Palestine protest in Commercial Road, Portsmouth on Saturday 1st June

Transcript

00:00Just when you think it couldn't be any worse for the Palestinians, Israel has carried out

00:24the most horrific attack which has included bombing tents. I'm almost stuck for words

00:33as to what more to say about it, so all we can do is keep showing up here in solidarity

00:39with my community. My name's George, I'm 30 and I'm here with Palestine's Solidarity Campaign

00:55protesting outside and inside Barclays. The reason why we're outside Barclays today is

01:01that Barclays are funding the weapons manufacturers that are dropping bombs this very second in

01:07Arafa. What you're seeing on the news and on social media with children being blown

01:12to pieces, families being decimated, is directly linked to the banks that you see behind me.

01:17And what they do when you bank with Barclays is take your money and invest it in the weapons

01:21manufacturers and even in the illegal settlements in the West Bank. And what we're doing today

01:25is protesting against that and saying, not in our name. We will not stand for this and

01:30we're calling for Barclays to disclose what their investments are to the public, but also

01:35divest from those weapons manufacturers and the illegal settlements in the West Bank.

01:39So yeah, when Israel are saying that this is all in self-defence, it can't possibly be self-defence

01:45when Israel are the occupying power. Israel have stolen Palestinian land, decades after decades,

01:5275 years, Israel have been expanding their land and stealing it from the Palestinians. It's even

01:57quite obvious the Israeli government and officials are being very openly genocidal. That's why

02:02they're in the International Criminal Court with the ICC saying there's genocidal language,

02:07they're telling the world we are committing a genocide and we're going to continue. And it's

02:11up to everyday people when international law and even domestic law won't stop that. It's up to

02:15everyday people to try and stop that. So I would encourage people to start protesting and making

02:20your voices heard. The massacre in Rafa is a stark and horrific reminder that the cycle of violence

02:26and occupation must end. This massacre was not a mistake. It was a calculated, targeted attack on

02:35the refugee population. The world cannot stand idly by in the face of such inhumanity. We have

02:44a moral duty to act, to speak out and demand accountability. It is the international community

02:53we say this. Your silence is complicit. Your inaction is a betrayal on the very principles

03:03of justice and human rights. We call upon you to hold those responsible to this massacre

03:12accountable. Demand investigations, impose sanctions and above all work tirelessly for

03:20a just and lasting peace.