Glasgow for Gaza: demo outside the BBC

Around 150 caring people stood defiantly outside the BBC HQ in Glasgow last night and proclaimed loudly:

“Occupation is a crime, why not say it on prime time?”

A colourful array of banners and flags accompanied a more sombre presentation of white-clothed baby figures lying in a long row along the BBC steps, a stark reminder of the murdered infants of Gaza.

Predictably, no BBC reporter ventured out of this shiny new glass building to do that most basic thing: report what we were doing. Instead, some stood looking out, while many others, on finishing their workday, walked briskly by, eyes averted. Someone beside me, a recent employee, said that there was a virtual atmosphere of intimidation when it came to staff voicing their opinions on such matters.

And the chant went on:

"Killing children is a crime, why not say it on prime time?”

Professor David Miller (Strathclyde University) and Nicola Fisher (Co-chair of Glasgow Stop the War Coalition) were permitted to meet with Ian Small, the BBCs Director of Public Affairs, to air the movement's views and hand him a 9 point letter of complaint.

David reported back to the gathering that Mr Small had been attentive and apparently in agreement with some of the points. He has agreed to forward the letter to Helen Boaden, Mark Byford and other senior BBC directors. A detailed reply has also been promised.

As David noted, no one is expecting any radical change of policy. But, of course, that's never the point of such demonstrations. It's all part of a cumulative effort to highlight media complicity in Israel's war crimes.

Later, Peter Murray, Vice President of the BBC's NUJ section, told the gathering how BBC journalists and Palestinians had stood in common support of Alan Johnston during his captivity. Now, he said, an entire population is detained and the BBC turns the other way.

And the chant went on:

"Ethnic cleansing is a crime, why not say it on prime time?”

Other speakers included ex-Glasgow councillor Alex Mosson, who made a spirited appeal for continued action. My own modest contribution included an appeal to flood the BBC with complaints – and, of course, to read Media Lens.

And the chant went on:

"Genocide is a crime, why not say it on prime time?”

A last interesting snippet to emerge. After the 10,000 strong demo in Edinburgh on Saturday, the BBC called Stop the War to ask if they could give them some photos of the event, as they didn't have anyone there to get a picture. Says it all, really.

John

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210 children murdered by Israel

Their names

08 Ibtihal Kechko Girl 10 Ahmed Riad Mohammed Al-Sinwar Boy 3 Ahmed Al-Homs Boy 18 Ahmed Rasmi Abu Jazar Boy 16 Ahmed Sameeh Al-Halabi Boy 18 Tamer Hassan Al-Akhrass Boy 5 Hassan Ali Al-Akhrass Boy 3 Haneen Wael Mohammed Daban Girl 15 Khaled Sami Al-Astal Boy 15 alaat Mokhless Bassal Boy 18 Aaed Imad Kheera Boy 14 Abdullah Al-Rayess Boy 17 Odai Hakeem Al-Mansi Boy 4 Allam Nehrou Idriss Boy 18 Ali Marwan Abu Rabih Boy 18 Anan Saber Atiyah Boy 13 Camelia Al-Bardini Girl 10 Lama Talal Hamdan Girl 10 Mohammed Jaber Howeij Boy 17 Nimr Mustafa Amoom Boy 10 29/12/2008 Ismail Talal Hamdan Boy 10 Ahmed Ziad Al-Absi Boy 14 Ahmed Youssef Khello Boy 18 Ikram Anwar Baaloosha Girl 14 Tahrier Anwar Baaloosha Girl 17 Jihad Saleh Ghobn Boy 10 Jawaher Anwar Baaloosha Girl 8 Dina Anwar Baaloosha Girl 7 Samar Anwar Baaloosha Girl 6 Shady Youssef Ghobn Boy 12 Sudqi Ziad Al-Absi Boy 3 Imad Nabeel Abou Khater Boy 16 Lina Anwar Baaloosha Girl 7 Mohammed Basseel Madi Boy 17 Mohammed Jalal Abou Tair Boy 18 Mohammed Ziad Al-Absi Boy 14 Mahmoud Nabeel Ghabayen Boy 15 Moaz Yasser Abou Tair Boy 6 Wissam Akram Eid Girl 14 30/12/2008 Haya Talal Hamdan Girl 8 31/12/2008 Ahmed Kanouh Boy 10 Ameen Al-Zarbatlee Boy 10 Mohammed Nafez Mohaissen Boy 10 Mustafa Abou Ghanimah Boy 16 Yehya Awnee Mohaissen Boy 10 Ossman Bin Zaid Nizar Rayyan Boy 3 Assaad Nizar Rayyan Boy 2 Moaz-Uldeen Allah Al-Nasla Boy 5 Aya Nizar Rayyan Girl 12 Halima Nizar Rayyan Girl 5 Reem Nizar Rayyan Boy 4 Aicha Nizar Rayyan Girl 3 Abdul Rahman Nizar Rayyan Boy 6 Abdul Qader Nizar Rayyan Boy 12 Oyoon Jihad Al-Nasla Girl 16 Mahmoud Mustafa Ashour Boy 13 Maryam Nizar Rayyan Girl 5 01/01/2009 Hamada Ibrahim Mousabbah Boy 10 Zeinab Nizar Rayyan Girl 12 Sujud Mahmoud Al-Derdesawi Girl 10 Abdul Sattar Waleed Al-Astal Boy 12 Abed Rabbo Iyyad Abed Rabbo Al-Astal Boy 10 Ghassan Nizar Rayyan Boy 15 Christine Wadih El-Turk Boy 6 Mohammed Mousabbah Boy 14 Mohammed Iyad Abed Rabbo Al-Astal Boy 13 Mahmoud Samsoom Boy 16 Ahmed Tobail Boy 16 Ahmed Sameeh Al-Kafarneh Boy 17 Hassan Hejjo Boy 14 Rajeh Ziadeh Boy 18 Shareef Abdul Mota Armeelat Boy 15 Mohammed Moussa Al-Silawi Boy 10 Mahmoud Majed Mahmoud Abou Nahel Boy 16 Mohannad Al-Tatnaneeh Boy 18 Hani Mohammed Al-Silawi Boy 10 01/01/2009 Ahmed Al-Meshharawi Boy 16 Ahmed Khodair Sobaih Boy 17 Ahmed Sameeh Al-Kafarneh Boy 18 Asraa Kossai Al-Habash Girl 10 Assad Khaled Al-Meshharawi Boy 17 Asmaa Ibrahim Afana Girl 12 Ismail Abdullah Abou Sneima Boy 4 Akram Ziad Al-Nemr Boy 18 Aya Ziad Al-Nemr Girl 8 Ahmed Mohammed Al-Adham Boy 1 Akram Ziad Al-Nemr Boy 13 Hamza Zuhair Tantish Boy 12 Khalil Mohammed Mokdad Boy 18 Ruba Mohammed Fadl Abou-Rass Girl 13 Ziad Mohammed Salma Abou Sneima Boy 9 Shaza Al-Abed Al-Habash Girl 16 Abed Ziad Al-Nemr Boy 12 Attia Rushdi Al-Khawli Boy 16 Luay Yahya Abou Haleema Boy 17 Mohammed Akram Abou Harbeed Boy 18 Mohammed Abed Berbekh Boy 18 Mohammed Faraj Hassouna Boy 16 Mahmoud Khalil Al-Mashharawi Boy 12 Mahmoud Zahir Tantish Boy 17 Mahmoud Sami Assliya Boy 3 Moussa Youssef Berbekh Boy 16 Wi'am Jamal Al-Kafarneh Girl 2 Wadih Ayman Omar Boy 4 Youssef Abed Berbekh Boy 10 05/01/2009 Ibrahim Rouhee Akl Boy 17 Ibrahim Abdullah Merjan Boy 13 Ahmed Attiyah Al-Semouni Boy 4 Aya Youssef Al-Defdah Girl 13 Aya Al-Sersawi Girl 5 Ahmed Amer Abou Eisha Boy 5 Ameen Attiyah Al-Semouni Boy 4 Hazem Alewa Boy 8 Khalil Mohammed Helless Boy 12 Diana Mosbah Saad Girl 17 Raya Al-Sersawi Girl 5 Rahma Mohammed Al-Semouni Girl 18 Ramadan Ali Felfel Boy 14 Rahaf Ahmed Saeed Al-Azaar Girl 4 Shahad Mohammed Hijjih Girl 3 Arafat Mohammed Abdul Dayem Boy 10 Omar Mahmoud Al-Baradei Boy 12 Ghaydaa Amer Abou Eisha Girl 6 Fathiyya Ayman Al-Dabari Girl 4 Faraj Ammar Al-Helou Boy 2 Moumen Alewah Boy 9 Moumen Mahmoud Talal Alaw Boy 10 Mohammed Amer Abu Eisha Boy 8 Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Kamar Boy 15 Marwan Hein Kodeih Girl 6 Montasser Alewah Boy 12 Naji Nidal Al-Hamlawi Boy 16 Nada Redwan Mardi Girl 5 Hanadi Bassem Khaleefa Girl 13 06/01/2009 Ibrahim Ahmed Maarouf Boy 14 Ahmed Shaher Khodeir Boy 14 Ismail Adnan Hweilah Boy 15 Aseel Moeen Deeb Boy 17 Adam Mamoun Al-Kurdee Boy 3 Alaa Iyad Al-Daya Girl 8 Areej Mohammed Al-Daya Girl 3 months Amani Mohammed Al-Daya Girl 4 Baraa Ramez Al-Daya Girl 2 Bilal Hamza Obaid Boy 15 Thaer Shaker Karmout Boy 17 Hozaifa Jihad Al-Kahloot Boy 17 Khitam Iyad Al-Daya Girl 9 Rafik Abdul Basset Al-Khodari Boy 15 Raneen Abdullah saleh Girl 12 Zakariya Yahya Al-Taweel Boy 5 Sahar Hatem Dawood Girl 10 Salsabeel Ramez Al-Daya Girl 6 months Sharafuldeen Iyad Al-Daya Boy 7 Doha Mohammed Al-Daya Girl 5 Ahed Iyad Kodas Boy 15 Abdullah Mohammed Abdullah Boy 10 Issam Sameer Deeb Boy 12 Alaa Ismail Ismail Boy 18 Ali Iyad Al-Daya Boy 10 Imad Abu Askar Boy 18 Filasteen Al-Daya Girl 5 Kamar Mohammed Al-Daya Boy 3 Lina Abdul Menem Hassan Girl 10 Unidentified Boy 9 Unidentified Boy 15 Mohammed Iyad Al-Daya Boy 6 Mohammed Bassem Shakoura Boy 10 Mohammed Bassem Eid Boy 18 Mohammed Deeb Boy 17 Mohammed Eid Boy 18 Mustafa Moeen Deeb Boy 12 Noor Moeen Deeb Boy 2 Youssef Saad Al-Kahloot Boy 17 Youssef Mohammed Al-Daya Boy 1 07/01/2009 Ibrahim Kamal Awaja Boy 9 Ahmed Jaber Howeij Boy 7 Ahmed Fawzi Labad Boy 18 Ayman Al-Bayed Boy 16 Amal Khaled Abed Rabbo Girl 3 Toufic Khaled Al-Khahloot Boy 10 Habeeb Khaled Al-Khahloot Boy 12 Houssam Raed Sobeh Boy 12 Hassan Rateb Semaan Boy 18 Hassan Ata Hassan Azzam Boy 2 Redwan Mohammed Ashoor Boy 10 Suad Khaled Abed Rabbo Girl 6 Samar Khaled Abed Rabbo Girl 2 Abdul Rahman Mohammmed Ashoor Boy 12 Fareed Ata Hassan Azzam Boy 13 Mohammed Khaled Al-Kahloot Boy 15 Mohammed Samir Hijji Boy 16 Mohammed Fareed Al-Maasawabi Boy 16 Mohammed Moeen Deeb Boy 17 Mohammed Nasseem Salama Saba Boy 16 Mahmoud Hameed Boy 17 Hamam Issa Boy 1 08/01/2009 Anas Arif Abou Baraka Boy 7 Ibrahim Akram Abou Dakkka Boy 12 Ibrahim Moeen Jiha Boy 15 Baraa Iyad Shalha Girl 6 Basma Yasser Al-Jeblawi Girl 5 Shahd Saad Abou Haleema Girl 15 Azmi Diab Boy 16 Mohammed Akram Abou Dakka Boy 14 Mohammed Hikmat Abou Haleema Boy 17 Ibrahim Moeen Jiha Boy 15 Matar Saad Abou Haleema Boy 17 09/01/2009 Ahmed Ibrahim Abou Kleik Boy 17 Ismail Ayman Yasseen Boy 18 Alaa Ahmed Jaber Girl 11 Baha-Uldeen Fayez Salha Girl 5 Rana Fayez Salha Girl 12 Rola Fayez Salha Girl 13 Diyaa-Uldeen Fayez Salah Boy 14 Ghanima Sultan Halawa Girl 11 Fatima Raed Jadullah Girl 10 Mohammed Atef Abou Al-Hussna Boy 15