|
Over 70 people include families and some of the defendants attended the meeting with another 30 people unable to get in due to limitations of space.
The overriding message coming from all the speakers at Tuesday’s emergency meeting in Parliament was that the arrests and disproportionate sentencing of the Gaza demonstrators was politically motivated.
Months after last years Gaza demonstrators over 100 protesters, mostly Muslim’s aged between 16- 19 years were arrested in a number of dawn raids across London. Over 70 of those have now been charged, the majority with violent disorder. Joanna Gilmore, a research from Manchester University told the meeting that these are the highest number of mass arrests in relation to a political demonstration since the Poll Tax riots of 1990.
Many of the young people had been under surveillance by the police in the months following the protests, and were arrested in dawn raids on their homes up to a year later. Some told Joanna that their family members were handcuffed and put in a separate room during the arrests.
Others were questioned at police stations without a lawyer present, after being told by officers that they would face long delays if they waited for a solicitor to arrive.
Mohammed Kozbar, of the British Muslim Initiative, added that it was clear the latest sentencing was designed to deter the Muslim community from exercising its democratic right to protest.
It was clear to everyone that the treatment of these young demonstrators is a direct result of this government’s war on terror and the increase in Islamophobia.
The next steps agreed by the meeting was for a petition to be drawn up demanding all the charges of those still waiting to face trial be dropped and circulated as widely as possible. This will then be presented to the Director of Public Prosecution and the Justice Secretary Jack Straw. It was also agreed that a meeting be called for the families and various legal teams. The campaigning lawyer Imran Khan has also agreed to take on all the appeals.
The meeting agreed the following aims:
- Release all those already in prison
- Drop all charges
- Hold an independent enquiry into the policing of the demonstrators.
- Hold an independent review of all complaints raised against the police from the demonstrations.
- End the criminalisation of the Muslim community.
- Defend the right to peacefully demonstrate.
Please continue to send messages of support to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thank you to all those that have already sent messages of support. |
Young people who took part in the mass demonstrations against Israel's attack on Gaza in January 2009 are being handed down jail sentences for minor offences. A protest has been called this Friday 26 February at Isleworth Crown Court and there will be a public meeting, open to all, in Parliament next Tuesday 2 March (details below).
Israel's deputy Ambassador canceled her planned visit, without explanation, hours before she was due to speak to a group of students at the University of Manchester on Thursday.
