Tower Hamlets shows how to build for Gaza demonstration

by Richard McEwan, Branch Secretary UCU Poplar

The rally on Thursday

Lecturers at Tower Hamlets college, east London, organised a protest on Thursday to make a splash in east London and big up Saturday's national demonstration.

We leafleted lecturers on Wednesday. People were particularly outraged as we'd just heard that another school had been bombed.

On Thursday morning we gave out flyers to students with a list of schools that the Israelis had bombed. This A generated a real buzz was around the college. Classes were taken over with discussions about the siege of Gaza and what life is like for Palestinians.

Up to 400 workers and students turned out to protest at the break time in between exams. Speakers from the Stop the War Coalition, the Islamic Forum of Europe and the UCU lecturers union spoke to the protesters.

It was brilliant. Everyone took away flyers for Saturday’s march determined to send a message into the estates, to friends through text messages and to the mosques to get as many people out on Saturday as possible.

Convoy for Gaza

Meanwhile a convoy of 80 cars travelled through Tower Hamlets in protest at the attacks on Gaza. Beginning in Brick Lane and heading through Whitechapel towards Bethnal Green, people in the cars spoke to local residents about the situation in Palestine and urged people to join the demonstration on Saturday.

Demonstrate!