Cornwall is set to turn out again in solidarity with Palestine

Residents of Cornwall will take part in a second ‘national’ demonstration in solidarity with Palestine on 9 December in Truro.

Kernow: in solidarity with Palestine

The protest, organised by Palestine Solidarity Cornwall (PSC), will meet outside the cathedral at 1pm to highlight the ongoing genocide the Israeli government is perpetrating against Palestinian people. The protest will demand accountability from Cornish MPs who voted against a ceasefire, and highlight the complicity of the UK arms trade in war crimes committed by the Israeli government.

The protest follows hundreds gathering in Truro on 18 November for the first Cornish national protest:

Hundreds of people took part in a peaceful demonstration in Truro today to show solidarity with Palestine as part of nationwide protests calling for an immediate ceasefire. @CornwallLive @WMNNews pic.twitter.com/H7Ydd5hUyc

— Greg Martin (@photogregmartin) November 18, 2023

Big turnout for the Palestine solidarity demo in Truro. Brilliant speeches from Palestinians telling their stories, & committed anti-racists willing to speak out about genocide. Notable absences from our political ‘representatives’ who continue to fail in representing the people. pic.twitter.com/YxjBWszobS

— Jennifer Forbes (@Jen4TruroAndFal) November 18, 2023

It also comes after two months of regular demonstrations, stalls and awareness raising events in Falmouth, Truro, Newquay, and Penzance. Campaigners have raised £2,270 for Medical Aid for Palestinians during these events.

Half a billion in UK arms to Israel

To date, over 21,000 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza, including 8,697 children. At least 1.7 million more have been displaced, and people are running out of places to flee as Israel continues its invasion in the south of Gaza. On 7 November, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children”. Despite a temporary pause in the onslaught, things have only deteriorated since then.

Since 2015, the Conservative government has licensed £474m worth of arms to Israel through single issue licenses. The real figure, however, is much higher as this does not include open licenses where there is no transparency over how much military equipment is sold. The F35 combat aircraft that Israel is currently using to bombard Gaza are covered by one of these open licenses. 15% of each F35 is made by UK industry.

According to research by Campaign Against The Arms Trade, UK companies have made £336m since 2016 from these sales. BAE Systems, the lead partner in the F35s, saw its share prices reach record heights following the escalation of the conflict.

‘We will keep protesting in Cornwall’

A spokesperson for Palestine Solidarity Cornwall said:

We wish it wasn’t necessary for us to be taking to the streets again, but while the UK government and the UK arms trade is complicit in genocide, we will keep protesting. It is easy to feel powerless – but we know from our members who are in contact with Palestinian people that our solidarity, and the solidarity of people across the UK does make a difference. We must keep up the pressure – both on this government and on the UK arms trade.

Companies such as a BAE Systems and Elbit systems are drenched in the blood of Palestinian children. During the Christmas period, there are always platitudes about peace on earth. But there can never be peace while arms companies make millions from death and destruction.

All of our MPs in Cornwall voted against a ceasefire. All of our MPs voted to allow Israel to continue killing, maiming and displacing Palestinian people. We must show that the public does not support them and that we will hold them to account for their actions.

Feature image via Cornwall Resists