Supporting peace for Palestine

Several members of Labour for Irish Unity joined The National March for Palestine in London on Saturday afternoon 25th November. Hundreds of thousands of people supported the same call for a peaceful resolution to a conflict that has become increasingly brutal, with an ever-increasing amount of casualties, including a disproportionate number of innocent children. The pictures here capture a sense of the mood in which the march was conducted. It was a peaceful event, driven by a desire for social justice and a long-term resolution of this ongoing conflict. Our new banner was also proudly flown on the day, taking its place amongst a number that displayed such messages as “Ceasefire Now!” and “Stop the War on Gaza”.

As an organisation shaped by a strong sense of social justice and decolonisation we would like to echo the demands of those thousands who gathered to call for peace on Saturday past. There is much that could be learned from the peace that was brought about in Ireland through the Good Friday Agreement. And we would also stress that it has been positive to see the strength of public reaction and demands for peace expressed by so many people in Ireland, as well as in Britain.

Let us hope that governments listen to ordinary people’s demands for peace across Britain, Ireland and the wider European Union. Until there is justice for the Palestinian people, this is a conflict that is likely to continue. Let us hope and pray that the innocent civilians of Gaza, who have been suffering violent and unspeakable assaults on a daily basis, are the last generation to experience such brutality. Little children and babies in a maternity ward are not responsible for the actions of Hamas.

We need a ceasefire now for the sake of humanity and the future stability of the Middle East and the wider world.