Cracking down on peaceful protest

LOUISE NOUSRATPOUR reports on the police violence at the Free Gaza demonstration in London.

The Morning Star
Sunday January 11, 2009


THE ever-loyal mainstream media once again blamed "violent" protesters for the police brutality outside the Israeli embassy on Saturday, insisting that officers were "forced" to act.

But those of us who were at the scene know that the media's account of events is, at best, shamelessly biased.

As we approached the heavily guarded Israeli embassy, emotions ran high and the chanting got louder: "Gaza, Gaza, Don't You Cry, We Will Never Let You Die" and "Free, Free Palestine."

Some protesters hurled shoes at the gates and burnt an Israeli flag. We also heard a loud bang that was later identified as firecrackers being thrown inside the gates leading up to the embassy.

As the crowd began to swell, stewards urged demonstrators to march forward. Rather than opening up space, the police lined up behind the crowd control barriers and tightened the squeeze.

Suddenly, we felt a violent push and people started shouting: "Stop pushing, stop pushing."

At first, we thought it was protesters trying to squeeze through, but soon it became clear that the riot police had moved in, forcing a wedge through the crowd.

"Stop pushing, you pigs," someone shouted. "There are children in the crowd."

But that fell on deaf ears. My friends and I tried to move to the side to find a way out, unaware that the police had not removed the barriers that separated the street from the pavement.

Suddenly, we found ourselves trapped between the crowd and the barriers. A steward tried to help people climb over and a desperate mother lifted her little boy, hoping someone would fetch him.

With chillingly vacant eyes and batons drawn, the police stood by idly watching people slowly trip over the fence and get crushed in the stampede.

As the fence went down, my leg got trapped and it took me a few anxious minutes to pull loose and escape with minor injuries.

Panic rippled through the crowd as riot police, backed by dozens of mounted officers and helicopters, charged the protesters, batoning anyone in their way.

As I hobbled away from the scene to take shelter in one of the nearby doorways, I came across two 16-year-old girls who had been beaten up by the police. One of them was so badly shaken and hurt that she could neither walk nor talk.

We also heard others saying that they had seen bloody faces and people being dragged along the ground.

The sense of solidarity with the Palestinians grew stronger as people began to draw parallels between our entrapment and what the Gazans were going through every day - though on a much larger and more terrifying scale.

We began to truly imagine how it must feel to be fenced in and attacked from all sides with nowhere to run and only sticks and stones as defence weapons, a true David and Goliath battle.

Solidarity also grew among the crowd, with the uninjured helping those people who had been hurt and carrying them to safety. We must now continue to demonstrate our disgust at Israel's massacre and let the Gazans know that the people of the world are on their side, despite the apparent failure of the so-called international community to save them.

Another shoeing for Bush

Louise Nousratpour
Friday December 19, 2008
The Morning Star

PEACE protesters delivered a box of shoes to the US embassy in London on Friday to show support for Iraqi shoe-thrower Muntadhar al-Zeidi and demand his "immediate and unconditional" release.

The protesters waved their shoes in the air, chanting: "Free Muntadhar - jail Bush."

One banner read: "If the shoe fits, throw it." A box wrapped as a Christmas present and addressed to US President George Bush quickly brimmed over with old shoes donated by the protesters.

The event, organised by Media Workers Against the War, was part of an international wave of protests demanding the immediate release of Mr Zeidi, who was jailed last week after hurling his shoes at Mr Bush during a press conference in the Baghdad Green Zone.

The Iraqi journalist became an instant hero across the world when he threw his shoes at the US president, shouting: "This is for the widows and orphans of Iraq."

Mr Zeidi, who has not been seen since his arrest, has reportedly been subjected to brutal treatment and is suffering from a broken wrist, broken ribs and internal bleeding.

Media Workers Against the War chairman Dave Crouch warned that Mr Zeidi's life was in danger and that he faced up to seven years in jail "for doing what journalists do - speak up for those who do not have a voice."

He dismissed reports that Mr Zeidi had sent a letter to Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki pleading for clemency and forgiveness.

Before delivering a protest letter to the embassy, Mr Crouch told the crowd that Mr Zeidi's arrest "shows that there is no media freedom in Iraq and the Iraqi government has a dreadful record of harassing, detaining and torturing journalists."

The US Committee to Protect Journalists published a report on Thursday which ranked Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists.

Protesters also heard passionate speeches from Iraqi journalists and activists residing in London.

Sabah Jawad of the British-based Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation described Mr Zeidi as "a brave man" and demanded his "immediate and unconditional" release.

"The BBC asked if I thought it was appropriate for a journalist to throw shoes at heads of states and I replied: 'Absolutely'," he said to loud cheers.

"Was it appropriate for George Bush to launch an illegal war, destroy my country and kill more than one million people?"

Mr Jawad added: "Mr Bush should not be allowed to retire happy and write silly books, but he should face war crime charges alongside Gordon Brown, who wrote the cheques for the war."

Iraqi journalist Nidhal Ail Shibib made an emotional speech, highlighting the death and destruction that has plagued her country for nearly six years.

She added her voice to calls for Mr Zeidi's release, saying: "He wasn't the one who killed innocent people, committed the crimes at Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad or raped little girls.

"George Bush should be sitting in jail, not al-Zeidi, who only spoke on behalf of Iraqi people."

Mr Crouch delivered the box of shoes along with the protest letter, signed by prominent figures such as veteran socialist Tony Benn, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German.

The letter read: "We believe that Muntadhar al-Zeidi is guilty of nothing but expressing Iraqis' legitimate and overwhelming opposition to the US-led occupation of their country.

"We call on you to guarantee his safe treatment and effect his immediate release."

A solidarity protest will take place outside the BBC, Oxford Road, Manchester at 1pm on Saturday.

Britain's poor suffer brutal benefit attack

Louise Nousratpour
Friday November 21, 2008
The Morning Star

A SENIOR government adviser urged new Labour on Friday to rethink plans to force Britain's poorest people into low-paid work by threatening to cut their benefits.

Social security advisory committee chairman Sir Richard Tilt was joined by family charities, the TUC and Labour MPs in condemning the welfare-to-work measures as a "brutal attack" on lone parents and disabled people.

From Monday, people with disabilities and single parents with a youngest child of 12 who apply for income support will be put on jobseeker's allowance and expected to look for work or face sanctions, including benefits cuts of up to 40 per cent.

Only full-time carers, disabled people "with the greatest needs" and those with disabled or sick children will be exempt. By 2010, the rule will be extended to lone parents with a youngest child aged seven or over.

Announcing the changes, Pensions Secretary James Purnell insisted that they were aimed at helping the jobless seek work.

But critics dismissed the measures as "cruel" and "unworkable" in the face of rising unemployment and deepening economic crisis.

They highlighted the government's own figures showing that over 56 per cent of Britain's estimated 1.8 million lone parents are already in work.

Sir Richard said: "Benefit rates are relatively low and, if you are going to reduce someone's benefit for a few weeks by 40 per cent, you are pushing people much closer to poverty.

"Of course, the child will suffer, but it's not the child that has fallen foul of the system."

TUC leader Brendan Barber insisted: "As thousands join the dole queue every day, this is the worst possible time for a further benefits crackdown and introducing workfare.

"If the government continues, more people will be left in poverty, unable to work or claim benefits, and, at £60.50 a week, many of those claiming jobseeker's allowance will still find themselves in poverty."

Left MP John McDonnell called for an "immediate halt" to the measures, which he branded a "brutal attack on some of the poorest members of our society."

He added: "It will put immense pressure and stress on parents struggling to bring up their children at a time when there is increasing unemployment and opportunities to re-enter the labour market are restricted by the economic recession."

Lone parent charity group Gingerbread warned that the workfare plans would undermine good parenting and force many into low-paid, dead-end jobs.

Chief executive Fiona Weir said that many parents could end up "cycling" between low-paid work and benefits.

Maxine Hill of childcare charity Daycare Trust feared that there was not enough suitable and affordable childcare for lone parents.

"Our childcare costs surveys show above-inflation increases in the cost of childcare," Ms Hill said.