radiofree.asia

Category: Human Rights

  • Israeli Authorities Have Beaten Greta Thunberg

    Reports are emerging that Israeli authorities have abused activist Greta Thunberg while illegally holding her in detention.

    Greta Thunberg beaten by Israeli authorities

    On Saturday 4 October, the Israeli occupation authorities deported 137 of the kidnapped international solidarity activists who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the humanitarian siege on Gaza, in the second deportation operation in a matter of days, after returning four Italians to their country on Friday 3 October.

    One of the deported activists who arrived at Istanbul airport on Saturday recounted shocking details of what he described as ‘brutal assaults’ on some activists during their detention

    The post Israeli Authorities Have Beaten Greta Thunberg appeared first on PopularResistance.Org.

    This post was originally published on PopularResistance.Org.

  • Badenoch says Tories open to quitting more treaties to increase deportations

    Party leader uses conference speech to outline proposal for UK to exit ECHR as part of wider bonfire of protections

    A future Tory government would be open to dismantling more treaties as a means to deport people from the UK, Kemi Badenoch has said at the start of a Conservative party conference focused almost exclusively on immigration policy.

    Making the first of two addresses to the gathering in Manchester, the Tory leader formally set out her proposal for the UK to quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) as part of a wider bonfire of protections including an end to legal aid in immigration and asylum cases and the right to take migration decisions to tribunals or judicial review.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • What do Tony Blair, Digital ID, and an AI politician have in common?

    Broadcaster GB News has highlighted the links between Tony Blair, Digital ID, and an AI politician.

    @gbnews

    The Albanian parliament erupted in fury as Tony Blair’s ally Edi Rama installed an ‘AI chatbot’ as a government minister. Last year the Albanian prime minister said he owed his position to the former British PM as the pair discussed plans for digital ID. #politics #gbnews #freespeech #labour #uknews

    ♬ original sound – GB News – GB News

    Albania ‘elected’ its first digital minister in early September, but the story has become relevant again following our government’s Digital ID proposal. Given that Tony Blair is pushing for Digital ID in both the UK and Albania, Albania’s ‘chatbot’ minister raises interesting questions about our own direction of travel under Labour.

    Political digitisation and Digital ID

    ‘Diella’ is Albania’s state minister for artificial intelligence. Diella is itself an artificial intelligence, specifically of the generative kind. As Sky News reported at the time:

    The avatar, which was depicted as a woman wearing traditional Albanian dress, told MPs: “I am not here to replace people but to help them.

    “True, I have no citizenship, but I have no personal ambition or interests either.

    While there seems to be no evidence that generative AI has “personal ambition” in the sense that a human being does, studies have shown these AIs will commit blackmail and even murder in test situations in which they’re presented with evidence that they will be shut down before they can complete a task. While this may not be “personal ambition” in the same sense as a corrupt politician, it’s certainly troubling that Western governments are allowing corporations to push this stuff out when the potential dangers are so vast and poorly understood.

    As GB News show in the video above, there was something of an ‘eruption’ in the Albanian parliament when there was a vote on introducing Diella. Despite the opposition, the vote passed with 82 of 140 politicians voting in favour.

    Albania’s PM is Edi Rama, who’s currently serving his fourth term. Sky News describe him as a socialist, but unlike the socialists of the UK, Mr Rama is a big, big fan of Tony Blair.

    While Rama leads Albania’s Socialist Party, he’s inspired by Blair’s ‘third way’ politics. In other words – like Blair himself – he’s taken a traditionally left-wing party in a distinctly centrist direction.

    In the video below from a year ago, Rama and Blair sit down for a discussion on how technology has allowed Albania to “reimagine” the Albanian state:

    Alongside Digital ID, artificial intelligence is a key interest of the Tony Blair Institute (TBI). We know that Blair and TBI are pushing for Digital ID in the UK; will they also be encouraging the use of AI ministers?

    We’d love to say that AI ministers couldn’t be much worse than the bunch we’ve got, but if there’s one thing the 21st century has taught us, it’s that things can always get worse.

    Featured image via Picryl / Picryl

     

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The toxic fallout of Israel’s genocide is triggering a surge in congenital disability in Gaza

    Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza has caused devastation far beyond the immediate loss of life, leaving deep and lasting effects on the health and wellbeing of the territory’s youngest generation. Over 80% of those Israel has killed are civilians, and for those who survive, a new crisis is unfolding – medical workers are reporting a sharp increase in Gaza newborns with serious congenital disability.

    Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex sent the Canary the following video:

    A significant increase in congenital disability among newborns

    Abu Salmiya said:

    In the last months, we have observed a significant increase in congenital malformations among newborn children, and there have also been cases of premature births, with many babies weighing less than 1.5 kg. Malformations include nervous system defects, digestive system defects, heart defects, limb deformities- including babies born without arms or legs, and cleft lips. I have never seen such abnormalities in my 25 years of work as a pediatric consultant.

    To find out more about the reasons for these malformations in Gaza’s newborns, the Canary spoke with Dr. Kali Rubaii, a cultural anthropologist, and assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at Purdue University, Indiana. Her research looks at the long-lasting impact of conflict and how it shapes people’s lives and environment.

    Part of Rubaii’s research has involved carrying out extensive field work in Fallujah, Iraq, where she has worked for many years. Decades of war and toxic pollution in the region, including the major military campaign launched on Iraq by the UK and US have, today, caused serious health issues in places such as Fallujah, which were heavily bombed.

    Rubaii’s main focus in Fallujah has been heavy metals, and understanding the relationship between the concentration of heavy metals in living bone and tissue of the local community, their exposure history and their birth outcomes. She is doing so to try and understand the long term effects, and the multiple places that the health effects of war are registering.

    Her fieldwork also highlights that these health outcomes cannot be separated from political and social neglect that followed years of war.

    She explained:

    This next generation that is having children in Iraq are very clear about implicating imperial war as part of what’s going on for them, but they are also naming corruption, a lack of infrastructure, and a lack of investment by their government in their health care system, for example.

    Gaza

    The same outcomes unfolding in Gaza

    Rubaii said:

    I was not surprised when I saw Dr Abu Salmiya’s photos. It was like déjà vu. I was so struck by the uncanny resemblances, I was left with this despair that I’d been here on the sidelines, watching 20 years ago the same outcomes unfolding, that are still taking place today in Fallujah. This is like a prophetic horror.

    She explained that the health outcomes of those caught up in war, and those being born today in the wake of military violence, are dependent on a combination of factors:

    There’s more than one factor at play in causing the kind of birth outcomes we are seeing, and they all work together and produce real hardships for people. War is a process that breaks down health care systems and economies. Malnutrition on its own causes severe congenital anomalies, so when combined with these other factors and added to the biochemical effects on the body caused by toxins from weapons, the combination produces what we are seeing in these images.

    In the past two years, Gaza’s 2.1 million population has endured genocide, starvation, and ethnic cleansing. Its health system is now at breaking point. Although the number of patients has surged, the vast majority of hospitals have been severely damaged or destroyed. Pregnant women have been left with limited or no access to care, while the ongoing siege has decimated supplies of medications, medical equipment, and fuel for hospitals. Some pregnant women have been forced to deliver babies in makeshift settings without access to safe surgical or neonatal services.

    Between October 2023 and September 2025, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 453 deaths linked to the Israeli occupation’s starvation policy. Since famine was declared in August 2025, at least 175 people, including 35 children, have died from starvation. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned famine would spread to central and southern Gaza by September’s end. Currently, 55,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and 25,000 infants are suffering acute malnutrition and require urgent nutritional support to survive and avoid long term health consequences.

    Malnutrition and stress affecting birth outcomes

    Malnutrition in pregnancy increases the risks of premature birth, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Babies born under these conditions face increased chances of developmental delays and lifelong health problems. Psychological stress further compounds the risks.

    According to Rubaii, stress suffered by expectant mothers during pregnancy also plays a crucial role in the overall health of a newborn baby, especially, in terms of its physical and neurological development. She said:

    When we are looking at birth outcomes- the rates of still birth, early birth, miscarriages, it’s widely documented that the actual stress of war- living in fear for your life, under any circumstances, has serious negative birth outcomes. Stress is not something to be underestimated. It has a huge impact.

    Studies show severe stress during pregnancy can also impact foetal development by increasing the risk for certain congenital disability such as cleft lip, heart problems, and can also result in severe impairment of the brain and spine.

    The toxic legacy of war munitions

    When it comes to weapons of war, they are predominantly toxic heavy metals, so can have serious lasting health consequences, inflicting hidden chemical harms as well as physical destruction. Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence, explained the components of modern weapons:

    Modern munitions often contain heavy metals because they serve a purpose on the battlefield: dense metals such as lead, copper, tungsten and, historically, depleted uranium provide mass and penetration; antimony hardens lead; aluminium powders boost explosive energy; barium and strontium salts stabilise pyrotechnics; nickel and chromium alloys resist heat and corrosion.

    Rubaii’s research team has found pregnancy to be, what she calls, a “multiplier of force”. In their study, they found that if exposure to uranium or other heavy metals occurs during or after bombardment, but the right care, such as nutrition, vitamins, and healthcare is available, the metals are absorbed directly into the bones, where they do not necessarily cause problems.

    But, during pregnancy, when the baby is being formed and new blood cells are being produced, resources – including these heavy metals – are pulled from the bones and are leeched back into the body. A pregnant woman ends up with higher levels of these toxic metals, and the more pregnancies she has, the higher the concentration of metals in her body.

    Certain vitamins not only have a huge influence on brain and spine development, during pregnancy, and are crucial for foetal development, but are also essential for pregnant women who have high levels of heavy metals in their bones, to prevent their body drawing these metals from their bones into their blood stream.

    A third of the participants in Rubaii’s study in Fallujah were found to have uranium in their bones, while all of them had lead in their bones, at a level 600% higher than similarly aged populations in the US.

    Environmental contamination in Gaza

    According to the Gaza Government Media Office, in the first 23 months of this genocide, the Israeli occupation dropped more than 150,000 tonnes of explosives onto the densely populated enclave. Not only do these weapons release toxic heavy metals into the environment, which cannot be destroyed and will never disappear, but they also spread harmful contaminants found in other materials and structures .

    Doug Weir is director of the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), an organisation that studies the toxic legacy of armed conflict and military activities on the environment. He explained:

    The intensive use of explosive weapons in urban areas can disperse a wide range of pollutants. These include heavy metals and weapons residues, substances from the fabric and contents of buildings, including asbestos, toxic chemicals from damaged industrial and energy infrastructure, and hazardous substances from fires, such as furans and dioxins. Dusts carrying pollutants and smoke can be breathed in, or get into the body through food or water after depositing on soils or water sources. Very little is known about the composition of these pollutant mixtures, which are likely to be highly variable.

    This toxic environmental legacy will continue affecting the health of Gaza’s population for generations to come – including for newborns with congenital disability.

    A global trend: congenital disability in war zones like Gaza

    Gaza’s congenital disability crisis follows a pattern seen repeatedly in war-torn regions worldwide. Medical professionals and affected families in multiple conflict zones report severe increases in birth anomalies nearly every time war strikes.

    Post-war research in Fallujah found a 17-fold increase in congenital disability and a 12-fold increase in childhood cancers since 2004, linked to toxic war remnants.

    During and after the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese civilians and American veterans were exposed to Agent Orange, a defoliant contaminated with dioxin. Studies show that exposure resulted in widespread congenital disability, including spina bifida, as well as neurological and developmental disabilities that have affected generations. Elevated dioxin levels persist in blood, milk, and tissue in affected populations, with genetic studies confirming inheritance of increased risk.

    These long-term consequences highlight how war imposes lasting, multigenerational harm on families and societies, especially through toxic environmental exposure.

    Feature image via CBC News/Youtube.

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Adrian Poulton starved to death in an NHS hospital – because he lived with Down’s syndrome

    This morning I read about Adrian Poulton‘s death. He lived with Down’s syndrome and died at the age of 56 from malnutrition. Adrian was a patient in Poole Hospital, being treated for a broken hip and had not been fed for nine days. My heart broke for him, his family, and for all other people living with Down’s syndrome or learning disabled. Being unable to advocate for yourself, to communicate you are starving to death to explain that you haven’t had anything to eat is, devastatingly, a dangerous situation without an advocate.

    Adrian Poulton: disgraceful death of man living with Down’s syndrome

    I am the mother of a little girl living with Down’s syndrome. We have spent a huge amount of time in hospitals over the past eight years, during which I’ve observed some good practice and, sadly, some bad practice. My daughter has always had a parent there with her to advocate and help bridge the gap between learning disability and medical staff.

    There is a gap. Whilst some staff have an in depth knowledge of Down’s syndrome and its associated conditions, and provide excellent medical care, there is often a lack of understanding around learning disability, how to communicate, alongside a lack of funding and infrastructure that should be in place to ensure the safety of learning disabled people. The loss of one life due to these shortfalls is a catastrophic failing. Yet this is a recurrent issue. Adrian Poulton is one example of many vulnerable people that have been failed by our NHS.

    NHS catastrophically failing learning disabled people

    Learning disability nurses are few and far between. If our government truly believed in health equality for all citizens, learning disabled, or not. Then there should be massive investment in having highly trained staff in place who are qualified in caring for learning disabled people. There should be mandatory and frequent training on conditions like Down’s syndrome. This is not about putting more pressure on an already stretched workforce, but investing in more specialist staff, alongside more compulsory training.

    The key is investment. And attitude. I am by no means accusing all medical professionals of bias because we have some some absolutely outstanding medical professionals working with my daughter. But I would but lying if I said I had never encountered discriminatory attitudes. To be blunt, and I apologise if this is a trigger to anyone, medical professionals wrongly assumed when I was pregnant with my beautiful daughter that I would immediately terminate the pregnancy after receiving her diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. I had to basically argue why I wanted my baby girl to be born. I am one of many mothers who have experienced this bias.

    Advocating for healthcare for my daughter, since before she was even born, has been a given. The physiotherapist, who refused to refer my daughter for an orthotics assessment, is a clear example of diagnostic overshadowing. The physiotherapist stated that:

    children with Down’s syndrome often have ankles that bend in.

    Had that been a child without a condition, whose ankles bent in, they would have immediately been referred for an orthotics assessment to be provided with corrective insoles or supportive footwear. It is not unreasonable to say that there can be bias against treating people with Down’s syndrome within our NHS. In this case, I was able to advocate for my daughter, raise a complaint, and she was granted an assessment and further support.

    Adrian Poulton’s death – and other’s – should make us ashamed

    Knowing that without me there, my daughter would be unable to advocate for herself, is terrifying. I read that ‘nil by mouth’ had been mistakenly added to Adrian Poulton’s notes. A learning disabled person is not necessarily able to question that. To ask why they are not being fed. A lack of communication between medical professionals and Adrian’s parents was also a factor in this tragic death. My heart goes out to his family.

    The statistics are shocking. Learning disabled people are dying 20 years early, often from entirely preventable causes. These figures should make us ashamed.

    Something as simple as a communication book or chart could have saved this man’s life. My daughter’s school write down important information in a communication book, such as what she has eaten and how much she has drank. This takes minimal amount of time, but is vital information that informs the care my daughter is given at home. I think we’re all aware that the NHS is drastically underfunded, with doctors and nurses run off their feet. But let’s compare. If a non-disabled person said “I haven’t been fed or had a drink today”, why would that type of communication be more important to engage with than a learning disabled person showing they were becoming malnourished through colour loss or fatigue?

    Medical staff aren’t immune from the media’s ableist narratives

    Being a disabled person in the current climate in the UK is hard. I am a disabled parent of a disabled daughter so believe me when I say it is. With the constant hate spewing from our government creating a narrative that a person is worthless if they can’t work, it is clear to see how biased views can spread through the population. Medical staff are no different. They can be influenced just as much by our media who trot out hateful articles on a daily basis. Our government is responsible for creating the disgust directed towards disabled people like me and my daughter. They should be held accountable.

    When it comes to healthcare, which is a vital part of having a good quality of life, learning disabled people should be properly cared for and supported. I, like many other parents and carers, am terrified that something should happen to me. Without me, my daughter would not be able to access healthcare. We need medical staff to see the human being first, not the condition. Don’t assume anything. Check in, check up. By doing so they can save lives.

    Feature image via UHD NHS/Youtube.

    By Rachel Curtis

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Starmer’s Digital ID plans are too toxic even for Oswald Mosley’s grandson and Palantir

    Louis Mosley is the head of Palantir in the UK & Europe. Responding to speculation that the data firm would work with the UK’s Labour government to implement Digital ID, Mosley has now confirmed this will not be the case. The given reason is that Labour is curtailing ‘democracy’ by implementing this monumental policy without having listed it in their 2024 manifesto.

    Even Palantir don’t want Labour’s big data from Digital ID plans

    As we’ve covered, Palantir is a US company which specialises in data services and spy tech. Co-founder Peter Thiel is a prominent Trump donor with links to the dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have reported on Palantir’s links to mass-surveillance. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, meanwhile, has covered the “strategic partnership” between Palantir and Israel, referencing AI tools which ‘enable Israel’s attacks on Palestinians’.

    As reported by the National, Mosley said Palantir:

    had “a policy that we will help democratically elected governments implement the policies they have been elected to deliver”, but added that since digital IDs were not on the Labour Party’s manifesto for the 2024 general election and therefore hasn’t seen “a clear resounding public support at the ballot box”, it “isn’t one for” Palantir.

    Mosley went on to say that he had “personal concerns” over the scheme and the potential abuses it could face, as well as the “technical necessity” for its implementation.

    “We have all had the experience of engaging with parts of government where the online experience leaves something to be desired. It needs improvement”, he added.

    In line with other critics, Mosley highlighted that UK already has multiple forms of ID, flagging the potential for misuse.

    As reported by the Canary, the petition to stop Digital ID is the fourth largest in UK history; it’s also still growing.

    While the government has said the scheme will prevent ‘shadow economies’ of illegal labour, they also highlighted an already-implemented Digital ID scheme in Estonia. This proved controversial, as Estonia’s shadow economy is more than twice the size of the UK’s:

    Graph showing France, Estonia, and other countries have larger shadow economies than the UK

    Mosley

    Palantir boss Louis Mosley is the grandson of the fascist politician and aristocrat Oswald Mosley. History Extra reported the following on Oswald and his British Union of Fascists (BUF):

    He was Britain’s most notorious fascist, known for his violent anti-Semitic rhetoric and for maintaining friendships with the likes of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

    They added:

    The BUF held a vast number of marches, meetings, and public rallies. Some of the largest were held in 1934, including Olympia in London; the Albert Hall; Hyde Park; and Belle Vue Gardens in Manchester. These meetings were often met with anti-fascist resistance. In fact, around 60 per cent of BUF meetings in London in 1936 saw some form of organised resistance. On 7 June 1934, a rally at Olympia in London was infiltrated by several hundred anti-fascists with forged tickets. They heckled Mosley and were forcibly ejected. Many suffered fierce treatment in the foyer before being thrown out on the street, with several requiring hospital treatment. Public reaction to that violence was indignant, and membership and press support for the BUF were negatively impacted.

    While Louis Mosley has not labelled himself a ‘fascist’, critics of Palantir have accused it of facilitating racialised policies, as reported by openDemocracy in 2021:

    Palantir has attracted controversy for its involvement with the US’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which is responsible for the removal of undocumented immigrants. The Trump administration tasked the ICE with increasing deportations, leading to a spike in the number of people being held in deportation centres.

    The agency has been repeatedly accused of racial profiling and violations of human rights. Palantir has provided technology for ICE’s systems that was used to “execute harmful policies targeting migrants and asylum-seekers”, according to Amnesty International.

    The human rights group found that the tech company’s software was used to plan the arrest of hundreds of people and the separation of children from their parents.

    Amnesty concluded that Palantir failed “to put an adequate due diligence process in place” and “to meet its responsibility to respect human rights”.

    Louis Mosley spoke favourably of “the return of Donald Trump” in February. In the same speech, he spoke of the need for “free speech”:

    Mosley also said:

    In the US, we are seeing innovation and reform that will change lives in that country for the better.

    There’s no reason we cannot have the same in Britain – and elsewhere across Europe.

    Since Mosley said this, the Trump administration has launched a crackdowns on free speech and civil liberties which are unprecedented in American history. ICE are instrumental to Trump’s plan, with Palantir serving as a key partner to the enforcement agency.

    Featured image Keir Starmer (YouTube) / Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (YouTube)

    By Willem Moore

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Cops have now arrested over 2,000 peaceful Defend Our Juries protesters

    The Met police have announced they arrested a total of 488 peaceful sign-holders who took part in the action in Trafalgar Square. The arrests took six and a half hours, with the final arrests at 7.30pm, after the silent vigil began at 1pm. This brings the total number arrested for defying the Palestine Action ban to over 2,000 since it came into effect on 5 July 2025, which Defend Our Juries has called an “extraordinary affront to democracy”.

    Defend Our Juries October protest: mass arrests once more

    Those the Met arrested came from all faiths and none, and included:

    • Elizabeth Morley, 79-year-old Jewish daughter of a Holocaust survivor. This weekend, police arrested her for the third time at a Lift The Ban action.
    • Muhammad Rabbani, managing director of CAGE International which campaigns against the misuse of terror laws.
    • Reverend Sue Parfitt, 83 year old Anglican priest. This was also her third arrest at Lift The Ban actions.

    The police arrested many elderly people and disabled people during the protest. This included a blind man using a mobility cane and two mobility wheelchair users. Everyone held a sign with the same seven words:

    I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.

    The Met operation required not only 70% of their own public order capacity – 1,500 officers – but also an additional 400 officers from forces as far as the North of Ireland. Amnesty International Northern Ireland programme director Patrick Corrigan commented:

    We are repeatedly advised that the PSNI has insufficient numbers of officers. Yet here they are in London helping the Met to arrest pensioners for holding cardboard signs.

    Explaining the strain this is putting on police officers, Police Federation chair Paula Dodds said:

    Enough is enough. We are emotionally and physically exhausted.

    Policing Palestine Action ban protests is a choice, says Defend Our Juries

    Demonstrating that police forces can exercise discretion and common sense when it comes to interpreting the ban on Palestine Action, Devon and Cornwall Police took the decision not to make arrests at a Lift The Ban sign-holding vigil in Truro earlier the same day. Instead the force sent two Police Liaison Officers who described the demo as “lovely and peaceful” and defended people’s right to protest to one passerby who heckled protesters. Other forces in Edinburgh, Derry, Totnes, and Kendal have also chosen to not arrest peaceful protestors holding the same sign at previous actions.

    A spokesperson for Amnesty International said:

    It will never stop being shocking to witness hundreds of peaceful protesters being hauled from the streets into police vans.

    Police chiefs have a choice about how they police protests. These arrests are in breach of the UK’s international human rights obligations and should not be happening. Arresting hundreds of people for peacefully sitting down and holding a sign is not the job of the police and is a waste of their time when they could be out helping people.

    Amnesty has long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad, vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. Police responses to these peaceful protests only further confirm that our concerns are justified.”

    A Defend Our Juries spokesperson said:

    In an extraordinary affront to democracy, over 2,000 people have now been arrested for peacefully defying the ban on Palestine Action — including elderly and disabled people, priests, pensioners, and children of Holocaust survivors, dragged away by police for silently holding a seven-word cardboard sign.

    This disastrous decision by Yvette Cooper and Labour’s Cabinet has led to counter-terrorism resources being diverted to criminalise those trying to save lives in Palestine. The threat this ban posed — not only to free speech but to policing resources — was entirely foreseeable and repeatedly warned against. But in a bid to appease arms manufacturers and lobby groups, the Government made an unprecedented and absurdly authoritarian decision to proscribe a domestic protest group.

    Defend Our Juries was asked by the Met police to postpone the silent vigil due to pressure on its resources. It then emerged that two of the victims in the horrific antisemitic attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester were shot by the police. Police resources should be focused on thoroughly investigating this and on community safety, not spent arresting peaceful protesters holding cardboard signs. Forces in Edinburgh, Derry, Totnes and Kendal have rightly chosen not to arrest protesters holding the exact same signs – which say “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” – showing police forces have that discretion.

    It is the Labour Government which is to blame for this monumental waste of policing and counter-terror resources. Until the Home Secretary sees sense and lifts this anti-democratic ban, police resources should be focused on real threats — not wasted silencing people calling for an end to genocide. Every day, more Palestinians are being slaughtered in Gaza and British citizens have been abducted from the aid flotilla by Israeli forces. This crisis is escalating — and today’s protest opposed both the genocide and the ban on those trying to stop it by taking action against the weapons companies arming this bloodshed.

    Possible to have compassion for the victims of multiple atrocities at the same time

    Responding to prime minister Keir Starmer’s suggestion that the action should not go ahead, Defend Our Juries supporter, Zoe Cohen, who was arrested at the August action, said:

    As a Jewish person born and bred in the North West I’m grieving after the appalling synagogue attack in Manchester and I feel it deeply. I’m also grieving for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been murdered, displaced and starved in Gaza. I think it’s possible for us to be compassionate and open our hearts to victims of multiple atrocities at one time.

    Those who have used the attack on the Jewish community in Manchester to call for today’s vigil to be cancelled, are wrongly conflating the actions of the Israeli state with all Jews. Jewish people around the world are not responsible for Israel’s crimes and there are many Jewish people who do not support the actions of the Israeli state. Cancelling today’s vigil would have perpetuated this dangerous narrative which fuels antisemitism.

    I am one of a significant number of Jewish people who have taken part in these actions because we refuse to stand by while our government enables Israel’s genocide and bans the protest group which seeks to stop that complicity by disrupting arms factories. 53 Palestinians were also killed on Thursday and they have names and stories too. Every life matters. When I was brought up learning about the Holocaust and we said “never again”, I learnt that this means ‘never again’ for anyone.

    The Met could have chosen to prioritise protecting communities and places of worship today rather than arresting peaceful protesters – many elderly and disabled people – for holding a homemade sign. Police in Edinburgh, Derry, Totnes and Kendal’s decision not to arrest people for holding the same sign demonstrating that the police do have that discretion. Blame for the strain on police resources today lies squarely with the Government for its draconian decision to ban a protest group for the first time in British history, which took action to try to preserve human life, not to take life. The Home Secretary can and must put an end to this by lifting the ban. If we do not overturn it, democracy is dead in our country, and if today’s vigil had been cancelled we would have been letting terror win.

    Cops not keeping communities safe

    Labour MP Richard Burgon said:

    Instead of vital police resources being used to keep communities safe, we have the absurd situation where they’re being wasted on arresting peaceful protesters: people simply holding signs and exercising their democratic rights to oppose genocide. This follows the wholly disproportionate and deeply troubling decision to designate Palestine Action – a group that posed no risk to the public – as terrorists. I voted against that decision in Parliament and again call on the Government to immediately overturn it.

    Whilst they were sitting peacefully holding cardboard signs, protesters read out the names one by one of some of the 18,500 Palestinian children the Israeli military has slaughtered.

    An hour before the silent vigil started, a group of people dropped a banner off Westminster Bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament with the words “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”. Met police said they arrested six people in connection with this action.

    The proscription of Palestine Action has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. It has led to the chilling effect of freedom of speech in the UK. The unprecedented decision to ban a domestic direct action group was solely based on “serious property damage”. It has taken away resources from dealing with terrorists who pose a genuine threat to the public.

    In a statement on Thursday, Defend Our Juries unreservedly condemned the vicious attack in Manchester and called it “real terrorism”. The Met police asked for the group to postpone the silent protest, due to a lack of police resources. In response, Defend Our Juries urged the police to “choose to:

    prioritise protecting the community, rather than arresting those peacefully holding signs in opposition to the absurd and draconian ban of a domestic direct action group.

    Defend Our Juries said that cancelling a peaceful protest to defend our democracy and oppose violence and oppression would be to “let terror win”.

    Cynically exploiting the Manchester Synagogue attack to silence protest for Palestine

    Zack Polanski, Green Party leader said:

    I think its really problematic if someone is trying to weaponise the attack that happened yesterday to try and silence protest in this country against the genocide. They’re separate issues… we need to be clear what this government is doing.

    During his speech at the Green party conference, he also called for the immediate withdrawal of the Palestine Action proscription. He reiterated his support for Defend Our Juries.

    Jews who regularly take part in pro-Palestine marches released a statement about why they are taking part in the vigil. They expressed their concern at the home secretary:

    cynically exploiting this tragic event to fulfil a long-standing ambition of successive British Governments: to justify a ban on the mass protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Following Defend Our Juries’ letter to the Met police, on Saturday, the Met police commissioner Mark Rowley rowed back on his claim of limited resources. He said:

    If we have to, we will call in support from forces across the UK to ensure we can arrest all those breaking the law in support of a terrorist group while we also keep communities safe.

    A spokesperson for the Network for Police Monitoring said:

    The actions of Devon and Cornwall Police today exposes the policing priorities of the Metropolitan Police and this government. The protest in Truro shows that it is down to individual police forces to choose where they direct their resources, and the Met is clearly showing that their priority is arresting peaceful pensioners sitting with placards.

    Over the last two days, there has been an ongoing smear campaign to conflate pro-Palestine protests with the horrendous antisemitic actions of the Manchester attacker with politicians and pundits manipulatively and cynically using what happened to try to undermine people protesting a genocide by a far-right Israeli government.

    Feature image supplied.

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Pro-Palestine marches have become ‘carnivals of hatred’, Badenoch tells Tory conference – UK politics live

    Party leader says Britain has allowed extremism to go unchecked

    The polling firm Opinium has released some research this morning suggesting that some Conservative party policies are popular with voters – but that, if people are explicitly told that they are Kemi Badenoch policies, their popularity goes down.

    There is some evidence that Keir Starmer’s unpopularity has the same effect – and that, once a policy is associated with him, voters are less inclined to back it.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Trouble brewing: Maya people in Yucatán fear new Heineken plant’s thirst for water

    Indigenous groups in Mexico opposed to the planned brewery say families already have little access to water – and that their way of life is also under threat

    On a summer evening in southern Mexico, a percussion group using water bottles as instruments leads a procession through Mérida, capital of Yucatán state. Children walking alongside elderly people are guided by members of Múuch’ Xíinbal, a Maya land rights organisation. The placards they carry declare: “Water is not for sale.” A heavy chant accompanies the march: “It’s not a drought – it’s plunder!”

    At a rallying point in the city, protesters read from a manifesto and accuse the government of prioritising profit over water, health and land. They denounce a wave of mega-projects imposed without their consent, from industrial-scale pig farms to the controversial Maya Train tourist expansion. But they reserve their greatest anger for the Heineken brewery in Kanasín, near Mérida, which was announced in June.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Conservatives would take UK out of ECHR, Badenoch confirms

    Leader says move is is necessary ‘to protect our borders, our veterans and our citizens’

    Kemi Badenoch has announced that a Conservative government under her leadership would pull the UK out of the European convention on human rights.

    The move marks a lurch to the right for the Tories, who are attempting to stem a loss of support to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Farage has long been a critic of the ECHR and has pledged to leave it if he becomes prime minister.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Journalist Mario Guevara Deported After Reporting on Anti-Trump Protest

    Emmy award-winning journalist Mario Guevara was deported today to El Salvador – a country he fled over 20 years ago — in retaliation for filming law enforcement activities, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ.) On Tuesday, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied an emergency request to temporarily block the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order to deport Guevara.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Israel Is Committing Genocide in the Gaza Strip

  • Guatemalan human rights defender: Doris Ramírez

    ‘Water is to protected. Water is not for sale. Water is to be defended.’

    Doris Ramírez is a fisherwoman and a fisherfolk’s union representative from Guatemala’s southern coast. She told ISHR how her late husband’s passing drove her to embrace activism and described her aspirations for the future for her coastal community.

    In March 2025, Doris attended the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, delivering a statement calling on Guatemala to abide by its obligations to secure the protection of marine biodiversity, the traditional rights of fisherfolk and the protection of those who are protecting the environment.

    https://ishr.ch/defender-stories/human-rights-defenders-story-doris-ramirez-from-guatemala

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Palestine protesters in Cornwall are joining a global day of action for Gaza

    On 4 October, campaigners from Palestine Solidarity Cornwall (PSC) and 20 local groups will gather in Truro to protest against the ongoing genocide Israel is perpetrating against Palestinian people in Gaza. The genocide will reach its second year on 7 October.

    Cornwall protest for Palestine

    The demonstration will meet on Lemon Quay at 1pm. It will feature a variety of speakers, including people from the Palestinian community, Jewish people, and representatives from local and national organisations. Over the last two years, thousands of Cornish people have repeatedly stood in solidarity with Palestinian people, highlighting the UK government’s complicity in the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza, and demanding action. Protesters have carried out demonstrations across Cornwall, including in Penzance, Falmouth, Newquay, Bodmin, Redruth, and Truro. People have protested at council meetings, festivals, and at local events.

    Following days of emergency protests over Israel’s illegal interception and kidnapping of activists in international waters aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, the protest on Saturday will stand in solidarity with the brave activists and call for their safe release.

    The protest will also demand a full two-way arms embargo on Israel. Between 2015-2024, the UK government licensed over £1.2bn worth of military equipment to Israel. The most significant part of this trade is for components for the F-35 combat aircraft that Israel is using to drop 2000lb bombs on children in Gaza. The UK makes 15% of every F-35.

    However, despite this government admitting that Israel is using F35s to commit war crimes, and despite the UK’s arms export criteria stating that arms sales should be suspended when there is a clear risk they could be used to violate international law, this government decided to make an exemption for these components. Including spare parts, the value of the F-35 contract with Israel is worth £540m since 2016.

    Two years on, the UK is still ‘shamelessly’ arming a genocidal state

    Last week, the Labour conference overwhelmingly voted to recognise Israel’s actions as a genocide and to impose immediate sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel. This government has once again failed to act.

    More than 20 groups, representing a broad intersectional coalition against Israel’s genocide, are gearing up for the protest, including:

    • Palestine Solidarity Cornwall
    • Acorn Falmouth and Penryn
    • Affinity Skateboarding
    • Campaign Against the Arms Trade
    • Cornwall Arts for Palestine
    • Cornwall Bakers, Food and Allied Worker’s Union
    • Cornwall Trade Union Council
    • Cornwall Resists
    • Falmouth Trans Collective
    • Falmouth Trans Pride
    • Inspiring Women’s Network
    • Kernow Anti Fascist Network
    • Kernow Rydh
    • Love and Rage DIY
    • Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Penzance Branch
    • Penzance Socialists
    • Right to Roam
    • Kernow Unite Community Cornwall
    • West Cornwall Against Racism
    • Youth Demand Falmouth

    A spokesperson for PSC stated:

    We cannot look on in silence as a genocide reaches its second year – and the UK are still shamelessly arming a genocidal state.

    Scenes from Gaza are truly shocking – starvation is killing many while aid sits at the border, banned from entry by Israel’s army. Others are bombed in their tents or on the road as they attempt to evacuate densely populated areas – with nowhere left to go.

    What we are witnessing is genocide, it is ethnic cleansing. It is illegal under international law – and reprehensible under moral law.

    Under UK arms exports licensing conditions, arms sales should be immediately suspended when there is a clear risk they will be used to commit war crimes. It could not be clearer this is happening in Gaza but the UK government is refusing to take action.

    But we will not refuse to act. The UK government and the UK arms trade is complicit in genocide. We owe it to every single Palestinian person to continue protesting and to continue raising our voices. We are proud that Cornwall is part of this global day of action, and we refuse to be silenced while UK companies profit from the death of Palestinian children.

    Featured image via Unsplash/Nikolas Gannon

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Israel’s ecocide in Gaza: the silent war on nature and survival

    Beyond the unbearable loss of lives and the endless destruction of homes, Israel is compounding their destruction of Palestine by waging war against the land itself.

    Israel’s ecocide in Gaza: the hidden siege with long-term consequences

    Fields once used to grow food have been burnt. Wells and water pipes are poisoned. And, the air is filled with smoke, dust, and toxins that linger long after the bombs fall. What remains is not just rubble, but a landscape stripped of its ability to sustain life.

    This destruction has a name: ecocide. It’s the deliberate killing of the environment, the tearing apart of the soil, the water, and the air that people depend on to survive.

    In Gaza, ecocide means that even if the bombs were to stop tomorrow, families would still face hunger, thirst, and sickness because the very earth beneath them has been attacked.

    Ecocide isn’t just a side effect of war. It’s used as a weapon, and its damage lasts long after the fighting ends, leaving the land and its people scarred for generations.

    Water weaponised

    UN experts expressed their concern about Israel’s water weaponisation:

    Israel is using thirst as a weapon to kill Palestinians. Cutting off water and food is a silent but lethal bomb that kills mostly children and babies. The sight of infants dying in their mothers’ arms is unbearable. How can world leaders sleep while this suffering continues?

    Water is at the heart of Gaza’s ecocide. Even before October 2023, access to clean water in Gaza has been systematically destroyed. Less than 3% of available water met safe standards before the war.

    By mid-2024, 88% of Gaza’s water wells and all desalination plants had been destroyed or disabled. Reservoirs, pipelines, and pumping stations were deliberately stuck.

    At least 1 million people in Gaza reported having less than six litres per person per day of water suitable for cooking and drinking. Before October 2023, the population in Gaza had access to the minimum recommended of 80-85 litres of water per person each day.

    Children are queueing up for hours to fill a small jug. Meanwhile, hospitals report a surge in dehydration, diarrhoea, jaundice, and water-borne diseases.

    Toxic runoff seeping into vital groundwater sources

    Between February and August 2024, a joint study by Newcastle University and the Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network uncovered alarming levels of contamination in Gaza’s soil and water. Their tests on landfill sites revealed both total and faecal coliform bacteria. In other words, clear evidence that untreated sewage and toxic runoff have seeped into the groundwater that people rely on.

    A separate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) survey painted an even grimmer picture: at least 87% of the population live within just ten metres of raw sewage or faecal waste. This daily exposure leaves communities facing not only grave health risks but also long-term damage to their already fragile environment.

    The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has warned that Gaza’s coastal aquifer, the main source of groundwater, is on the brink of irreversible collapse. Salinisation and sewage infiltration have rendered much of the aquifer undrinkable, endangering not only human survival, but also agriculture.

    Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) water and sanitation coordinator Paula Navarro said:

    For those who have endured relentless bombings, the suffering is made worse by a water crisis – many are forced to drink unsafe water, while others don’t have enough.

    Soil without life

    More than 86% of Gaza’s agricultural land has been destroyed, with only 1.5% accessible and not damaged.

    Orchards of olive and citrus trees, tended by families for generations, have been bulldozed or burned. Irrigation wells have been bombed, leaving the soil either dry or poisoned.

    For farmers, the devastation is not only material, but spiritual. For Palestinians, olive trees passed down through generations are a symbol of heritage, and a connection to the land.

    Scientists warn that contamination from white phosphorus, heavy metals, asbestos, and other hazardous materials have seeped into the soil, threatening future harvests and impacting food security.

    UNEP reported that soil was significantly contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and aliphatic hydrocarbons, levels which surpassed the threshold requiring intervention.

    A report in the American Journal of Public Health warned that crops grown in Gaza may carry harmful levels of toxicity for years, and possibly decades to come, raising deep concerns about the long-term safety of food supply and its impact on human health.

    Air that kills

    The air over Gaza is filled with toxins. Clouds of dust hang over neighbourhoods filled with asbestos, pulverised gas, and chemicals from explosives.

    UNEP has estimated that more than 39m tonnes of hazardous rubble fill the Strip. Breathing this dust carries risks of cancer and chronic illness that will impact survivors for decades to come.

    Researchers have also measured the war’s invisible toll on the climate. In the first three months of the bombardment, greenhouse gas emissions exceeded the annual output of 26 countries, producing between 400,000 and 600,000 of CO₂. The study, led by Frederik Out-Larbi and colleagues, found that in the first 60 days alone, 281,000 tonnes of CO₂ were emitted, more than the yearly footprint of 20 nations.

    This war has undoubtedly caused an environmental catastrophe with irreversible consequences to the region and beyond.

    Debris, waste, sewage, and disease

    Waste has become another weapon. Bombing has destroyed 70% of sewage pumps and wastewater treatment plants. Untreated sewage now seeps into streets, farmland, and the sea.

    Piles and piles of uncollected garbage attract disease-carrying insects. Medical waste, hazardous chemicals, and munition debris further poison the land, water, and the population of Gaza.

    The result is an environmental and public health disaster. Outbreaks of diarrhoea 25 times higher than before the war, a resurgence of polio, surging cases of scabies, lice, and respiratory infections. Disease, like hunger, is part of this environmental war.

    Epidemics don’t respect borders, and disease spreading from Gaza threatens the wider region and beyond.

    The environmental catastrophe taking place in Gaza won’t disappear with a ceasefire. Aquifers poisoned with sewage can’t be stored overnight. Children inhaling asbestos fibres today may not show symptoms for decades. Fields covered with phosphorus may take generations to heal.

    Ecocide as elimination

    Human rights groups, environmental scientists, and UN agencies argue that Gaza’s environmental destruction isn’t a tragic accident.

    Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights has documented how Israel’s military systematically targets environmental infrastructure: water pipelines, reservoirs, and sewage plants. Its 2024 report calls it by its name: ecocide.

    The logic is as cruel as it’s clear: destroy the environment and you destroy the conditions for life. Turn water into poison, farmland into ash, air into a weapon, and survival becomes impossible. International law recognises this.

    The Genocide Convention lists the creation of living conditions intended to destroy an entire population as an act of genocide. In Gaza, ecocide and genocide are intertwined.

    This is Gaza’s catastrophe, and unless it’s named for what it truly is – a crime against the environment and humanity – it risks being forgotten beneath the rubble.

    Featured image via Al Jazeera English/Youtube. 

    By Monica Piccinini

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UNICEF speaks from the heart of Gaza: Israel is turning ‘safe zones’ into ‘death zones’

    The United Nations (UN) has strongly criticised talk of a safe zone for Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip, describing such claims as “absurd” and stressing that there is no safe place within the Strip, whom Israel have embroiled in genocide for months.

    UNICEF: ‘safe zones’ in the south of Gaza ‘ridiculous’

    James Elder, spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said during a press conference in Geneva via video link from Gaza that “the idea of a safe zone in the south is ridiculous”. He noted that the areas designated by Israel for this purpose have effectively become ‘death zones.’

    Elder explained that:

    bombs are repeatedly dropped from the sky, spreading terror among civilians, and schools that have been designated as temporary shelters are regularly reduced to rubble, while tents are burned by air strikes.

    He added that health conditions are deteriorating, with mothers and newborns facing extremely difficult conditions amid a severe shortage of medical supplies and overcrowded hospitals, noting how:

    the corridors of the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza Strip are crowded with women who have just given birth.

    Humanitarian conditions ‘catastrophic and unprecedented’

    The Gaza Strip is suffering from a suffocating humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the ongoing Israeli blockade, which was partially eased at the end of May. However, the UN and humanitarian organisations have confirmed that the aid that has entered the Strip is “completely insufficient” to meet the growing needs.

    According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the genocide that has been ongoing since 7 October has resulted in the deaths of more than 66,000 Palestinians. The remaining population lives in humanitarian, environmental, and health conditions that the United Nations has described as “catastrophic and unprecedented”.

    Feature image via Al Jazeera English/Youtube. 

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Doctors Without Borders confirm Israel has killed yet another of its staff members

    Yesterday, Israel killed a health worker at a bus stop in Gaza. Earlier in the week, it killed yet another journalist. You may have missed both of those stories because Israel has turned Gaza into “journalism’s graveyard“.

    Israeli occupation forces have committed medelacide in Gaza since 2023, systematically decimating its healthcare system. As part of this process, they have murdered at least 1,400 healthcare workers and destroyed or damaged “at least 94% of all hospitals”. And now, Doctors Without Borders (also known as Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF) has confirmed that Israel has killed yet another of its staff members in Gaza, Omar Hayek. On the morning of 2 October, MSF said:

    The attack took place on a street where our teams were waiting to take a bus to the MSF field hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza. All staff were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical humanitarian workers.

    Yet another Doctors Without Borders colleague murdered

    Hayek became “the fourteenth MSF colleague” that Israel has murdered since October 2023. The humanitarian organisation said he was “an occupational therapist at an MSF clinic in Gaza City” and “a quiet man of profound kindness and utter professionalism”. He was also “the sole provider for his family”. Israel’s terror attack also seriously injured:

    Multiple healthcare workers, MSF family members and MSF staff.

    MSF added that:

    Health workers in Gaza have been killed, threatened or detained, including Dr Mohamed Obeid, an MSF surgeon still in detention with no formal charges.

    And it stressed that:

    Nowhere in Gaza is safe. The entire population has been starved and besieged for almost two years. We call for an end to the bloodshed, an end to the genocide.

    “Killing journalists is killing the truth”

    Israel also took the life this week of journalist Yahya Barzaq. An airstrike on a cafe in Deir al-Balah in the centre of Gaza reportedly killed the freelance photographer. As TRT World reported:

    In his final posts on Instagram, Barzaq said he had been forced to flee Gaza City to the south due to Israeli bombardment and threats of forced displacement.

    People in Gaza knew Barzaq as a photographer of newborn babies. Before the genocide, he posted his professional portraits of babies on his Instagram page. During the genocide, he had “shared videos mourning children” that Israel had killed. The apartheid state has murdered at least 19,424 children so far, including about 825 babies, 895 one-year-olds, 3,266 preschoolers, and 4,032 six-to-ten-year-olds. It has also been systematically starving the occupied territory’s babies.

    As Al Jazeera pointed out, the apartheid state has killed many of the children Barzaq had photographed:

    Israeli occupation forces have systematically assassinated journalists since 2023. The International Federation of Journalists says the figure stands at about 246 media workers. And this, it asserts, represents “over ten per cent” of Gaza’s journalists. As IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger wrote this week:

    One hundred years after its creation, the IFJ faces the most terrible ordeal in its history. Gaza has become journalism’s graveyard. If we accept that reporters die there amid indifference, then we pave the way for other regimes to consider that the murder of journalists is a normal instrument of war.

    He added that:

    silence is a victory for the executioners. It allows them to say that nothing happened.

    And he stressed:

    Israel kills journalists. Killing journalists is killing the truth. And a world without truth is a world where executioners reign supreme.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Ed Sykes

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Gov official in Gaza tells the Canary medical and humanitarian conditions are ‘catastrophic’

    Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza has revealed in exclusive comments to the Canary that the humanitarian and medical situation in the Strip has reached ‘catastrophic’ levels. His assessment comes as Israeli military operations continue putting unprecedented pressure on health facilities.

    Gaza: humanitarian conditions at ‘catastrophic’ levels

    Al-Thawabta explained that hospitals are currently operating on backup equipment with scarce or no fuel. Meanwhile, a lack of basic medical supplies such as medicines, blood units, and surgical materials are rendering the healthcare system on the verge of collapse. He stressed that these conditions have led to an increasing inability to treat emergency cases and higher mortality rates among patients who were previously treatable.

    He noted that malnutrition in some areas has reached ‘famine-like’ levels. It’s threatening the lives of thousands of civilians, especially children, older people, those who are pregnant, and the wounded. He accused the Israeli occupation of deliberately targeting health facilities and depriving them of fuel. Thawabta considers this:

    a clear crime that violates international law and puts the lives of civilians at grave risk.

    A flagrant violation of international law: ‘intentional killing’

    Al-Thawabta added that targeting residential neighbourhoods and destroying homes and infrastructure constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. And, that would be to say nothing of the principles of distinction and proportionality in military operations. He considered that these practices translate in practice into “intentional killing” and amount to “crimes against humanity and serious crimes” that require urgent international condemnation and independent investigations. Crucially, he said that these must lead to the perpetrators being brought to justice before international courts.

    The government official concluded his statement to the Canary with a warning about the long-term humanitarian repercussions that may extend beyond the genocide. These include the loss of shelter, collapse of vital infrastructure, and the creation of a social and economic tragedy that could last for generations. He emphasised that what is happening in Gaza constitutes a systematic policy aimed at paralysing vital services and forcing the population into displacement.

    Feature image via TRT World/Youtube.

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • An Overview of ADHRB’s Participation in the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council

    Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) participated in the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC60), held from 8 September to 8 October 2025.

    During this session, ADHRB delivered seven oral interventions exposing human rights violations across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It also addressed Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the attacks on Yemen linked to its support for the right to self-determination.

    Under Item 2, ADHRB highlighted Bahrain’s escalating repression during the 2025 Ashura season. Under Item 3, it delivered two interventions: the first, in the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on slavery, on the exploitation of migrant workers in the GCC; and the second, during the general debate, on the repression of fundamental freedoms in Bahrain, particularly freedom of the press. Under Item 4, ADHRB denounced continued arbitrary restrictions on the rights of former political prisoners in Bahrain and drew attention to the ongoing genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023. In the general debate under Item 8, it focused on U.S. and Israeli attacks on civilians in Yemen and their direct link to the genocide in Gaza. Finally, under Item 9, ADHRB highlighted the systematic religious persecution of the Shia community in Saudi Arabia.

    Item 2

    In its intervention under Item 2 at HRC60 during the general debate on 10 September 2025, ADHRB addressed the dangerous escalation in Bahrain during the 2025 Ashura season. This included more than 60 summonses and arrests of preachers, eulogists, and minors, the storming of over 15 areas, the removal of Ashura manifestations, and attacks on historic religious sites. ADHRB further highlighted the violent assault on Hasan AlAnfooz, which resulted in serious injury, noting the absence of any genuine investigation or accountability. These violations, it stressed, exemplify sectarian discrimination and entrenched impunity. ADHRB called for urgent measures to protect religious freedoms in Bahrain and to end systematic violations against the Shia community.

    Item 3

    ADHRB delivered two interventions under Item 3 of the Council’s agenda on 12 and 19 September 2025, during the General Debate and the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on slavery.

    In its intervention under Item 3 during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Slavery, on 12 September, ADHRB drew attention to the exploitation of migrant workers in the GCC countries. It cited poor living conditions, overcrowded and unsanitary housing, long working hours in extreme heat, physical and psychological abuse, and low wages. It also condemned the continued use of the Kafala system, which grants employers absolute power, enabling deception about working conditions, withholding of wages, confiscation of passports, and denial of basic necessities—leaving workers trapped in extreme poverty and punished when resisting these abuses. ADHRB concluded by asking Special Rapporteur Tom Obokata about the urgent need to end modern-day slavery in the Gulf rather than waiting for further human rights catastrophes.

    On 19 September, ADHRB delivered its second intervention under Item 3, focusing on the ongoing repression of fundamental freedoms in Bahrain, particularly freedom of the press. It noted that the Bahrain Press Association documented more than 2,000 violations of freedom of expression in the first half of 2025, including the arrest and torture of photographer Sayed Baqer AlKamel, as well as Qasim Mohamed and Husain Helal, for content or activities related to Ashura. ADHRB also warned that the newly amended press law imposes strict licensing requirements on media outlets, strengthening state censorship and silencing dissent. In conclusion, it urged Bahrain to repeal these regressive laws, respect fundamental freedoms, and bring its legislation into full compliance with its international human rights obligations.

    Item 4

    Under Item 4 at HRC60, ADHRB delivered two interventions during the general debate on 23 September 2025.

    In its first intervention, ADHRB highlighted the continued arbitrary restrictions on the fundamental rights of former political prisoners in Bahrain. Human rights defenders and activists, including Najah Yusuf, Ali Muhana, Naji Fateel, and Ali AlHajee, have faced dismissal from their jobs, denial of employment and housing opportunities, repeated arrests and summonses, travel restrictions, and reprisals targeting their families. Authorities have further imposed arbitrary travel bans and refused to issue good conduct certificates, depriving them of their basic rights. ADHRB urged immediate action to end these reprisals and to hold Bahraini authorities accountable.

    In its second intervention, ADHRB focused on the ongoing genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023, which has killed over 70,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children and 12,500 women, and erased 2,700 families from civil records. It noted that 90% of the Strip has been destroyed, 2 million people displaced, famine is deepening, and both medical and media personnel are being deliberately targeted while humanitarian aid is obstructed. ADHRB called on the international community to act urgently to end the war, lift the blockade, and protect civilians, stressing that every day of inaction costs lives and undermines the credibility of international institutions.

    Item 8

    On 30 September, under Item 8, ADHRB addressed U.S. and Israeli attacks on civilians in Yemen, directly linked to Israel’s genocide in Gaza. These attacks struck vital infrastructure, including ports, electricity and oil facilities, airports, factories, and homes, killing 1,403 civilians, among them 174 children and 117 women. ADHRB also condemned the deliberate targeting of journalists, noting that 31 were killed in airstrikes on two newspaper offices on 10 September—constituting a war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. ADHRB called on states to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

    Item 9

    During the General Debate under Item 9, ADHRB highlighted the systematic religious persecution of the Shia community in Saudi Arabia. This includes severe restrictions on religious practice, curtailment of religious gatherings, bans on independent preachers and Husaini guesthouses, arbitrary arrests and summonses, and strict censorship of sermons. ADHRB also drew attention to sectarian discrimination in access to government jobs and leadership positions, alongside unfair politically motivated prosecutions, prison sentences, and executions. It called for an end to all forms of sectarian discrimination, the release of political prisoners, the protection of religious freedoms, and accountability through an independent investigation.

    Through its participation in the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) shed light on gross and systematic violations in Bahrain and GCC states, as well as the humanitarian crises in Palestine and Yemen. Its interventions covered key issues such as the suppression of fundamental freedoms and freedom of the press, arbitrary arrests and reprisals against political prisoners, the exploitation of migrant workers and the Kafala system, sectarian discrimination against Shia, and war crimes, including deliberate attacks on civilians, medical staff, and journalists. ADHRB has meticulously documented the impact of these policies on the most vulnerable groups, including children, women, journalists, migrant workers, and civil society activists.

    These interventions serve as an urgent call for the international community to take decisive steps to protect human rights, ensure accountability, and end ongoing violations, including by safeguarding the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Such action is essential to achieve justice and to uphold the credibility and effectiveness of international institutions in defending human rights.

    The post An Overview of ADHRB’s Participation in the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council appeared first on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

    This post was originally published on Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain.

  • Israel’s campaign of continuous forced displacement: Gaza families’ endless journey in search of safety

    In the heart of the Gaza Strip, where explosions echo and plumes of smoke rise, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face a harsh reality: repeated displacement in search of safe shelter.

    The ongoing genocide is forcing families to leave their homes, memories, and possessions, on a perilous journey to temporary shelters that often lack the most basic necessities.

    This updated report highlights the suffering of internally displaced persons in Gaza, tells their stories, and outlines the challenges they face in the context of siege, based on recent data from the United Nations (UN) and humanitarian organisations as of late September 2025.

    The reality of displacement in Gaza

    According to reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israel has displaced more than 1.9 million people in Gaza since the recent escalation of the conflict. This represents nearly 90% of the Strip’s 2.1 million population.

    Many of these displaced persons are living in overcrowded tents or UNRWA schools. There, conditions are exacerbated by a lack of food, clean water, and healthcare. Continued shelling makes even these shelters unsafe, forcing families to move again, in a vicious cycle of fear and instability.

    In the last month alone, more than 200,000 displacements from north to south have been recorded. This included 56,000 since last Sunday, with new evacuation orders covering large areas of Gaza City and Khan Yunis.

    More than 86% of Gaza is now under Israeli military control or evacuation orders, limiting safe opportunities for return or settlement.

    Um Muhammad’s story: a journey with no end

    Um Muhammad, a mother of five, lived in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City before an air strike destroyed her home. She said with immense sadness:

    We have nothing left but the clothes on our backs.

    Her family was forced to flee to a school in Khan Yunis. However, the bombing reached the area, so they moved to a tent on the outskirts of Rafah. She added:

    Every day we hear that there is a safer place, but we discover that there is no safe place in Gaza.

    Her family now lives in a tent that leaks when it rains, with barely enough food for one meal a day.

    Recently, the closure of Al-Rashid Street has reinforced the blockade, making even southbound travel without inspection difficult.

    The challenges of life in the camps

    The temporary camps, whether in schools or tents, suffer from a severe lack of resources. Clean water is scarce and sanitation facilities are inadequate, increasing the spread of diseases such as hepatitis.

    Children, who make up nearly half of the displaced population, are deprived of education. They suffer psychological trauma from constant exposure to violence. Pregnant women and the elderly face additional challenges due to a lack of medical care and medication. Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported an increase in malnutrition, with 404 malnutrition-related deaths recorded since October 2023. This included 141 children as of August 2025.

    Relief efforts and obstacles

    Organisations such as UNRWA and the Red Cross are attempting to provide aid. However, restrictions on the entry of relief supplies into Gaza are hampering these efforts.

    Aid trucks are often prevented from crossing or delayed by military operations. No humanitarian aid, including food, has been allowed in since March 2025. Local volunteers risk their lives to distribute food and supplies, but the quantities are insufficient to meet the growing needs.

    In September 2025, the UN reported that at least five displaced persons were injured in strikes on UNRWA facilities housing more than 11,000 people in Gaza.

    The new aid distribution plan through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has also led to mass casualties. Israel has killed more than 1,889 people trying to access food since May 2025.

    The voice of people suffering forced displacement: a call for solutions

    The displaced are calling for urgent solutions, including a ceasefire, the opening of safe humanitarian corridors, and increased aid.

    Abu Yasser, a displaced person from Jabalia:

    We want to live with dignity, not run away every day.

    Residents are also calling for the reconstruction of destroyed homes to end the cycle of temporary displacement. In recent posts on X, activists described displacement as “slow death” and reject any forced displacement.

    The journey of displaced persons in Gaza is not simply a move from one place to another, but a daily struggle for survival. Behind every tent and every story, there is a person who dreams of a safe and stable life. As the genocide continues, these families remain trapped in a cycle of despair, waiting for international intervention to restore their hope. They call upon the world to listen to their voices and take serious steps to end their suffering, especially with the approach of winter, which will only exacerbate the crisis.

    Feature image via Al Jazeera English/Youtube. 

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • If you liked Brexit, you’re going to love what the Conservatives want next | Polly Toynbee

    Leaving the ECHR could mean higher food prices and an even bigger blow to trade. The Tories’ new proposals will end the party for good

    Brexit is never over and it’s about to get a bit worse. As the moribund Tories assemble this Sunday, it’s still their only tune, as if they haven’t noticed how the public mood has changed. Brexit is the root cause of all their woes, with almost all the 61% of those people who call it a failure blaming the Conservatives the most.

    But instead of recanting, rethinking, questioning their recent history, they double down, with Kemi Badenoch now following Robert Jenrick deeper into the Farage darkness with a pledge to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR). That double dose of Brexit will sink not save them.

    Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • New Jersey Lawmakers Condemn “Inhumane” Conditions for Visitors to ICE Jail

    A group of New Jersey Democratic congress members are condemning the treatment of visitors to Delaney Hall, the immigration jail in Newark run by the for-profit private prison company GEO Group. “It has come to our attention that individuals visiting their loved ones have been routinely subjected to inhumane and unsafe conditions while waiting for entry into the facility,” the group wrote in…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • US Citizen Detained at Work Files Class-Action Suit to Stop Raids

    A U.S. citizen detained by federal agents during anti-immigrant raids of construction sites has filed a class action suit against the Trump administration on behalf of “all those who stand in his shoes” — U.S. citizens or those otherwise lawfully present in the United States who are working on construction sites in the Southern District of Alabama. Leo Garcia Venegas, a U.S.

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Undercover Israeli forces just abducted a nurse from a healthcare centre in Gaza

    Undercover Israeli occupation special forces have this morning, October 2, kidnapped nurse Tasneem Al-Hams, while she was working at a healthcare centre in Khan Younis in southern Gaza:

     

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    Israel abducts nurse Tasneem Al-Hams in Khan Younis

    On 21 July 2025, an Israeli special forces unit also abducted Tasneem Al-Hams father, Dr Marwan Al-Hams, the director of field hospitals in the Gaza Strip, as he was visiting the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) field hospital, performing routine humanitarian and medical duties. The raid, which killed one journalist and injured another, alongside an ambulance driver was condemned by the Gaza Health Ministry as a “grave violation” of international humanitarian law and a direct attack on humanitarian workers.

    Marwan Al- Hams had previously spoken with the Canary about Israeli occupation forces using tanks, quadcopters, and cranes equipped with machine guns, to fire on civilians trying to make their way to GHF ‘aid distribution sites’. He is currently suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg, and is being prevented from meeting with lawyers.

    According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, more than 1670 medical personnel have been killed and more than 360 arrested by Israeli occupation forces since 7 October 2023, many of whom have been exposed to inhumane treatment and torture.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Israel Raids Global Sumud Flotilla, Abducts Over 400 Volunteers, Group Says

    Overnight on Wednesday, Israeli soldiers raided more than a dozen boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, blocked the ships’ communications, and abducted over 400 volunteers from 47 countries, including American labor leader Chris Smalls, according to the Global Sumud Flotilla. During the raid, Israeli forces attacked volunteers with water cannons and doused them with “skunk water,”…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • UK politics: Jenrick’s ideas mostly ‘my thoughts repackaged’, says Badenoch – as it happened

    Tory leader also claims the party was close to bankruptcy when she took over last year

    Voters trust the Green party most … on green issues, is the rather unsurprising finding of a poll by YouGov looking at how voters view the party, which starts its autumn conference tomorrow. The Greens are least trusted on the economy and on defence.

    But there is something remarkable about this. In his write-up for YouGov, Dylan Difford says:

    Unsurprisingly, Britons have a particular degree of confidence in the Greens when it comes to the environment. What’s notable, though, is that a majority of Britons (54%) say they have at least a fair amount of trust in the party on the issue. Out of the 18 areas polled, which have been asked about all five major parties, this is the only issue for any of the parties for where most people express confidence in a given party.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Kemi Badenoch expected to announce plan to leave ECHR

    Move to come if Conservatives win next election and is calculated to head off growing support for Reform UK

    Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce a plan this weekend to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR) if the Conservatives win the next election, as the party attempts to halt a loss of support to Reform UK.

    The move will be seized on by political opponents as evidence the Tories have lurched to the right – Russia and Belarus are the only two other European countries that have opted out of the ECHR – while it could lose the party support from the political centre.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • 2025 nominees for the European Sakharov Prize

    2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament

    Each year the European Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize to honour exceptional individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms, safeguarding the rights of minorities, and fighting for respect of international law, democracy and rule of law. Nominations are made by political groups or by at least 40 MEPs. This year’s nominations were presented during a joint meeting of the foreign affairs and development committees, and the human rights subcommittee on 23 September 2025:

    Andrzej Poczobut

    Andrzej Poczobut is nominated by the groups of the European People’s Party and the European Conservatives and Reformists. He is a journalist, essayist and blogger from the Polish minority in Belarus, known for his criticism of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and has become a symbolic figure in the struggle for freedom and democracy in the country.

    Poczobut has been repeatedly arrested by the authorities. Detained in 2021, he was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony. He has at times been held in solitary confinement without adequate medical treatment. His current condition is unknown and his family is denied any visits. Parliament has called for his immediate and unconditional release.

    The Socialists and Democrats group has nominated journalists and humanitarian aid workers in conflict zones represented by the Palestinian Press Association, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Gaza is identified as the world’s deadliest region for journalism, with a high number of Palestinian journalists killed. Humanitarian workers have also endured significant losses during the conflict, with deadly attacks affecting organisations such as World Central Kitchen, the PRCS and UNRWA. These individuals, through their work and sacrifices, ensure international awareness of the critical human rights situation in Gaza.

    The Left group has also nominated journalists in Palestine, with a specific mention of Hamza and Wael Al-Dahdouh, Plestia Alaqad, Shireen Abu Akleh, Ain Media (in honour of Yasser Murtaja & Roshdi Sarraj), representing all the journalists active in Palestine.

    Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal is nominated by the Patriots for Europe group. A former senior official in Algeria’s Ministry of Industry, he began writing novels after retiring. He has received several literary awards and is known for his criticism of Islamism and the Algerian government.

    In November 2024, Sansal was arrested in Algeria for “undermining national unity” following an interview with French media. In March 2025, he was sentenced to five years in prison, despite health concerns and without his French lawyer present. The sentence was later upheld on appeal. The European Parliament and French National Assembly have both called for his immediate release.

    The Renew Europe group has nominated the Serbian students who initiated nationwide protests after the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, Serbia, on 1 November 2024. This tragedy, which killed 16 people, was linked to alleged systemic corruption and infrastructural neglect. It triggered silent nationwide protests demanding accountability. The movement has transcended ideological and political divisions and now includes academic staff and students, farmers, artists, journalists, taxi drivers, engineers, and others. It culminated on 15 March 2025, when over 350,000 people gathered in Belgrade for the largest demonstration in Serbia’s post-Yugoslav history.

    Budapest Pride

    Budapest Pride has been nominated by the Greens/European Free Alliance group as well as by Marc Angel (S&D, Luxembourg), Kim van Sparrentak (Greens/EFA, Netherlands) and 43 other MEPs. Taking place despite a government-announced ban, 2025 Budapest Pride drew the largest attendance in the event’s history and became the seventh-largest Pride march in Europe. Despite the risks of potential police intervention, fines, and imprisonment, the march emphasised freedom of assembly and expression. By combining grassroots LGBTQ activism with support from established NGOs amid increasing government restrictions, the event has played a role in advocating for democratic values and civil liberties in Hungary.

    Charlie Kirk, nominated by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group, was an American civic activist and public speaker, co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), founded in 2012 to engage students and young voters. Under his leadership, TPUSA played a significant role in youth political participation and debates on free speech on university campuses. On 10 September 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot dead during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The assassination has been widely condemned and highlights concerns over threats to freedom of expression.

    Mzia Amaglobeli and Georgia’s pro-democracy protest movement have been nominated by Rasa Juknevičienė (EPP, Lithuania) and 60 other MEPs. Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist and director of online media outlets, was detained in 2025 for participating in an anti-government protest and imprisoned for two years on politically motivated charges. The first female political prisoner in Georgia since its independence and a fighter for freedom of expression, she has become the symbol of Georgia’s pro-democracy protest movement that opposes the Georgian Dream regime after the October 2024 elections.

    For more on the annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, see https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/awards/BDE3E41A-8706-42F1-A6C5-ECBBC4CDB449

    Further Timeline:

    • 16 October: the foreign affairs and development committees vote to determine the three finalists;
    • 22 October: Political group leaders and Parliament President Roberta Metsola decide on the 2025 laureate;
    • 16 December: The Sakharov Prize award ceremony takes place in Strasbourg.

    https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20250922STO30493/sakharov-prize-2025-the-nominees

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Israel only allows 10% of required aid into Gaza as it starves Palestine

    The Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip revealed that during September 2025, the Israeli occupation allowed only 1,824 aid trucks to enter. Crucially, this was a fraction of the approximately 18,000 trucks needed to meet the humanitarian needs of more than 2.4 million citizens in the Strip. It’s equivalent to only 10% of the minimum required, amid a blockade that has been ongoing for more than seven months.

    Israel continues systematically starving Gaza with ceaseless aid blockades

    The statement described this policy as part of a “systematic plan to engineer starvation and chaos”, in which the occupation prevents the entry of sufficient quantities of aid and continues to close vital crossings. This includes the completely closed Zikim Crossing in the north. And, in addition to that , there have been repeated closures of the Kissufim and Karam Abu Salem crossings. The blockades are hindering the regular arrival of humanitarian supplies.

    The media office noted that trucks that were allowed to enter were subjected to looting and theft as a result of the “artificial security chaos” imposed by the occupation in an attempt to undermine the resilience and will of the Palestinian people, by plunging the Strip into complex crises.

    The media office confirmed that the occupation authorities have continued to impose a tight siege on the Gaza Strip for more than seven months. Israel has pursued policies of systematic restriction on the entry of aid, including the complete closure of the Zikim Crossing, and repeated closures of the Kissufim and Karam Abu Salem crossings, which has caused an almost complete disruption of food, medicine and other basic supplies.

    More than 430 food items banned

    The report noted that the occupation prevents the entry of more than 430 types of basic food items. This includes meat, dairy products, fish, fruit, vegetables and nutritional supplements, as well as other items necessary for the health of pregnant people and patients. This is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

    The office stated that the minimum needs of the Gaza Strip’s population of more than 2.4 million require the entry of about 600 aid trucks daily, at a time when Gaza is suffering from a near-total collapse of its infrastructure and a sharp deterioration in living conditions due to the ongoing war.

    According to the report, the poverty rate in Gaza has exceeded 95%. It means that the vast majority of the population is unable to purchase basic commodities, even if they are partially available on the market, which has made food and health security virtually non-existent for most families.

    The Government Media Office blamed the Israeli occupation authorities and their allies, led by the US, for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It called on the United Nations (UN), international institutions, and Arab and Islamic countries to intervene immediately. It urged them to exert pressure on Israel to permanently open the crossings and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, including food, baby milk, and life-saving medicines.

    Feature image via Al Jazeera English/Youtube.

    By Alaa Shamali

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • As Israel illegally abducts the flotilla activists, the public plan mass protests UK-wide

    Protesters across the UK are gearing up to stand in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla. Overnight, Israel has kidnapped nearly 500 pro-Palestine activists aboard the fleet sailing in international waters.

    Updates on the Global Sumud Flotilla now show that Israel has likely illegally intercepted the majority of the vessels sailing to Gaza to break the violent colonial occupier’s siege on the Strip. Currently, it’s displaying that Israeli naval ships and speedboats have committed the blatant act of piracy against 21 ships in the 44-strong fleet. A further 19 are presumed to have been intercepted.

    However, despite abducting more than 400 peaceful activists from 44 countries, carrying urgently needed food, baby formula, and other basic necessities to Gaza, governments around the world have so far done nothing to protect their citizens from the terrorist state.

    Instead, as ever, it’s up to ordinary citizens to school their governments on moral integrity – and international law.

    UK-wide protests in solidarity with the humanitarian flotilla

    The Global Sumud Flotilla and Global Movement to Gaza have called for mass demonstrations across the UK on Thursday 2 October:

     

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    Already, it has organised protests for the following locations at 5.30pm:

    • London – Kings Cross Station
    • London – Liverpool Street Station Station
    • Birmingham – Birmingham New Street Station
    • Kent – Dartford Station
    • Glasgow – Glasgow Central Station
    • Manchester – Manchester Piccadilly Station
    • Leeds – Leeds Station
    • Cardiff – Cardiff Central
    • Edinburgh – Edinburgh Waverley Station
    • Southampton – Southampton Central

    The action is aiming to #ShutItDown at each location to demand protection of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The groups are urging people to turn out in Palestinian flag colours and call for an end to Israel’s siege and occupation. They’re also asking for people across the UK to set up further demos in their town or city in defiance of the Labour Party government’s active participation in Israel’s ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.

    The protests will join a sweep of demonstrations across countries far-and-wide. Members of the public across cities throughout Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, and Tunisia have stood up against the apartheid entity’s illegal seizure and detention of the international activists:

    After the Italian navy abandoned the fleet, Italy’s unions called for industrial action and to “block everything” for the flotilla. True to their word, the country’s union has announced a general strike and have set about blocking everything as pledged:

    In the UK on the evening of 1 October, London saw protesters take to the streets with fireworks, flags, and megaphones calling for a free Palestine. They marched with a large banner shaming prime minister Keir Starmer as a war criminal complicit in arming genocidal and war criminal Israel:

    UK citizens abducted: the government must act

    Many UK citizens are aboard the flotilla. Ahead of the interception, they urged the UK government to act to prevent Israel hijacking their vessels:

    At present, because Israel has cut communications on the vessels, their whereabouts and wellbeing is unknown. Naturally, governments quick to preserve Israeli impunity, have been silent on it abducting their citizens in international waters.

    Of course, after (largely Western) world leaders have watched on as Israel have carried out a grotesque livestreamed genocide, their failure to act is hardly surprising. They’ve ignored Israel’s flagrant acts of terrorist aggression in numerous drone attacks on the flotilla to date.

    However, despite Israel’s repeated threats, the Global Sumud Flotilla were true to their ‘steadfast’ name. They refused to stop sailing towards Gaza. Now, one vessel – Mikeno – has broken the Israeli blockade and entered Palestinian waters. As of 8.21am UTC (9.21am GMT) it was continuing towards the Strip.

    So as protesters around the world raise their voice in solidarity with the detained activists, all eyes will continue to be on Gaza – and the Mikeno – sailing with the hopes of millions demanding a free Palestine behind it.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.