Waltham Forest groups heading to Gaza Flotilla Demonstration on Saturday, meeting Walthamstow Town Square at 12noon,

URGENT URGENT URGENT - DISTRIBUTE THIS AS FAR AS YOU CAN. WE NEED EVERYONE TO BE THERE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND POLITICAL HUES!!

WALTHAM FOREST PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN

URGENT - gather tomorrow, Saturday, at 12 noon in Walthamstow Town Square in order to go down to the massive STW/PSC/everyone else demo to support the gaza flotilla in central london.

WALTHAMSTOW GATHERING POINT: 12 noon, tomorrow Saturday, in Walthamstow Town Square

bring banners, placards, anything to express who you are and why you're upset...

we'll have a couple of speeches, and hear from family members of

* Chingford resident: Tauqir Sharif (Tox)

* Walthamstow resident: Mohammed Abid Mahi

who were on the Mavi Marmara IHH boat that had the serious injuries and frightful deaths. Both guys are safe and well, still in Istanbul, condoling with family and friends of those murdered, and also the injured.

After our informal gathering, we'll all jump on the tube and go, everyone in solid

arity together:

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION - IN SUPPORT OF THE FREE GAZA FLOTILLA

Tomorrow - Saturday

1.30pm, Downing Street, Whitehall in Westminster

[Martial of PSC Central also asks - can you help hand out PSC information and sell merchandise? When you get down to central London tomorrow, would you be willing to help him? If Yes, please do contact Martial asap at head quarters on 020 7700 6192.]

Best wishes

Ellie Merton

Chair, WFPSC

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Patrons: Neil Gerrard, Jean Lambert MEP, Prof Nur Masalha

Email: wfpsc@yahoo.com

Web: www.facebook.com/wfpsc

Blog: http://wfpsc.blogspot.com

Address: PO Box 64002, London, E17 0HD

Stella Creasy MP makes strong moves to support Waltham Forest residents on Gaza Flotilla - very welcome news

" Hello everyone

I've actually already been in touch with the Foreign Office and Mr Mahi's family (as well as that of the other local resident we know is out there Tauqir Sharif) since they were first reported missing and can confirm as of the last few hours that the Foreign Office report they are both accounted for, alive and currently in detention. I will continue to work with both the consulate and their families in trying to ensure their safety and freedom as we try to find out more about what is happening in Israel in the coming hours. I will also be working with other Labour MPs to raise concerns about the events of the last few days when we return to parliament tomorrow. I'd be grateful if you could share this information with other local residents who are also concerned about Abid and Tox.

Stella "

Two residents from Waltham Forest on the Free Gaza Flotilla - what YOU can do to help them

WALTHAM FOREST PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN - FREE GAZA FLOTILLA NEWS

There were two Waltham Forest residents on the flotilla:

Tauqir Sharif (Tox)

Mohammed Abid Mahi

Tox's MP is Chingford's (Conservative) Ian Duncan Smith.

Mohammed Abid's MP is Walthamstow's (Labour) Stella Creasy.

Family and friends of both men are working flat out to talk to the media, talk to the Foreign Office and these MPs. We're all exhausted, sleep deprived and desperate. Our job is to do what we can to support them as much as possible, whilst also campaigning for every single person on those boats, and to free the people of Gaza. It's a big job, but worth every ounce of energy.

YOU TOO CAN HELP FLOTILLA PARTICIPANTS, RIGHT NOW:

Depending on where you live in the borough, please contact Tox's MP or Mohammed Abid's MP (as appropriate to your home address). Please express your personal thoughts on the situation, your concerns for the boyz, your hopes for the MPs to do their utmost to help in international efforts to locate/ascertain the safety of the boyz and censure the Israeli Government. Use this link for how to email your MP:

http://www.writetothem.com/

Likewise, please also contact the Waltham Forest newspapers and London specific media to express your concerns about Waltham Forest residents on the flotilla and your feelings about the situation. It is important everyone in the borough realises the impact of this horrific massacre on all of us in the borough. Please remember there is a very large Turkish population in the borough, who must be very unhappy.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/contactus/getintouch/

http://www.walthamstow-today.co.uk/tn/contact.cfm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3035310.stm

http://www.metro.co.uk/home/9454-contact-us

Go for it - you know you can!

LATER TODAY - DEMONSTRATION - IN SUPPORT OF THE FREE GAZA FLOTILLA

Tonight, and every day until the situation improves

5.30pm, Israeli Embassy, High Street Kensington.

I will be leaving to go down there at 5pm-ish from Walthamstow Central Station. Please, please do join us.

Needless to say, paramountly we are all extremely worried about Tox and Mohammed's safety. See BELOW for a statement about all the flotilla participants' legal situation.

Best wishes in exhaustion, concern and real worry...

Ellie Merton

Chair, WFPSC

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Patrons: Neil Gerrard, Jean Lambert MEP, Prof Nur Masalha

Email: wfpsc@yahoo.com

Web: www.facebook.com/Wfpsc London

Blog: http://wfpsc.blogspot.com

Address: PO Box 64002, London, E17 0HD

DEMONSTRATE in support of the Free Gaza Flotilla, today, Monday 31st May - at 2pm - opposite Downing Street

- URGENT - DEMONSTRATION today, MONDAY 31st May, at 2PM, opposite DOWNING STREET, Whitehall, London, in protest at the treatment by the Israeli Navy of the humanitarian aid relief FREE GAZA FLOTILLA

Israeli Navy threatening Gaza Freedom Humanitarian Aid Flotilla, full of non-violent peace and humanitarian aid activists in International Waters

We have all just heard live from Hassan Ghani, Sarah Colborne and all the other national spokespeople on the IHH Boat that the Flotilla has got rada contact showing 3 Israeli warships approaching, with one visible to IHH boat eyes. There are drones flying overhead. The flotilla is between 90 and 120 miles out at sea. That is far outside the 68 mile exclusion zone Israel has today (illegally) declared. The ships are clearly in international waters. The flotilla passengers all have life belts on, clearly anxious, but organised and determined.

Watch the IHH deck live (Blood Pressure Warning: the stream keeps freezing, buffering and pausing for obvious reasons):

http://www.livestream.com/insaniyardim

I have already spoken to the Foreign Office Emergency Response team, who are not in the position of doing anything pro-actively (they never are, it's just not their job). They are acutely aware of the flotilla's situation and ready to assist as appropriate any UK citizens abroad, or their direct relatives, "who need or request consular assistance".

The people we really have to hammer away at are our elected representatives. We HAVE to email/phone/text our Government Ministers - AND YOUR INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUENCY MP - to get them to support the convoy and tell the Israeli Navy to bugger off:

1) PHONE - the BBC and SKY and ask them WHY there has been virtually no coverage of the Freedom Flotilla which has 40 British passengers and crew on board (in total across all the ships) and is being threatened by the Israeli Navy with armed attack? Contact them on BBC 020 8624 9111 and SKY 020 7705 3000.

2) EMAIL - WILLIAM HAGUE
private.office@fco.gov.uk
AINAGCorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
haguew@parliment.uk

3) EMAIL or PHONE - NICK CLEGG
TELEPHONE Nick Clegg at the following numbers:
Sheffield Hallam constituency office - 0114 230 9002
House of Commons - 020 7219 2371
EMAIL ADDRESSES:
cleggn@parliament.uk,
libdemleader@parliament.uk,
nickclegg@sheffieldhallam.org.uk,
leader@libdems.org.uk

Please do your utmost to raise support and lobby for safety for the flotilla.
There are moves to hold a DEMONSTRATION AT DOWNING STREET AT 2PM, TOMORROW MONDAY 31ST MAY whatever happens this evening. As soon as I get more information about this you'll know!!

Best wishes
Ellie Merton
(Friend of Tox on the IHH boat,
Viva Palestina Convoy 3, a driver of ambulance F5,
Chair, Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign)

LATEST FLOTILLA UPDATE!! and some branch news...

Latest news (Sunday 30th May, 0900 BST) is that the Flotilla has probably got going to leave Cypriot international waters, but I have the impression the MV Rachel Corrie hasn't quite caught up yet, although all the other ships/loads of VIPS have. Not sure.... but it seems that way. The Flotilla's path to Gaza will take something like 22 hours, or longer since they are rather crawling along, and many of us are guessing that the Israeli Navy will try to attack the convoy during Sunday night (if that's still on the cards for them tactically - there again it may not be now....) or there will be some kind of standoff on Monday morning, near Gazan waters, possibly something like 25 miles out which is the limit of Israel's (illegal) patrolling zone. PSC central are considering a London demo on Tuesday, but this may be moved depending on what kind of standoff might occur.... It's all, as they say, fluid!

Best wishes

Ellie

Chair, WFPSC

REMEMBER - see FACEBOOK: Wfpsc London

FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE POSTS!

**********************************************************************

sent: Sat 29 May 2010, lunchtime

WALTHAM FOREST PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN

Ahoy Sailors!

FREE GAZA FLOTILLA - off the coast of Cyprus

At present, as far as Ellie can work out (lunchtime, Saturday 29th May) the extraordinary humanitarian aid relief Free Gaza Freedom Flotilla is still gathering in international waters off Cyprus. Onboard is Tox, from Walthamstow along with lots of WFPSC friends who went on the Viva Palestina Convoy Dec 09/Jan this year. Greek cypriot authorities banned the boats from going through Cypriot waters. As a result of all this, MV Rachel Corrie has taken a long time to catch up with the IHH ships and the rest of the Free Gaza Movement boats. One of the Free Gaza little boats has broken down so all those passengers have been transfered onto the big IHH passenger boat now. There may be other problems going on as well, but it's hard to tell at this juncture. It is possible Israeli Government is already jamming the communications links to some extent, but that is uncorroborated.

Meanwhile, more concretely, the Israeli Government is threatening the usual military action, preparing the Navy to assault the boats and take ships and passengers to Ashdod, in order to ransack/steal the aid, and deport/imprison the 750 activists (and crew?). But the threats are hollow at the moment, because the flotilla hasn't really set off yet!

In terms of WHEN we demonstrate in London (because of course we will...) there has already been a demo outside the Israeli embassy. PSC and Stop the War Coalition are coordinating to back a second demo ONCE the flotilla is properly underway (which it isn't yet) and Israeli government is genuinely about to enact their threats. I'll let you know soonest once we have that news. My sources on the boats, and at Free Gaza and PSC doubt anything will happen today (Saturday), but it might later in the Bank Holiday weekend.

HOWEVER, there is much action to be taken now - using computers and telephones - to lobby politicians and media to get them to support the flotilla.

1) PHONE - the BBC and SKY and ask them WHY there has been virtually no coverage of the Freedom Flotilla which has 40 British passengers and crew on board (in total across all the ships) and is being threatened by the Israeli Navy with armed attack? Contact them on BBC 020 8624 9111 and SKY 020 7705 3000.

2) EMAIL or PHONE - NICK CLEGG

TELEPHONE Nick Clegg at the following numbers:
Sheffield Hallam constituency office - 0114 230 9002
House of Commons - 020 7219 2371

EMAIL ADDRESSES:
cleggn@parliament.uk, libdemleader@parliament.uk, nickclegg@sheffieldhallam.org.uk, leader@libdems.org.uk

LETTER TEMPLATE:

Dear Mr Clegg,

I am writing to you to ask for you to show support for the International Flotilla of ships that is currently sailing towards Gaza. 750 people in 8 ships, loaded with 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid are due to dock in Gaza on Sunday afternoon.

However, the Israeli Government has issued serious threats, and the safety of all the passengers and crew is in substantial danger. Both passengers and crew pose NO THREAT, and should be allowed to sail safely into Gaza without incident, backed by international law, humanitarian law and maritime law. 35 passengers and crew are British nationals with further passengers being British residents, so you have a moral obligation with regards all their safety.

May I take this chance to remind you of your statements concerning Gaza and the illegal Israeli "Siege" quoted from your own article in the Guardian newspaper last year?

"The legacy of Operation Cast Lead is a living nightmare for one and a half million Palestinians squeezed into one of the most overcrowded and wretched stretches of land on the planet. And as Israel and Egypt maintain a near total blockade against Gaza, the misery deepens by the day."

You then went on to say:

"And what has the British government and the international community done to lift the blockade? Next to nothing. Tough-sounding declarations are issued at regular intervals but little real pressure is applied. It is a scandal that the international community has sat on its hands in the face of this unfolding crisis."

Mr Clegg, you yourself are now part of the British Government. What are you going to do? Are you going to call for an immediate end to the siege, or are you going to do what the previous Government did, which was nothing? This time, the buck stops with your administration, Mr Clegg.

So as you can see, it is now your turn to step up to the plate and be counted. In the last two days, the EU has called for an immediate end to the siege, and for the flotilla to be allowed a safe passage into Gaza. John Ging from UNWRA has even called for aid agencies to use Gaza port because the roads are blocked by Israel and Egypt. UN HQ has asked for the flotilla's safe delivery. Will you join these voices? Will you say "Enough Is Enough"?

I look forward to your response since time is of the essence.

Yours sincerely
........................

Remember, keep your eyes open for new emails/text messages calling for your attendance at a Demo in Central London!

WFPSC BRANCH NEWS

WEDNESDAY 9th JUNE - evening!

WFPSC BRANCH MEETING!

All about how we function, get things done: your time to come up with ideas

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET FULLY INVOLVED!

You will all be asked to volunteer yourselves to help arrange activities of your own choosing, get involved in the nitty gritty, and suggest your own activities that you would like to see come to fruition over the coming months. There are some great opportunities coming up; we want to hear your suggestions for how we tackle them best, and get them achieved. There is so much to be done and with your contribution, however small, we can do so much more. Please come along and take part - tell us your thoughts and offer us your time, your expertise, your enthusiasm and your willingness to make life better for Palestinians through our work in the UK and Palestine.

Report on fascinating foreign affairs discussion with MP candidates in Waltham Forest

Making Palestine the issue at the General Election!!

Thanks heaps to everyone who made it to the pre-Election foreign affairs discussion at Fresh'a'licious on Fri 23rd April 2010, particularly all those who haven't been to one of our knees-ups before! It was a joy to welcome yet more new faces to the WFPSC fan-base! Three hours later and we were still talking and debating and swapping experiences.... A fascinating evening.

Thanks to Cath Arakelian (Chingford - Labour candidate) for her amazing work at distilling foreign affairs, and particularly palestinian policy, from all the party manifestos, and giving us an insight into her trip to the West Bank in January. Cath also brought us news from Stella Creasy. Through Cath, Stella made assurances about her support for Palestine, although she felt least in favour of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign (which, to our audience was interesting, as that is the principal part of the Free Palestine campaign that is having internationally positive effects for Palestinian support). Cath did a brilliant job at answering everyone's questions on a range of international issues, pledged her support for all the PSC initiatives and concerns, and proved herself yet again a strong defender of Palestinian rights.

Thanks also to the Lib Dem candidate for Walthamstow, Farid Ahmed, who eventually made it to the meeting having extricated himself from "helping the police" about the Lib Dem office's unusual 'visit' from four members of Islam4UK. Farid managed to answer a lot of questions about what Nick Clegg was up to, and point at some very positive moves by the Lib Dems in relation to Palestine, and perhaps a more rational policy-making mentality than other parties. That remains to be proven once the count is done. However, unusually, the group thanked Farid for his honesty and humility in his answers, and were pleased he openly promised to visit Palestine sooner rather than later whether or not he got into power and that Palestine would be one of his key interests as an MP. He also signed, in ink (!) all the PSC pledges and Cath filmed him doing that so we have evidence! Farid, it has to be acknowledged, has been the most upfront and forthcoming with his Palestinian support since we very first set up WFPSC so we're pleased that, over a year on, he's still treating Palestine as an important issue, and one of upmost relevance to Waltham Forest residents.

The Conservative candidate for Leyton (Ed Northover) was not able to be at the meeting in the end, since he had another engagement at 7.30 that we knew about. He had hoped to come along afterwards and it would have been good to hear how he is getting on with putting foreign policy in the spotlight in Leyton but, nonetheless, it still stands that Edwin has engaged in Palestinian issues and bothered to support our twinning efforts with Beit Lahiya, and engage in the debate on ways to bring about a stable Palestinian state, where his political colleagues don't have such integrity.

Inevitably, however, our main focus of discussion revolved around the intransigence (and ineptness) of British Foreign Policy, irrespective of which political party was in power. To a certain extent, it was felt, foreign policy was a constant that was untouched and unaffected by temporal shifts in political leadership. Most felt foreign policy was pretty much in hock to the US, and thereby (currently at any rate) being pro Israel, whatever UK politicians might wish for otherwise and irrespective of what the rest of the international community might think is wise. We discussed China, Syria, the US, the EU (particularly the dreaded EU/Israel Association Trade Agreement), the African states, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan but all very much from the viewpoint of how UK policy in those countries affects how we then treat Palestine. We discuss BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) and particularly the arms trade: what level of arms trade in the UK is really having an effect on UK foreign policy. In particular we discussed how the UK could view Israel as a "friendly" country now in the wake of the Goldstone report, the passports fiasco and all the flouting of international humanitarian, civil rights and criminal law. Would any party be so bold as to change it's mind on the "friendly" country tag? Would any party "dare" to recognise Israel as the Apartheid state it so categorically has been proven to be?

Most importantly we had people at the meeting who were either Palestinian, or had lived in Palestine or had Palestinian connections. To us, this focus on what Palestinians think and how the UK comes across to them is extremely important and gives us a legitimacy in our work which is vital to WFPSC's well-being. For political candidates to be cross-questioned about Palestine by Palestinians, as opposed to anyone else, is key.

There is much more to do to engage our local politicians in understanding the importance of Palestinian sovereignty to the stability of the Middle East and the diffusing of many of the world's conflicts, not least make Waltham Forest's very diversely international community more at ease with each other. However, we really welcome the time taken by Farid, Cath and Edwin to make the effort already. If only all politicians were so thoughtful and willing.

You can still play your part in making Palestine the issue at the General Election: SEND OFF THE PSC 'PLEDGES' LETTER "PALESTINE IS THE ISSUE" to all your local candidates, and make sure they respond!!

Best wishes

Ellie

Chair, WFPSC

07770 376701

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Patrons: Neil Gerrard MP, Jean Lambert MEP, Prof Nur Masalha

Email: wfpsc@yahoo.com

Web: www.facebook.com/wfpsc

Blog: http://wfpsc.blogspot.com

Address: PO Box 64002, London, E17 0HD

Your chance in Waltham Forest to discuss Foreign Policy before the Election. FRIDAY at 7pm !!!

Make Palestine a massive issue at the General Election!

GENERAL ELECTION 2010: Make Palestine the Issue

LOBBY YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

We’ve had a fantastic response to our lobby of parliamentary candidates, with thousands of emails sent and over 1200 candidates lobbied. With only two weeks left until election day use our campaigning tool to contact your candidates and let them know the strength of public feeling for a just resolution for Palestine. Over 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza are now into their fourth year of living under a horrific and brutal siege, and Israel’s continuing illegal settlement building programme throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem is further entrenching its illegal occupation. It is vital that MPs in the next Parliament understand they have a responsibility to act to end Israel’s violations of international law. Ask them to show their support by signing up to PSC’s six election pledges: Call on Israel to end its violations of international law, including ending its illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Oppose any attacks on universal jurisdiction and support bringing those responsible for war crimes to justice Work to end the siege on Gaza Call on the government to ban the import of settlement goods Call on the government to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement Call for an end to Britain’s arms trade with Israel It only takes one minute. Just click here to find out who your Parliamentary candidates are and start lobbying. Please send replies to elections@palestinecampaign.org – candidates can also directly sign the pledge by sending their name, constituency and party to this email. Find out if your local candidates have sign the pledge here:www.palestinecampaign.org/elections You may want to download our election briefing to send to your candidates with more in-depth information about the pledges. In solidarity, Hugh Lanning Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign P.S. please forward this email to your friends, family and colleagues and share our lobbying link on facebook and twitter!

Designed by Mulberry Design

THURSDAY!! Rich Wiles speaking in Walthamstow at 7pm, Hornbeam Centre

Join us to hear about Rich Wiles' work in the West Bank - and his moving new book: "Behind the Wall"

(http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Wall-Life-Struggle-Palestine/dp/1597974390/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1%29)

Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Branch meeting

Thurs 25th March, at 7pm

Hornbeam Centre

458 Hoe Street, E17 9AH

How to get to "Women & Palestine" mtg at Quaker Mtg House, 1a Jewel Road, Walthamstow. Today, 5th March, at 7pm. See you there!

Women making a LOT of Noise - because we can. Do come along and bring some men with you to hear what us women have to say!!!

Girls and boys have returned from Gaza - the Viva Palestina convoy delivers strong results

With huge apologies for the delay in updating you, it is with great delight we can say that WFPSC and Lost Voices of Gaza contingents on the Viva Palestina convoy have successfully delivered their aid and visited Gaza!

Jo, Rada and Ellie, along wit

h Tox, Hamza and Sa'id arrived in Gaza with the rest of "F team" (show in the group photo) in the early hours of the morning of 6th January, or was it 7th January. Time had merged into one long day by then and the date was pretty immaterial. The fact is, we had arrived!

Although we had no idea when we arrived, in the end, we only had a fleeting 36 hours in Gaza - basically one day - to do everything we had arranged, including seeing families and friends of Gazans back in the UK, and making links with local community groups. So, basically, we only got the tiniest fraction done of what we had planned.

That said, we did manage to get out and about, rushing to see as much of Gaza as we could. The Lost Voices boys made it to a hospital and other community organisations, Rada and Jo attended two enormous receptions and spent quality time with our host family and Ellie made it to an archeological museum and then met a family living in tents/makeshift housing near the Eretz crossing.

Despite the difficulties we had with the Egyptian authorities, the riot at El Arish and the deportation fiasco, we had a brilliant time in Gaza, and the Gazan people made us so welcome we all have homesickness for Palestinian hospitality! At every turn, even though the Palestinians have barely enough to feed themselves, we were pressed with food, tea, coffee, more food, more tea, more coffee, delicious puddings, sweets, more coffee - we had to beg not to eat at 1.30am... And all the time huge amounts of merry talking - about anything and everything - a real exuberance for life and love of other people: a deeply cultured, humane and mature way of life which we adored.

We all have heaps of photos and stories to tell. With any luck we will get a branch meeting together (1st or 5th Feb?) for WFPSC members and onlookers, just to sort out what we, as WFPSC need to do next. There is the PSC AGM coming up on 6th Feb, at which we need to speak up and with any luck there will be a formal VP Convoy feedback session (later in Feb?), to help us plan better for future such convoys and siege-breaking activities. But what we really want to do is hold a public meeting for your Waltham Forest convoy members to share their stories with you, so you can learn how we coped, how we nurtured and protected your aid that we were carrying, how we made hundreds of Palestinian friends along the way in all the diaspora countries and how we handed over the aid and whatever cash we had to families and community groups on arrival in Gaza.

We've had some media coverage, both on the way and on our return. Buy the Waltham Forest Guardian Newspaper - we're in this week's (Thurs 21 Jan) edition! Also, the same paper did an on-line article on us. Jo and Rada have appeared in a couple of international newspapers, we've all appeared on lots of Press TV bulletins, IHH (turkish NGO) broadcasts and Al Jazeera. Ellie's also done a live Radio Johannesburg interview and a live TV debate for Medi1stat, Moroccan 24-hour news. So we have not been silent!

In the meantime, if you have any questions, get in touch on wfpsc@yahoo.com

Anniversary of the Gaza attacks

Today, on the anniversary of the attacks on Gaza beginning with the killing of hundreds in the first few hours, Jo, Rada and Ellie from Waltham Forest Palestine Solidarity Campaign are still stuck on the beach at Aqaba, Jordan, waiting with the Viva Palestina Convoy for Egypt to allow humanitarian aid through its borders into Gaza.

We need you, our supporters, to write to the UK Foreign Office and to the UK Egyptian Embassy, to lobby them to drop their conditions and allow the Viva Palestina Aid Convoy through to Gaza.

Why must the people of Gaza continually be punished for existing? Why must the humanitarian efforts of a few hundred international peace volunteers be sneered at by Egyptian officials?

In Aqaba today, we have been demonstrating as much as we can. 20 members of the convoy have gone on hunger strike today, with further people joining up in the coming days. We held a jolly demo on two boats, making an attempt to take Palestinian flags and Gaza support banners over the water to wave at Eilat, the deeply disturbing and flashing Israeli holiday resort on the Red Sea (why does Israel need so much "aid" when it has such huge income generation of its own?). There was a demo in town to mark the hunger strike beginning and this morning a group of convoy volunteers climbed a local mountain overlooking Aqaba and flew an enormous Palestinian flag and VP Convoy banners for all to see. This evening we have a rally at our basecamp compound and a candlelit vigil to honour all 1,400 killed in the attacks on Gaza last year.

We remain steadfast and determined to get our aid to the people of Gaza. We will not be stopped. There is no reason at all why the people of Gaza should be denied our voluntary humanitarian assistance. The families of Gaza are waiting for us to arrive: we get text messages from our friends there every day wishing us well and looking forward to our imminent appearance.

Please help us by contacting the Foreign Office today and reading the riot act to them, to get them off their Christmas backsides and into action to persuade Egypt that Egypt must allow humane behaviour towards the people of Palestine and particularly the people of Gaza. Why does Egypt feebly do the bidding of Apartheid Israel? Does Egypt have no backbone of its own, that it is too wimpy to be strong and caring to its fellow man?

We will wait in Aqaba, clogging up the streets with demos and bashing away on the keyboards of every internet cafe in town for hours at a time until we are allowed to take our aid to Gaza.

Ellie

On the Road to Gaza

Hello from Amman in Jordan!

Rada, Jo and I are still alive, our ambulance is almost still on one piece and your aid is totally intact. Rock on!

It is a huge relief to be able to blog for the first time during the convoy. Getting to an internet cafe has been tough work in most of our overnight destinations (which at the beginning of the trip were entirely petrol stations and sports halls but are now hotels and hostels) and those convoy members that do have internet on their laptops are so busy emailing and blogging themselves they understandably have not had much time to offer to those of us without instant access.

Currently I am sitting in an internet cafe down the road from a press conference/demonstration at the Jordanian Union Complex somewhere in Amman. We are tired, but happy to be here. On the road last night we encountered our first real authority difficulties, with the police blocking our path after crossing the border into Jordan. We had a sit-in, with all convoy ambulances blaring every single horn and flashing every light, and eventually the police gave up, probably due to being deafened (chortle chortle).

Our welcome from normal people in the street throughout Turkey, Syria and now Jordan has been phenomenal. Turkey has been the most overwhelmingly exuberant with clutches of supporters standing in the middle of motorway central reservations in the pouring rain and at 2am just to wave and cheer us on. It is overwhelming to have such heartfelt support.

It is a massive blessing to get a morning off today, only our second bit of time off in over two weeks of solid driving at painfully slow speeds, or break neck races after waiting around for hours at a time. We are all quite stressed because we never know what is happening each day from one hour to the next. There is a lot of justifiable criticism about VP convoy organisers from the convoy members, but it has to be said the resourcefulness of the drivers and the team leaders means we have succeeded in all we have needed to do in spite of anything the organisers fail to fix or arrange.

We are now bracing ourselves for Egypt. We need your support for this. Please contact your MP by email or fax, and also send messages direct to the UK Foreign Office, demanding that Egypt allow safe passage for the convoy and facilitate its entry into Gaza. Egypt must let us in.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas over the next few days, and please do tell your friends and families that we are living up to your support so far, but we will do our utmost in the time ahead of us to get through Egypt, get into Gaza and give the Palestinian people your support, money, aid, good wishes, solidarity and love. Watch us on Press TV (Sky Channel 515) to keep up to date on our progress from now on....

Hugs all round and "Viva, Viva Palestina!!"
Ellie

We're going to Gaza in an ambulance!

WFPSC members will be joining the "Viva Palestina!" convoy (departing London on Sunday 6th December travelling across Europe to go to Gaza) in an ambulance. We're SOOOO excited and nervous all at the same time. It is not too late still to donate, so we can buy extra aid to take out. We hope to take education aid in our ambulance, as well as some basic medical materials.

Our ambulance will look similar to the one pictured above - we don't get to pick ours up until Wednesday! Once we've got our ambulance, we'll put photos of it up for you to see and admire. Thank you SO MUCH for your amazing support, very generous and kind donations and for showing how much you care about Gaza one year on from the dreadful attacks.

DON'T FORGET TO COME TO THE ASIAN CENTRE, WALTHAMSTOW ON SUNDAY 29th November, all AFTERNOON! Help the Lost Voices of Gaza boys raise their final funds for their ambulance too!

We need your DONATIONS for a special WFPSC LONDON FUND to help us join the "Viva Palestina!" convoy to Gaza

Chingford Morrisons and South Woodford Waitrose taken over by Boycott Israeli Apartheid Protestors on Sat 7th November

WFPSC and J-BIG protestors being politely evicted from Waitrose in South Woodford

Shopping in Morrisons, Chingford

Impressively few lines of Israeli Apartheid Goods - but all the usual ones, like Grapefruit, Oranges and Dates.

A light bit of relevant stickering to get the gentle message across.

WFPSC Boycott Action against Waitrose, South Woodford - Saturday 7th November 2009

1) Gather at 2pm at the Little Woodford Cafe, just along the road from South Woodford Station

2) At 3pm, set off for Waitrose

Waltham Forest PSC mobilising for Boycott Israeli Apartheid week of action!

SATURDAY 07 NOVEMBER

WFPSC STALL - WALTHAMSTOW TOWN SQUARE

11-1.30pm - come to rally everyone to the cause. Get your latest merchandise and info leaflets and catch up with everyone.

SOUTH WOODFORD WAITROSE ACTION!

Roll up! Roll up! Tell local South Woodford Waitrose "Enough is enough! No more Israeli Apartheid goods on your shelves!" Join in with lots of hearty pacifist resistance and noble non-violence: protesting, leafletting, singing, stickering, sitting on the ground, piling up illegal goods! Something for all your intrepid friends and family to do. Bring along loud hailers, banners, digital and video cameras!

2pm: Meet for briefing at the Little Woodford Cafe, George Lane, South Woodford (short walk from South Woodford tube station - Central Line)

3pm: Walk to South Woodford WAITROSE (http://www.waitrose.com/branches/branchdetails.aspx?uid=231)

5pm: Depending on how we get on, we may visit another supermarket nearby...

For further info, please email wfpsc@yahoo.com

THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER

NATIONAL TELEPHONE/FAX/EMAIL SUPERMARKETS DAY OF ACTION!

You can do this any time of day, from home, your office, on the train, on a bus, walking along...

WAITROSE

Waitrose CEO Mark Price: mark_price@waitrose.co.uk

Waitrose Customer Service Freephone: 0800 188 884

Email: customer_service@waitrose.co.uk

Waitrose Customer Service Dept, Waitrose Ltd, Doncaster Rd, Bracknell, Berks RG12 8YA

MORRISONS

Morrisons' CEO Marc Bolland: marc.bolland@morrisonsplc.co.uk

Morrisons Customer Service: 0845 611 6111
Head Office - 0845 611 5000

Registered office - Hillmore House, Gain Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 7DL

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER

WFPSC STALL - WALTHAMSTOW TOWN SQUARE

11-2pm - Join us to distribute more information to Waltham Forest's residents about the importance of boycotting.

WALTHAM FOREST & REDBRIDGE GREEN PARTY BAZAAR - United Reformed Church, Nightingale Lane, Wanstead (off the High St)

11-3pm - Join Liz and the fair trade gang selling Zaytoun produce. Turn up early to avoid disappointment because Liz's stuff sells VERY FAST!

Donate today after our amazing concert for Viva Palestina!

Amazing concert for Viva Palestina - this weekend!

Also, come and see us at our WFPSC stall at Leytonstone "Car Free Day", Sun 20th Sept

Join us also at our WFPSC Palestinian goods and merchandise stall in Leystonstone for Waltham Forest's "Car Free Day" - click here for a link to the council's website to find out more!

Buy Palestinian goods at our WFPSC stall at the Fair Trade event in Leytonstone on Sat 12th Sept!

Tuesday, 7pm, Harmony Hall - and bring iftar food for all to enjoy! See you all there!

Bank Holiday weekend - things to do in Walthamstow

Friday 28 August - leafletting Waltham Forest's mosques with "Don't buy illegal Israeli medjoul dates during Ramadan" fliers. If you can help us leaflet your local mosque in Waltham Forest on Friday lunchtime (12.30-2.30pm or any part thereof!) please email wfpsc@yahoo.com

Saturday 29 August - WFPSC stall in Walthamstow Town Square, 11am-3pm. Another jolly stall, with lots of local life popping by to see us, joining up, geting fliers for the meeting on 1st Sept and nosing through merchandise. It's a great place to meet your friends and do some good all at the same time! Do email wfpsc@yahoo.com if you can help set up/take down.

Tuesday 1st Sept - Our fanastic public meeting, with Iftar in the middle of it for not just those observing Ramadan but for everyone to be able to enjoy. Three amazing speakers - don't miss it! All welcome!!

Netanyahu, Israel's dodgy Prime Minister, in the UK today - picket Netanyahu Tuesday lunchtime, and fax/email Gordon Brown with your views

TUESDAY 25 AUGUST

GATHER OUTSIDE 10 DOWNING STREET

1.30pm to 3pm

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of one of the most right wing governments in Israel for many years, is coming to London to meet Gordon Brown.

Stop the War and PSC have called a picket of Downing Street during his visit. Come and support the palestinian people.

Netanyahu has refused to stop Israeli settlement building on the West Bank. Palestinians are stil being evicted from their homes. The settlements are illegal and should be dismantled.

The seige of Gaza remains. Essential food and medical supplies are still being denied to the people of Gaza. The blockade should be lifted immediately.

Come to the picket on Tuesday to tell Gordon Brown that this is what he should be asking Netanyahu to do.

IF YOU CAN'T COME TO THE PICKET, WRITE/FAX GORDON BROWN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in London and Berlin on a four-day visit, and is meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Please take two minutes to contact Gordon Brown urgently, asking him to convoy these issues in his meetings with Netanyahu:

Israeli settlements block peace – they must be dismantled, not just frozen
End Israel’s siege on Gaza
End Israel’s ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem

And remind Gordon Brown that real peace means delivering justice for Palestinians. The British government must act to ensure Israel ends its violations of international law – this includes an immediate end to Israel’s illegal occupation and respect for the right of return of refugees. The government must also act to uphold the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people.

You can:
Fax your letter to 10 Downing Street: 020 7925 0918.
Twitter Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street
Email David Miliband at the Foreign Office and ask them to convey your message to the Prime Minister: msu.correspondence@fco.gov.uk

Please circulate this call widely and copy us any replies.

=====================================

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) aims to raise public awareness about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people. PSC seek to bring pressure on both the British and Israeli government to bring their policies in line with international law. PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organisation with members from communities across the UK. Join PSC today!

Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Box BM PSA
London
WC1N 3XX
Tel: 020 7700 6192

Amazing Public Meeting on 1st September, Harmony Hall, Walthamstow at 7pm - bring your friends and colleagues, all welcome!

New Zaytoun produce order form - get your Medjoul dates from Palestine today!

A bit of publicity...

Join in with us today! Come and help Palestinians regain their civil and human rights

Buy Palestinian fairtrade goods from our local distributor!

Israeli Apartheid confirmed by South Africans

South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has published a detailed and uncompromising legal reading on whether Israel's behaviour equates to colonialism and apartheid in Palestine.  Click here to read the report, which should be obligatory reading for every MP, MEP, UN representative and so on.  It puts the UK in a very sticky position....

A snapshot of daily Israeli Colonisation Apartheid behaviour

Palestine Literary Festival is blocked from opening in Jerusalem by Israeli Apartheid soldiers but it carries on anyway.  Eventually, on 26th May, Michael Palin has a 'road to Bethlehem' moment.

Meanwhile, Palestinian farmers in Safa try to tend their land with international peace activists for protection, except Israeli Apartheid soldiers enforce their colonisation goals by thugging up both Palestinian farmers and peace activists, on a whim - they were probably bored.

Things to do this weekend!

Hello lovely WFPSCers

 

We had an excellent pre-EU elections meeting on Tuesday - squashing a good turn-out into Hornbeam and grilling both Jean Lambert (Green MEP) and Jonathan Fryer (Lib Dem EU candidate).

 

It was tremendous to see so many new faces from our group, and to have such a hearty discussion followed by Rada Daniell's moving photographs of her recent two-month West Bank tour.

 

You've given us a lot of feedback recently about the national agenda for PSC, as opposed to how we do things at branch level.  If you are happy or unhappy at the way PSC national runs affairs, now is a good time to speak up at the forthcoming gathering on Saturday.  Come along and speak your mind, but remember to be a paid-up member of PSC to participate: 

 

Saturday 30th May

PSC Branch Forum in London

11am–5pm

University of London Union, Malet St , London WC1

(nearest tubes Goodge St/Euston/Russell Square )

 

Waltham Forest will have a group leaving Walthamstow Central at about 10.15am getting to Russell Square at 10.45am.  Please call Ellie Merton (WFPSC chair) on 07770 376701 if you have any questions.  We really hope you can join us for this important national debate.

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If you haven't done your bit to 'block the bloody BNP' there are plenty of other opportunities, like leafletting tube stations on Friday (tomorrow) morning or leafletting around Chingford on Sunday for you to help Unite Against Fascism (a group that we are grateful to say actively supports WFPSC).  Please contact our excellent local UAF branch by email uaf@waltham-forest.org.uk, phone 07017 401951 or 07905 258133 or see Mike Barton, Dean Harris or anyone from UAF to help them out.

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Finally, don't forget our bumber-packed "WFPSC Annual General Meeting" on Saturday 4th July, 2pm, at Quakers Meeting House, 1a Jewel Road, Walthamstow, E17 4QU.  (It's extremely easy to find - Quakers is at the top of Jewel Road opposite Hoe Street's Rose & Crown pub - but do note, despite the building being fully disability accessible, parking is frightful and 'single yellows' go up to 6pm).  Speakers, elections, debates, unveiling new initiatives, announcing new Patrons - lots of interesting material for you to get your intellectual and campaigning teeth into.  Please do come along, but make sure you join PSC to be able to vote.

Stoke "Love Music Hate Racism" Festival on Sat 30th May

There are just two days left to get your tickets & coach seats for Stoke-On-Trent's "Love Music Hate Racism" Festival on Sat 30th May.  

To purchase tickets contact uaf@waltham-forest.org.uk, phone 07017 401951 or 07905 258133 or see Mike Barton, Dean Harris et al from UAF.

At £20 (£10 entry + £10 coach seat), our trip package is a steal for a great day out: lots of top live acts, and a huge show of unity against the BNP with joint headliners Kelly Rowland and Pete Doherty. Our Waltham Forest UAF coach leaves Walthamstow Central Station at 8.30am Saturday morning, returns at 10.30pm.

"It's a great opportunity for a day of unity and a fantastic concert. Contact us for tickets today, and join us on the coach!" say Dean and Mike.

WFPSC Pre-Euro Elections Meeting, Tues 26th May at 7.30pm

Join us at the Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe Street E18 9AH

Come and talk about EU Elections with local politicians, hear from recent Palestine visits and discuss Twinning.