Tag: Salisbury

Vigils to continue


Vigils to continue. Violence intensifies on the West Bank

January 2025

In a previous post we said we hoped that tonight’ vigil (25 January) would be the last following the cease fire deal agreed. It seems we were a trifle premature. Although the deal is holding for the moment with three more hostages released today, violence in the West Bank has escalated with settlers attacking Palestinian villages and setting fire to homes and vehicles.

“No such thing as a Palestinian” Mike Huckabee

But the biggest worry is the future with the impending appointment of Mike Huckabee as the US Ambassador to Israel. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has nominated former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee who is a strong defender of Israel who once argued that there was “no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Trump is quoted as saying: “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

Gov. Huckabee has been staunchly pro-Israeli throughout his career – including on what he says is the country’s claims to the West Bank. On Wednesday he said it was “of course” possible that the US would back the Israeli government if it were to try and annex the Israeli-occupied territory. The full throated support for Israel’s claims to the West Bank and the denial of a Palestinian state or indeed a two state solution, can only mean an increase in tensions in the area. The Atlantic reports that the majority of American Jews (66%) support a two state solution. He has also gone further than most US politicians with his stance on the West Bank saying: “There is no such thing as a West Bank. It’s Judea and Samaria. There’s no such thing as a settlement, they’re communities, they’re neighbourhoods, they’re cities.”

As a result, we shall be continuing with our vigil and we shall be back next Saturday 1st February at 5pm. Over 40 attended today (25 January) and we had a display of flowers thinking we had a small thing to celebrate. The increased violence in the West Bank and Huckabee’s likely appointment means continued violence is a likelihood.

Sources include: Jewish Chronicle, The Atlantic, CNN,

Amended, 26th Jan

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The penultimate Vigil?


Will tomorrows Vigil, the 60th, be our last?

January 2025

Around 40 attended this evenings Vigil in Salisbury (18th January) with the highest number of passers-by stopping to join us even if it was for a short while. Tomorrow, the peace process starts with another 6 weeks of negotiations to discuss a peace deal. Will it hold? Listening to Netanyahu’s address this evening, it does not look promising. As the Israeli human rights organisation Gisha says ‘we are hopeful but not optimistic’.

Penultimate Salisbury Vigil for peace?

There are many problems for both sides to overcome. This deal has been achieved largely through American pressure. The fundamentals of the conflict remain unresolved. The factors which research shows lead to the ending of hostilities are only partially present. One factor for example, is the exhaustion of both sides with losses of soldiers and weaponry making further advances difficult. Another factor is the public getting tired of the war with restrictions and higher prices. This does not look to be true here. Israel has lost around 900 soldiers. The Israeli public is largely supportive and the Americans are committed to supplying as much weaponry as needed. Hamas is much reduced but not eliminated.

Netanyahu said the IDF will keep control of the Philadelphi corridor with more troops. Gaza will remain contained. In his statement last evening, he said Israel can re-enter Gaza at any time. A lot will depend on aid being allowed in.

We must hope that peace will hold and the first phase is successful with hostage and prisoner swaps successfully achieved. A video of the Vigil can be viewed here. It is noteworthy that the local MP for Salisbury Mr John Glen, has never appeared at any of the 59 Vigils.

We will hold our 60th Vigil today, Saturday 25th January at 5pm as usual. If you are planning to come, please bring flowers.

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Vigil 58


Fifty eighth Vigil in Salisbury

January 2025

Around 30 attended the latest Vigil in the market place in Salisbury (a number of regulars were unwell). Gaza has disappeared from the news consumed as it is with the fires in California and various utterances of Elon Musk. But the violence still continues. The latest figures suggest around 46,000 are now dead the majority of whom are women and children. The Israelis say the figures are unreliable but they do not permit foreign journalists to enter Gaza. The Lancet in a fresh estimate of deaths think the figures are in the region of 55,000 to 78,000. A detailed analysis has recently been published.

We shall be present again next Saturday 18th January at 17:00 for half an hour.

A video of last evening’s Vigil thanks to Peter Gloyns for producing it.

Middleeasteye. Picture of Gaza City

Vigil

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January minutes


January 2025

Minutes of the group’s meeting this month are attached thanks to group member Lesley for preparing them. There are brief reports on the death penalty (full report in another post on this site) and refugees (ditto). Some our future activities are listed. If you are thinking of joining us the best way is to come along to one of our events and make yourself known. We are at the Saturday Vigils for example in the Market Square at 5pm. You would be very welcome.

Happy New Year to our readers and followers.

January minutes (Word)Download
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Nigerian Humanist released


Humanist sentenced to 24 years for blasphemy is released

January 2025

We are delighted to report that Mubarak Bala has been released from prison in Nigeria having been sentenced to 24 years for the ‘crime’ of blasphemy. Two members of the Salisbury Amnesty group attended a demonstration outside the Nigerian Embassy in London organised by the Humanists.

Mubarak, President of the Nigerian Humanist Association, was arrested under Sharia law in Kano state for peacefully expressing humanist beliefs on Facebook. He was denied access to his legal team and his family and at times feared for his life.

Humanists International and Humanists UK campaigned for his release and meetings were held with Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ministers, they staged a protest outside the Nigerian Embassy (pictured) and raised his case at the UN Human Rights Council. His case was raised on many occasions in parliament. The Nigerian Court of Appeal reduced his sentence to 5 years but the Humanists argued for his immediate and unconditional release. After four and a half years, he has now been released. He still fears for his life.

Twelve countries still have the death penalty for the so-called crime of blasphemy. Other countries will imprison such people. It encourages mobs to act violently against those who allegedly cause ‘religious offence’. The Humanists will continue to act for the repeal of all blasphemy laws.

Pictures: Salisbury Amnesty

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Refugee report


Channel crossings still a political problem

January 2025

While we continue to await the details of the government’s proposed Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, the arrivals continue on small boats. The total for 2024 was 36,816 (compared to 29,000 in 2023, but lower than 2022). 69 migrants lost their lives in the Channel over the year. It is also noted that 270 claimants died while awaiting the results of their applications since 2015. The National Crime Agency is predicting large numbers of arrivals this year.

UK Government activity in the last month include a Home Office declaration that people smugglers will face immediate travel bans, social media blackouts and phone restrictions when caught. This morning (Thursday) the Foreign Secretary has joined in with a piece insisting that the FO is part of this push. How this will develop is unclear, but he speaks of using “our sharpest diplomatic weapons.”

There has also been a marked increase in the number of removals (voluntary or otherwise), amounting to 13,500 since the election, and the speeding up of the application process may have led to a loss of accuracy in the decision making. It is likely that talk of removing people “who have no right to be here” will increase.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian refugees, here under the visa scheme, are concerned that the 3 year visas will expire soon. They can be extended, but it is feared that the process may take so long that the right to remain will have gone before completion.

Charities the Refugee Council and Safe Passage have both produced reports in the last month. Safe Passage is primarily concerned with child refugees and is urging the government to provide safe routes and enable families to reunite without hindrance. The Refugee Council is campaigning for a “fair and humane asylum system” with a six-point plan including piloting a visa scheme for anyone seeking refuge in the UK and a hearing process that takes no account of the means by which applicants arrived here. It is not expected that the government will take these suggestions up.

As an international comparison, the number of boat arrivals on the Canary Islands in 2024 was 46,000. Spain has been following a comparatively liberal approach to immigration, but it is feared this may change.

As a tailpiece, an article on the experiences of those migrants who ended up on the now abandoned Bibby Stockholm can be read here.

AH

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/08/life-and-death-on-the-bibby-stockholm-no-one-wanted-to-go-inside-but-we-had-no-choice

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New Year Vigil


Peace Vigil still going after a year of unceasing violence

January 2025

Another year and we held our 57th Vigil in Salisbury yesterday (4 January). A bitterly cold evening and snow threatened. Over 30 attended and we were pleased with some passers-by stopping to join us for a brief while.

The death toll is now around 46,000. It was reported that 6 infants died of cold.

Peace talks are set to resume, but they are unlikely to make much progress before President Trump takes office in a few weeks.

We are pleased to attach a video from yesterday made by Peter Gloyns;

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The Vigil goes on


.. and so does the fighting with a hospital destroyed this week

December 2024

The fighting still goes on in Gaza and the death toll is over 45,000 many of whom are women and children. This week, the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza was ordered to evacuate and has been largely destroyed by the IDF. It is claimed the hospital is a ‘terrorist hub’. There are reports of bombing next to the hospital denied by the IDF. As foreign media is denied access, the claims cannot be verified. The World Health Organisation said it was ‘appalled’ by the move and it does seem to be part of the undeclared plan to empty the area of all Palestinians. This is denied by the Israeli government.

We held our vigil again this evening (28 December) with over 30 in attendance. About 50 passers by took notice.

The prospects do not look good. Last weeks talk of peace talks do not look to be progressing well. Commentators are saying that Netanyahu has strengthened his position despite the court case. He has Donald Trump to look forward to who is pro-Israel and, importantly, pro the hard right in the Knesset. The new US Ambassador is very pro-Israel and speaks of the region in biblical terms.

A video of the vigil can be viewed here

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We shall be holding the first vigil of the New Year on Saturday 4th at 5pm.

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Death penalty: good news


President Biden commutes 37 out of the 40 prisoners on death row

December 2024

It is gratifying to be able to report some good news concerning the death penalty particularly at this time of year. Yesterday, 22 December, President Biden commuted 37 death sentences turning the sentences into life without the possibility of parole. This, which will be one of his last acts of his presidency, was widely welcomed in the States and elsewhere.

Biden has come some way from his time as a Senator when he championed a bill to widen the scope of the death penalty to a further 60 new offences. It is ironic that some of those who are having their sentences commuted – with a preponderance of Black people – were condemned as a result of his bill.

Part of the reason is the worry about when President-elect Trump takes office in a month or so. Trump put more people to death than the previous ten presidents combined. He is committed to the penalty and with a compliant Supreme Court, there will be little to stop him. Biden said: “In all conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted”.

These are Federal death penalty cases and it does not affect state actions.

Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. The local group produces a monthly report on its use around the world.

Sources: The White House; BBC; NBC; ACLU; USA Today

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Our right to protest


Government restrictions on protest are damaging to our democracy

December 2024

A key part of our democracy is our ability to protest peacefully. We have a right to free speech and a right of assembly. The Conservative government passed several laws which restricted these rights but the new Labour government seems in no hurry to repeal previous legislation.

The public is in two minds about demonstrations. They object to the climate protestors and some are happy that they were jailed for throwing paint at pictures or obstructing the M25. In the last century, there was similar disquiet at the suffragettes who took actual violent action in their pursuit of their desire for votes for women. They were referred to as ‘terrorists’ and ‘anarchists’ in their day.

What is not understood or widely accepted is that governments are not too keen at having their policies objected to. They are able to force through poor or ill-thought through legislation by whipping or coercion of their MPs. If the public objects or points out inadequacies in their policies their instinctive reaction is to stifle them. Many reforms come about as a result of protest, rights for gay people for example. With the new legislation, they have given wider powers to the police to arrest or prevent such demonstrations. Forty people will be behind bars this Christmas, in already overcrowded prisons, for planning or taking part in protests either for climate change or Gaza. British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism.

Public opinion is clearly influenced by the media which adopts a variety of different positions concerning protests. Some of the tabloids are keen to demonise climate protestors using words like ‘thugs’ or ‘eco zealots’. Some are happy to demonise those who are in support of Palestinians. Declassified has produced a video of a march in support of Palestine. The march was peaceful yet it was smeared by both the Times and Daily Mail. The latter suggested that it was sufficiently threatening for MPs to be frightened of leaving Parliament. The film shows this to be nonsense. There were two protestors and MPs were able to leave unmolested! Members of the public are seen strolling by. Police are stood about chatting. Orthodox Jews are present in support of the demonstration. This is but one example of our legacy media creating the impression of violent anti-Semites and anti-Israel protestors. It is interesting to note that the farmers held protests in London a week or so ago blocking roads with tractors. None were arrested and they were not demonised by the media.

Liberty are launching a campaign #WeProtest. They are on a mission to restore protest rights after years of decline, by making the case for how protest has made the UK a better place for everyone. We all have the right to speak out on issues that matter to us and our communities. Perhaps it’s saving your local library, or equal rights, or environmental justice. Whatever is important to you, you have the right to protest. This campaign is in partnership with the thinktank Demos.

Few reforms would come about without protests from the public. It is vital we retain that right.

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