Emergency demonstration for Rafah, London - Photo: PSC

The world is seeing the slaughter Israel is committing in Gaza which it calls a limited military operation carried out in a humanitarian manner. RCPB(ML) adds its voice to the vigorous and world-wide condemnation of these criminal actions of the US-backed Israeli Zionists against the Palestinian people. The British government, including His Majesty's Opposition, must also be thoroughly condemned for their direct support for the crimes committed by the Zionists, while, of course, expressing in so sincere tones concern for the humanitarian situation. There are a few voices raised in Parliament while the massive marches and student encampments give testament to the people's sentiment. For example, MP for Bradford East, Imran Hussain, put it to the Minister in the debate on the war in Gaza on May 7:

Glasgow, Scotland May 4 - PSC

"With Israeli troops now ready to move into the world's largest and most densely populated refugee camp, where 1.4 million people sit starving and fearful for the lives of their children, I have to ask the Minister just why he did not come to the House today to announce a strong UK response that immediately supports the International Criminal Court's war crimes investigation and immediately ends arms sales to Israel.

"Frankly, it is shameful that the Government have again come to the House with nothing. Will the Minister please answer the question that we have all come to hear answered? What are the UK Government doing to stop the bloodshed and the massacre that are about to happen hours from now in Gaza?"

Flying in the face of reality, the condescending reply was: "He sets out, in eloquent tones, the nature of the problem we face, but he must recognise that Britain, along with a large number of regional powers, the international community and the UN, is trying to stop the very position he sets out."

And many contributions to this debate made the blood boil with exonerating Israel and pinning all responsibility for the genocide on the Palestinian Resistance, of which Hamas is a proscribed "terrorist" organisation in Britain.

Rafah, Gaza, 1.3 million refugees

This contributes to the media disinformation which persists in putting the blame on the Palestinian Resistance for what the Zionists are doing, as well as claiming the genocide the whole world is witnessing is being carried out in a humanitarian manner. The fact is that Israel is bombing Rafah, blocking aid, torturing prisoners and continuing its massacres. Official support or justifications from any quarter whatsoever are quite unforgivable.

Any attempt to provide the crimes and atrocities with a moral justification as the government is doing must be considered as criminal as the crimes themselves. Such crimes could not take place except for those who appease them and give them the green light.

Israel's destruction of Gaza's infrastructure, of all the institutions of civil society, and its violations of international humanitarian law including the killing of journalists, smashing of hospitals, universities, mosques and other religious establishments, libraries and museums could not be more criminal. The wanton destruction is also a futile attempt to smash a people by obliterating their history. It is a vain attempt because the history, memory and intelligence of a people live through the ages, refreshed generation after generation on the basis of their resistance which affirms their right to be.

Amid Bombardments Israel Orders a Quarter of a Million Palestinians in Rafah to Evacuate

Rafah people fleeing Gaza after Israeli threats and bombing of Rafah

The Israeli military heavily bombed Rafah early on the morning of May 6, before ordering up to 250,000 Palestinians to leave parts of the border town ahead of a threatened ground assault. At least 22 civilians, including eight children, were killed in air strikes that hit 11 homes across Rafah, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The Israeli military dropped flyers ordering displaced people and residents to leave the eastern areas of the city near the fence that separates the Gaza Strip and Israel. It said the military was "about to operate with force against the terror organisations in the area".

On the evening of May 6, the Israeli military reported that it was conducting targeted strikes on Hamas facilities in the eastern part of Rafah. The Israeli Air Force struck more than 50 targets in the city, the Times of Israel reported, citing Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari. According to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu the military campaign in Rafah pursues two main objectives - the return of Israelis kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attack and the destruction of the Palestinian Hamas movement and, ultimately to "evacuate Gaza". Netanyahu's adviser Dmitry Gendelman said the country's military cabinet had not abandoned plans to advance on the city, no matter that the resistance organizations accepted the mediators' proposal from Qatar and Egypt for a ceasefire in Gaza. On May 7, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel does not intend to stop the operation in Rafah until victory over Hamas is secured, or until the beginning of the re turn of the hostages.

London demonstration standing with Gaza

On May 9, the Central Emergency Committee in Rafah said in a statement that what has been circulating about a limited military operation east of Rafah is nothing but lies refuted by facts and realities on the ground amidst air, land and sea bombardment that affected all areas in the governorate. The committee warned against falling into the trap of misleading Israeli propaganda regarding the ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, which has opened a new chapter in Rafah Governorate.

The committee stressed that Israel's closure of the Rafah crossing, blocking aid delivery and fuel supplies, heralds a doubling of the humanitarian, environmental and health catastrophe, as the population suffers from a shortage of goods and basic and daily living needs amid the most crowded population in the world. It warned against using the weapon of slow death through starvation against the population, as part of collective punishment policy to force the population to submit and relocate.

The Committee also sounded the alarm against the fact that the only operating hospital, the Kuwait Hospital, would stop operating amid the escalation of Israeli airstrikes, especially after the key Al-Najjar Hospital in the governorate was taken out of service by Israeli threats. It stressed that Israel's claims about safe zones are invalidated by its ground operations that have been targeting everything, threatening the lives of more than one and a half million people who have no alternative shelter.

The committee stressed the need for decisive measures to be taken internationally to push Israel to halt its genocidal war in Gaza.

The Resistance Fights Back

Marseille, France

Al-Qassam Brigades on May 9 announced that one of the Palestinian resistance units detonated a tunnel rigged with explosives targeting Israeli military personnel. This resulted in the destruction of three Israeli vehicles, and a digger, and casualties among the soldiers, including one killed and one injured, according to Palestinian military media reports. Earlier in the day, the Al-Qassam Brigades reported that its forces targeted several Israeli military units in the southern part of the Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza City using mortar shells.

The Mujahideen Brigades reported that its forces targeted the "Gaza envelope" with a barrage of rockets. They further targeted an Israeli military vehicle using an RPG shell and also aimed at Israeli troops stationed in the "Netzarim" axis using 107-type rockets.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades reported its fighters have engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli infantry forces in the Shoka neighbourhood, located east of Rafah.

On the morning of May 9, the Al-Qassam Brigades announced that Israeli forces advancing east of Rafah had been targeted with mortar shells. They also announced the firing of rockets which targeted an assembly of Israeli military vehicles near the airport east of Rafah. Similarly, Al-Quds Brigades declared the targeting of Israeli military gatherings with heavy calibre mortar shells east of the Shoka neighbourhood

Then on May 10, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a draft resolution that recognises Palestine as qualified to become a full UN member.

Paris, students occupation - Photo: Mimi Greves

English Universities join encampment actions

In Britain, encampments have been established at at least 10 universities -- in Bristol, London (UCL and SOAS), Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh -- with students and faculty demanding their schools divest from companies complicit in Israeli genocide. An encampment was also initiated at Trinity College, Dublin.

Newcastle University encampment

At the peaceful Gaza camp at Newcastle University, students are demanding that the university calls for an immediate unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. They are demanding divestment in defence and security firms and transparency over all investments, collaborations and partnerships with such companies which includes Leonardo: Aerospace, Defence and Security, BAE systems, Pearson Engineering and Siemens. They want to see the university break its links with Israeli universities and to support the rebuilding of Palestinian universities. They also want Newcastle University to remove the use of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. The demands to break links with defence and security firms comes after a motion was passed at the Newcastle University Students' Union Council on March 14, 2024, which resolved "To lobby Newcastle University to ensure that the University does not engage in any research activities that could be used for offensive purposes, rather than defensive purposes within the military sector."

Students at UCL (University College London) took to the main quad of their campus and set up tents, inspired by the US encampments. Students from other London universities, particularly Kings College London (KCL) have joined this encampment.

At Goldsmiths University, students who have been protesting and walking out since the genocide in Gaza began and recently had an occupation, students occupied the university library. On May 3, it is reported that the university conceded on all their demands to divest from Israeli apartheid, introduce scholarships for Palestinian students and more.

The demands of Leeds University students include divestment from companies arming Israel and the ending of partnerships between the university and Israeli institutions.

In Bristol, students occupied the Royal Fort Gardens opposite the Senate House. The students are protesting against the University of Bristol's complicity in Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people. In a press statement they have stated that, gathered through Freedom of Information requests and publicly available research records, the University holds £92 million in financial investments and research partnerships with arms companies. These investments and partnerships enable the continued arming of Israel.

The students at the Manchester Camp of Resistance for Palestine have issued the demands: Cut all ties with BAE Systems; Cut all ties with 'Tel Aviv' University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Implement an ethical research policy; No disciplinary action against students involved in protests.

Manchester Gaza encampment

Staff and alumni at the University of Cambridge in England signed an open letter to express their "solidarity with Cambridge students as they launch an encampment protesting the university's ties to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza". The letter, which had over 1,700 signatories within 48 hours, said that the students "join an admirable tradition of emancipatory struggle that includes earlier student protests against South African apartheid and the war in Vietnam".

Following a five-day encampment at the campus of Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the university announced it had agreed with the student demands for divesting from Israeli companies. "An agreement was reached" after "successful talks between the university's senior management and the protestors," the university said in a statement posted on its website, meaning that TCD would no longer have ties with Israeli firms. TCD further said that the university "will complete a divestment from investments in Israeli companies that have activities in the occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN blacklist in this regard".

Fifty Spanish universities announced they would break ties with Israeli institutions. The Confederation of Spanish Universities (CRUE) announced on May 9 that it will cut ties with Israeli universities and research centres "that have not expressed a firm commitment to peace and compliance with international humanitarian law." The decision came as students across Spain began camping out on university campuses this week, as part of the wider global wave of pro-Palestine student protests. Earlier this week, some 200 students at Madrid's Complutense University set up an encampment. Similar encampments have also been set up in Barcelona and the Basque Country. Spain's Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities Diana Morant said earlier in the week that Spanish universities should not only be "a place for academic formation, but also critical thinking." She praised the students in the encampments saying she was proud of them for mobilizing.

Encampment for Palestine, Valencia, Spain

In the Netherlands, Dutch police dispersed a student protest at the University of Amsterdam in its second consecutive day of protest over Israel's genocidal war on the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip. Police forces in full riot gear attacked protesters and knocked down makeshift barricades of desks, bricks and wooden pallets, arresting at least 32 demonstrators. Videos of the incident show police dragging several students away as hundreds shouted: "Shame on you!"

The Free University of Brussels has announced its withdrawal from a scientific project on artificial intelligence that involved two Israeli institutions, the Palestinian Information Centre informed. In a statement issued on May 8, the university explained that the decision to withdraw from the scientific project was made after an evaluation conducted by the Ethics Committee. It went on to say that, following the recent developments in Gaza, it has decided to conduct a comprehensive review of all research projects involving Israeli partners. The university does not have any bilateral cooperation with Israel, it added, and is determined to continue its partnerships with Palestinian institutions.

Encampment for Palestine, Sorbonne, Paris

Meanwhile, in the US, students across the country have continued to resist the escalation of brutal police attacks. Police used pepper spray to clear a tent encampment at George Washington University (GWU) and arrested dozens of demonstrators on May 8. Police also moved in on the night of May 7 to break up an encampment at the University of Massachusetts. Video from the scene in Amherst showed an hour-long operation as dozens of officers in riot gear systematically tore down tents and took protesters into custody. The operation continued into early May 8. At the University of Chicago the tent encampment was cleared by officers in riot gear on May 7 after administrators said the protesters "had crossed a line". Hundreds of protesters had gathered for at least eight days until administrators warned them to leave or face removal.

New York City police arrested 50 people outside the Fashion Institute of Technology on the evening of May 7 after protesters who had been rallying nearby arrived to support a student encampment. Chancellor Javier Reyes said he ordered the sweep after talks over a wide range of demands failed to yield an agreement to dismantle the encampment and engage in "constructive discussions". At The New School in New York City, faculty launched their encampment for Palestine on May 9.

At the University of Vermont, student protesters ended their nine-day encampment on May 8 after the university agreed to cancel the invitation to have Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, as commencement speaker. The school said that on May 19 Thomas-Greenfield would not give the address.

Since April 18, about 2,800 people have been arrested on 50 US campuses.

Students at Wesleyan University, a liberal arts school in Connecticut, commenced their on-campus demonstration on April 29, which includes a pro-Palestinian tent encampment, as an act of political expression, they said. Reports inform that the camp has grown from about 20 tents a week ago to more than 100. "The protesters' cause is important - bringing attention to the killing of innocent people," university President Michael Roth wrote to the campus community. "And we continue to make space for them to do so, as long as that space is not disruptive to campus operations."

At the Rhode Island School of Design, President Crystal Williams spent more than five hours with protesters discussing their demands after students started occupying a building on May 6. On May 7 the school announced it was relocating classes from the building.

(Workers' Weekly, Counterfire, TML)

Leeds University encampment

Trinity College, Dublin

Edinburgh University encampment

Cambridge University encampment - Photos: Mohammadfff


Oxford University encampment

Flightpath of a British Shadow R1 spy on its way to Gaza - Screengrab RadarBox

An article by Matt Kennard last week in Declassified reported that British spy planes have recorded up to 1,000 hours of footage over Gaza in over 200 flights since December 3 last year. The report says that; "the extraordinary number of missions over the past five months works out at well over a flight per day and continues as Israel invades the supposedly 'safe' southern city of Rafah." All the British spy flights have taken off from RAF Akrotiri, the UK's sprawling air base on Cyprus, and have been in the air for around six hours.

The article says that the new information comes "amid speculation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers. British officials could also face prosecution for complicity in war crimes, including defence secretary Grant Shapps." The article continues that: "Shapps was asked by five different MPs whether he would share footage from the flights with the ICC, if it showed evidence of war crimes. Each time he gave an evasive answer. Last week, when asked again by another MP, the MoD appeared to deny that any footage had been shared with the court. It also refused to comment on whether the aircraft had filmed mass graves being built at Nasser and Al-Shifa hospitals."

Equally complicit, was when the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 2 December 2023 that it would begin surveillance flights over Gaza "in support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity" and that the "safety of British nationals is our utmost priority." This is another lie as Declassified revealed that a "British spy flight was in the air on Monday April 1 when three Britons were killed in an Israeli strike on aid workers in Gaza. John Chapman, 57, James Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47," were among seven aid workers killed in the targeted assassination. "On that Monday, a UK spy plane departed Akrotiri at 5pm local time and arrived back at the base at 10:49pm. The Israeli airstrikes are believed to have taken place soon after 10.30pm. Israel has not released its full footage from the incident."

Britain has also refused to release its footage of this, or any of their flights that might uncover the massacres and war crimes in Gaza killing thousands of men women and children. In the House of Commons, both Leo Docherty, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, and Andrew Mitchell, Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, have continued to insist that Cyprus is being used to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, mentioning that UK military planners have been embedded with the US operational team. They speak as though the genocide that is occurring in Gaza is some natural disaster, not that US/Israeli Zionism is wiping out the Palestinian people, and not only is the Netanyahu government ensuring aid does not reach the Palestinian people, but that the aim is to destroy every institution of the Palestinian society in Gaza itself. In such a situation, humanity stands with the Palestinian people and their resistance.

These spy flights are further evidence of the British government's complicity in war crimes and genocide in Gaza, for which the British government must be held accountable. For full article see note below [1]:

Note:
[1] Revealed: UK military has flown 200 spy missions over Gaza in support of Israel - Mat Kennard, Declassified, May 8 2024

https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-uk-military-has-flown-200-spy-missions-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Al Mesan, and Al-Haq, vehemently denounce the initiation of the ground invasion by the Israeli military into eastern Rafah. This egregious act stands as a stark testament to the failure of the international community to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as per their legal obligations, and compel Israel to adhere to the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Despite clear legal obligations, Israel's actions exemplify a blatant disregard for international law and human rights, and underscore the urgent need for decisive, global intervention to prevent further massacres.

On May 6, 2024, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders directed towards eastern Rafah, specifically targeting residents and displaced persons in the Al-Shawka municipality, in the Al-Salam, Al Jneina, Tabet siraa, and Al-Bayouk neighbourhoods, and blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, who were instructed to "evacuate immediately" and relocate to the so-called "expanded humanitarian zone" in Al-Mawasi. This directive comes amidst recent announcements by Israeli authorities regarding the expansion of the humanitarian sone in Al-Mawasi, encompassing vast neighbourhoods stretching from Khan Younis to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. However, our organisations vehemently reject the notion that any area of Gaza can be deemed "safe". The reality on the ground is indisputable: nowhere is safe in Gaza

According to preliminary estimates, the areas impacted by this evacuation order house more than 250,000 individuals - a significant portion of Rafah's population of over a million residents and displaced persons. In the area designated for evacuation, both the Karem Abu Salem and Rafah Crossings are located, serving as vital lifelines for the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza The Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital, Rafah's primary healthcare facility, is also situated within this designated evacuation sone. Additionally, this area accommodates various schools that are being used as shelters. Furthermore, tens of thousands of families currently reside in makeshift tents after being forcibly displaced from their homes.

Notably, in the hours leading up to the issuance of the new evacuation order - specifically, from the evening of Sunday, May 5, 2024, until dawn of Monday, May 6, 2024 - our field documentation has revealed a disturbing escalation of Israeli attacks in Rafah. According to our reports, Israeli warplanes conducted direct airstrikes on 10 residential homes, seven of which had residents still inside at the time of the attacks. Additionally, agricultural lands across various parts of Rafah were targeted. As a result, 28 Palestinians, including 11 children and eight women, were killed. Many others sustained injuries or remain trapped beneath the rubble, as of time of writing.

Within 15 hours from the issuance of the evacuation order, without time for families to evacuate the area, the Israeli war cabinet unanimously decided to proceed with the ground invasion of eastern Rafah. These developments unfold against a backdrop of intensified airstrikes and artillery bombardments by Israeli forces, targeting residential homes, streets, agricultural lands, and farms. Since the early hours of Tuesday, May 7, Israeli attacks have killed at least 23 Palestinians, including six women and six children, as well as causing numerous injuries and leaving several individuals missing under the rubble of at least two houses. Regrettably, the airstrikes persist, and the toll of casualties and fatalities continues to rise as we issue this statement.

According to our monitoring, in the early hours of May 7, Israeli forces advanced with their tanks and raided and seized control of the Palestinian side of Rafah crossing. They raised the Israeli flag inside the crossing; this alarming development serves as further evidence of Israel's intentions to eliminate Palestinian presence in Gaza and to assert control over the land.

As a result, Rafah crossing was closed for the movement of people and goods both in and out of Gaza - including desperately needed, life-saving humanitarian aid. This closure places the lives of hundreds of injured and medical patients at immediate risk, effectively condemning them to death due to the lack of access to medical care. Additionally, the closure would prevent the movement of the few delegations allowed to enter Gaza, including medical and humanitarian missions, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and denying essential assistance to those in dire need.

Amid the intensified attacks, forced displacement persists, instilling a state of terror and panic among residents and displaced persons. This alarming situation underscores the stark reality faced by Palestinians in Gaza, who have nowhere else left to go. As a direct consequence of the ground invasion and eviction orders, the Ministry of Health was compelled to evacuate the Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital. At the time of writing, only the Kuwait Hospital and three field hospitals, established during the ongoing genocide, remain operational, further exacerbating the strain on the local healthcare infrastructure.

Over the past seven months, Israel has demonstrated a blatant disregard for international legal norms and the United Nations (UN), repeatedly violating resolutions issued by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as provisional measures ordered by the ICJ. The persistent impunity granted to Israel only perpetuates further atrocity crimes, as testified by the beginning of the Rafah ground invasion.

Mere statements alone are insufficient to halt the invasion of Rafah or address Israel's genocidal military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza. What is urgently required are tangible, decisive actions. Our organisations urgently implore the international community to take immediate and decisive action, utilising all available means, to prevent further atrocities, including applying and imposing economic sanctions, arms embargo, and other countermeasures until Israel adheres to its obligations under international law.

Lastly, we once again urge the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately issue arrest warrants for every member of the Israeli war cabinet, who are deemed responsible for orchestrating the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza The unanimous decision by the Israeli war cabinet to initiate a ground invasion of Rafah underscores the urgency of holding these individuals accountable.

(ALHAQ, May 8, 2024)

Israel seems hell bent on invading of Rafah despite severe warnings from the UN and apparent mild apprehension from Joe Biden. The UN says an attack on the city would halt all aid into Gaza as a full-blown famine escalates in the north and 1.4 million people in Rafah itself face catastrophic hunger. The fact that Israel is even considering an invasion in such circumstances tells you just how depraved its government is.

Simultaneously, our unaccountable Foreign Secretary David Cameron continues to refuse calls for a ban on arms exports to Israel. While he did say that the British government "will not support a major operation in Rafah", he defended selling arms to the genocide state by saying that "our defence exports to Israel are responsible for significantly less than 1% of their total".

But it's what he didn't say that matters. The UK provides specialist parts for Israel's F35 fighter jets and were it to withhold those parts, it would mean a significant downgrade in Israel's ability to service these jets and hence to bomb Gaza, as it has done to such a horrifying degree. For this reason we must keep up the call to stop arming Israel.

That's exactly what we'll be doing next Saturday (18 May) when hundreds of thousands are predicted to march in what will be the 14th national march since October, starting at BBC Portland Place and marching to Whitehall, calling for a ceasefire to end the genocide in Gaza. Regional marches in the North West and South West of England will also carry the same message tomorrow.

Next weekend's national march is part of a Global Day of Action to mark the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, the act of mass ethnic cleansing undertaken by Zionist forces to establish the state of Israel which saw over 750,000 Palestinians expelled and over 500 Palestinian towns and villages destroyed.

The message of solidarity with Palestine will most definitely be heard at this weekend's Eurovision Song Contest where the pariah status of Israel is coming to the fore before the show has even begun. Huge protests have erupted in Malmo, Sweden where it's taking place and in Belgium, the VRT television channel interrupted its broadcast to display a message calling for an end to the genocide.

Day by day it's becoming clearer and clearer just how isolated Israel is. The world stands with Palestine and we must continue to shout it from the rooftops. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

Full Info for 18 May Demo inc Route: https://www.stopwar.org.uk/events/national-demonstration-nakba-76-end-the-genocide-stop-arming-isrsael/

Why War, Peace & Palestine Are Trade Union Issues

Sat 8 Jun 2024 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM Resource for London, 356 Holloway Rd, London, N7 6PA

The world is at war - the question this conference will address is how we stop the warmongers. Trade unionists from across the UK will be coming together to discuss these issues and their experiences on how they have built pro-Palestine initiatives in their unions and workplaces. Get your branch to support and send a delegation.

Speakers Include:

Jo Grady, UCU Gen Sec
Eddie Dempsey, RMT Assistant Gen Sec
Riccardo LaTorre, FBU National Officer
Mohammed Shafiq, Chair of PCS Black Members Committee
Sean Vernell, UCU Exec
Andrew Feinstein, Shadow World
Lindsey German, StWC Convenor
Andrew Murray, StWC Vice President

Weds 15 May: Workplace Action on Nakba Day - Hands Off Rafah!

This Nakba Day we are calling on workers across all sectors to come together to say: Hands Off Rafah! We hope you will join us as the push to take the struggle for justice for Palestine into the workplace continues...

Register for the StW Trade Union Conference here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/stopthewarcoalition/1153684

London May Day march

The London May Day March and Rally took place on May 1. Assembling at Clerkenwell Green, trade unions, migrant worker organisations, pensioners, women's groups, and many others, demonstrated the unity of the workers' movement by marching behind the Big Red Band and May Day banner to Trafalgar Square. Speakers included union leaders Mick Lynch, Fran Hetherington, Matt Wrack, as well as Palestinian Ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot.

May Day in Birmingham featured a midday rally at Centenary Square, holding special prayers against Islamophobia after speeches. Workshops were also held at offices of the Communication Workers' Union on building solidarity with Palestine as well as on opposing the attacks on civil rights, which is part of the continuing trend of open rule by police powers.

The Tyne & Wear May Day Rally in Newcastle included amongst speakers Liz Blackshaw, Sarah Woolley, Mick Bowman, Ben Sellers, Mohamed Elnour, and Martin Dent. The rally concluded with a lively social at Tyneside Irish Centre, offering free food. The South Tyneside May Day rally and celebration with speaker Mick Bowman, retired Unison member recently returned from Palestine, took place in Hebburn on May 1.

May Day march Chesterfield

The 2024 May Day March and Rally in Belfast, under the theme of "Our Work, Our Lives, Our Place," was the largest parade on the island of Ireland, organised by the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU). The event featured a feeder parade, a rally and speeches, and a march. Speakers included Jackie White (NIC-ICTU vice-chair, UTU), Kerry Fleck (CWU), Roz Foyer (Scottish TUC General Secretary), and Phil Ni Sheaghdha (ICTU vice-President, INMO), which in particular highlighted opposition to ongoing attacks on trade union rights.

The 2024 May Day March and Rally in Dublin was entitled "Organise! Recognise!". Having marched from the Garden of Remembrance, workers rallying at Library Hall heard speeches on various key issues from workers' defence organisation to solidarity with Palestine. Amongst others, Ken Reilly (Mandate) spoke on the theme of the May Day action itself, and Mags O'Brien (Trade Union Friends of Palestine) spoke on the demand of "Ceasefire Now!".

Over three hundred students in Oxford marched to the town hall to join a rally organized by UCU, NEU, and CWU union members. The protesters listened to speeches and shouted chants, expressing support for Palestine. Banners from the Oxford University UCU union and Oxfordshire NEU union were prominently displayed.

This is a small selection of events held over May Day across Britain and Ireland. In reality, myriads of actions were organised large and small in all major cities, as well as in towns, and in localities such as in Lewisham, southeast London, where 20 people participated in a Health Workers for Palestine rally.

Education workers at City and Islington in north London - Photo: Sean Vennell

This May Day comes amid the developing movement to oppose the genocide in Gaza, which is backed by the British state and its cartel party system. There is a burning need for a government that stands against war, an anti-war government founded on the harmonisation of the interests of individuals, collectives and the whole of society, the expression of a modern democratic personality opposed to rule by police powers and the use of force to settle conflicts.

Enough is Enough! is the call that workers speak in their own name, take control of the concrete conditions in a manner that favours them and solves the problems towards a new direction for society and the economy. It is the working class that will lead society out of the crisis by becoming worker-politicians themselves, aiming for a new situation where decision-making involves all workers, communities, and people as a whole, speaking and acting in their own name and as one, without the mechanisms of disempowerment blocking their direct decisions from being realised.

Taking a stand that is anti-war, curbing the power of the oligarchs is an urgent step as the generalised crisis deepens. This means developing the resistance and working out how to be effective in opposing the anti-social offensive. The conditions are in such sharp contradiction with the authority that the times call for building a working class movement so that it answers the call of history, to bring about an authority of its own aimed at defending the rights of all.

Together Let us Make History!

Workers and Oppressed Peoples of the World, Unite!

(Sources: Workers Forum, London May Day Organising Committee, Tyne and Wear May Day Committee, ICTU, Mandate, Socialist Worker.)