From The River To The See

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Photographs by Jonathan Elliott

Words by CJ Stone

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March for a Ceasefire in Gaza: 04/11/23

We marched from the Westgate Gardens to the Buttermarket, from the River Stour, to the See of Canterbury, the seat of world Anglicanism. It was a wet day, pouring rain relentlessly but we could have gone further. There were about 400 on the march, though numbers dwindled quickly as we got into the Buttermarket. It was too cold for many. Nevertheless, about 150 stayed to listen to the speeches.

I have to say I was proud to be there, proud to be part of this world-wide uprising against the forces of war that are ravaging our world, killing so many of our precious children in Gaza, along with their families: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins, grandfathers and grandmothers, whole families wiped out in the ritual slaughter of civilians in the name of some impossible goal.

How can Israel expect to wipe out Hamas? The Americans went into Iraq to wipe out Al Qaeda and what did that do? It brought us ISIS. What do the Israelis expect once they’ve wiped out Hamas, while killing half the the population in the process? Do they expect the people to be grateful? All those traumatised children: do they expect to be able to reason with them after? We killed your parents and destroyed your home, starved you and deprived you of water and hope, but rejoice! We got rid of Hamas for you.

So we marched in the rain in the name of our common humanity, the good people of Canterbury and the world coming together to oppose this genocide.

Speakers included Basma Doukhi, doctoral scholar at University of Kent, Dr Shahd Hammouri, lecturer in Law at the University of Kent, and Hugh Lanning, ex-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. A statement was read out from Leah Levane from Jewish Voice for Labour, as follows:

Greetings to all you heroes for coming out – again – and in such weather, and huge apologies for not being with you… I send solidarity from Jewish Voice for Labour and, indeed, the International Jewish Collective for Justice in Palestine…we are made up of organisations like mine in many countries, including the USA, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, South Africa, Australia, Aotearoa ( (owte aroa) Zealand) and, yes, Israel.

Jews around the world are standing up to oppose what is happening and being done in our name – millions of us are saying NO! Some on marches and direct actions for the first time ever. Our amazing comrades in Jewish Voice for Peace have sat in at Washington’s seat of government, Grand Central Station and more; they have inspired Jewish people – and many others – to organise sit ins, eg in Toronto and in this country, so far, Waterloo, St. Pancras and Birmingham New Street stations.

On this issue Jewish humanitarians, Jewish people who follow the requirement to pursue Justice HAVE to stand up – even though, of course, it has nothing whatsoever to do with religion or even antisemitism – although antisemitism and guilt about allowing antisemitic industrialised murders in Europe certainly contributed to the creation of the State of Israel and the impunity with which it has been allowed to act.

We are all asked to understand Israeli fear and anger after the 7th October attack – and I do and think most people do – But why are we not supposed to understand that Palestinians have fear and anger after all the decades of oppression? And frankly, to appreciate that most have much less hate than we might expect.

I also have direct news from Palestinian and Israeli friends about what is happening in Massafer Yatta, the whole of the South Hebron Hills and many other parts of the West Bank, especially the Jordan Valley. Already threatening and abusive settlers who have been making life hellish for decades are rampaging – with the extra weapons given to them by the State – they are beating people up, rounding them up, threatening to murder them if they do not leave and some, after decades of Sumud (steadfastness), have now left; twenty small communities have been pushed beyond endurance and have packed up and left their own land, usually to stay with relatives.

A Jewish colleague in South Africa who supports Palestine, was raising her concerns that two councillors had been removed from their highest committee; this was at a meeting called by her council (I think) with mainly Jewish people attending; she said “like many of you, most of my family were murdered in the ovens of the Holocaust…” and was greeted with cries of ‘Pity you weren’t!’ and ‘You’re a traitor!’

I can feel sorry for those people living with that much hatred in their hearts. My friend in South Africa, my friends in the UK and across the world, as Jews and Human Beings – will not be silenced. We will be with you, part of this movement, every step of the way until there is justice and A Free Palestine!

Leah Levane

Students from the University of Kent read out the names of dead children and verses by Palestinian poets, while Jean Fraser from Whitstable read out a poem, Oh Rascal Children of Gaza, by Khaled Juma. Here is the text:

Oh rascal children of Gaza.
You who constantly disturbed me
with your screams under my window.
You who filled every morning
with rush and chaos.
You who broke my vase
and stole the lonely flower on my balcony.
Come back,
and scream as you want
and break all the vases.
Steal all the flowers.
Come back.
Just come back...

Thanks to Diane Langford and Mary Sullivan of South East Kent Palestine Solidarity Campaign for organising the event.

Please enjoy Jon Elliott’s pictures below, of the people who took part in the march, in all our bedraggled splendour, standing up for truth, justice and peace in the rain.

Ceasefire Now! End the Occupation! End the Blockade! Stop Killing Children!

As-Salaam-Alaikum. Peace be upon you and on the world.

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(Click on images to enlarge)

https://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/fascism-by-any-other-name

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