space was a constructing web site, with in depth work being carried out to enhance Victoria Underground Station (not a part of Crossrail as I wrongly thought then, however attainable vital for the at the moment suspended Crossrail 2). However the protesters made use of the fences round this a part of the constructing web site to connect a few of their banners.
The constructing works introduced a lot of these strolling in direction of and from Victoria to cross near the demonstration and greater than common took the leaflets they have been provided, with a number of stopping to speak and specific their sympathy with the protest. There have been additionally two who made opposed feedback and I missed seeing when one in all them grabbed the bottom of three Palestinian flags of an extended pole held by one of many girls; she held on to the pole, others rushed to her help and the person hurried away.
They have been protesting in opposition to Israel issuing banning orders denying Palestinian households the fitting to go to their family members in jail. A starvation strike in April 2014 by administrative detainees held with out trial had ended when Israel had promised to reinstate household visits, however in July Israel reneged on this promise and went again to issuing banning orders once more.
Amongst people the protest highlighted the case of Mona Qa’adan, a lady college lecturer who has been held in jail since November 2012 and has not been allowed a single household go to in two years. She is held sick with none trial on the G4S secured girls’s jail HaSharon, the place prisoners endure beatings, insults, threats, sexually specific harassment and sexual violence, and humiliation by the hands of Israeli guards. The cells at HaSharon jail are overcrowded, soiled and contaminated with rodents and cockroaches and there’s a complete absence of fundamental hygiene.
Ban on Household visits to Palestinian Prisoners
Spoof shock U-turn by Boris on Housing
In Parliament Sq. I met campaingers from the Radical Housing Community with luggage containing 1000’s of copies of a spoof version of the ‘London Commonplace Night‘ newspaper.
Beneath the headline ‘Boris in shock housing U-turn‘ the paper had Boris Johnson saying “its time to place the social again into housing” and carried options about London housing scandals.
The spoof version was produced for the ultimate day of the world’s largest property honest, referred to as MIPIM, which had taken place over three days at Olympia, with protests exterior it and a day of workshops on housing points. London Mayor Johnson had welcomed property builders, traders, financiers and politicians from all over the world and inspired them to construct extra massive tower blocks right here to promote to abroad traders.
“These developments feed the growth in home costs and rents in London and so exacerbate our more and more critical housing drawback, with a determined scarcity of social housing. Ten of 1000’s of London households are on council home ready lists, and communities throughout the town face eviction and displacement by the hands of the profiteering builders Johnson welcomed to the town with open arms.”
The campaigners left carrying the luggage handy them out exterior key tube stations round Central London, however I stayed within the sq. for Occupy Democracy’s rally.
Spoof shock U-turn by Boris on Housing
Democracy Camp begins with rally – Parliament Sq.
Democracy Camp had broadly introduced their plans to camp in Parliament Sq. for 9 days and maintain a sequence of protests, rallies and workshops there. Many arrived for the rally with tents and sleeping luggage decided to remain.
They meant “to broadcast and demand the options we already know exist, to encourage individuals to be the energetic residents required to take again democracy from highly effective financial pursuits.“
Police and Mayor Johnson have been decided they might not arrange camp. Police ‘liaison officers‘ handed out an ‘Vital Discover’ – mainly telling protesters that democracy was stuffed by Act of Parliament so far as Parliament Sq. was involved – and Westminster Council bylaws nearly make respiration an offence.
Moderately surprisingly, the Higher London Authority had out of the blue determined the the somewhat wholesome trying grass overlaying many of the sq. was urgently in want of restore and put up notices closing the world, roping it off, Although these of us who had visited the sq. knew that they hadn’t executed something concerning the a part of it that actually wanted consideration for weeks. An space that had been broken by an allowed occasion some weeks earlier and badly wanted roping off and reseeding had nonetheless not been touched.
Folks had include luggage however when requested by police and the non-public safety ‘Heritage Wardens’ acknowledged they meant to sleep elsewhere in London. Police argued with them however I feel the media presence stopped them taking the luggage away regardless of the urging by the non-public safety wardens.
Ultimately the beginning of the night rally was introduced and a few speeches started with John Hilary, Government Director of Conflict on Need and creator of The Poverty of Capitalism, adopted by others together with Mansfield vicar Keith Hebden who had fasted for 40 days for the Finish Starvation Quick marketing campaign and Robin from the Radical Housing Community speaking about MIPIM.
It was getting darkish and I used to be getting drained and hungry. I left to file my photos and to eat and sleep in a cushty mattress whereas the rally and the occupation of the sq. continued.
I got here again the next morning and lined occasions later within the day when the camp did take over the grass and arrange camp.
Extra at Democracy Camp begins with rally.
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Tags: 2014, banning orders, beatings, Boris, Democracy Camp, Household visits, G4S, G4S CEO, gla, HaSharon, heritage wardens, housing, humiliation, insults, John Hilary, Keith Hebden, London, London Mayor, London Commonplace Night, Mayor Johnson, MIPIM, Mona Qa’adan, Occupy Democracy, Palestine, Palestinian prisoners, peter Marshall, police, property honest, protest, Radical Housing Community, sexual harassment, social housing, spoof newspaper, Westminster Council
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