Archive 2024

On November 16 as countries gathered at the climate change conference COP29 in Baku, a wide coalition of groups are calling for speedier action to prevent runaway climate breakdown.

On November 16 protests took place across the country. In Newcastle it was organised by the North East Climate Justice Coalition, with Climate Action Newcastle, Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion along with many other organisations, including Newcastle Stop the War. A march was held on Northumberland Street, which was part of the Global Day of Action. This aimed to raise awareness about the urgent need for climate action and that the people must be empowered to harmonise the natural and social environment into a liveable planet in the interests of the future of all.

It was reported that Jacky Doran, 69, Climate Action Newcastle organiser, said: “Temperatures this year have risen even higher than the 1.5 degree C temperature increase in the Paris Agreement – and with rates of fossil fuel burning increasing rather than falling, we’re hurtling ever faster towards disastrous climate breakdown. All the experts agree that the dithering and denial has to stop – urgent action must be taken now, both here and around the world.”

Pam Wortley Vice Chair of Newcastle Stop the War also addressed the rally which was chaired by Tony Dowling. She said; "The Stop the War Coalition is an anti-war movement, dedicated to preventing and ending all wars. Wars are a major cause of the climate crisis with 20% of environmental degradation around the world due to military activities... If we’re to have any hope of a liveable planet, we must divest from war and destruction." We attach her full speech.

Pam Wortley rally speech

On Sunday September 29, around 20 people attended an Anti-war assembly which was held in Newcastle spanning two sessions. Session 1. Stop the genocide! Stop arming Israel! and session 2. No escalation of war! No to Islamophobia!   Introducing the discussion in the first session was Alex Snowdon, NEU Northern and Jason Hussein Vice Chair, Newcastle Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Introducing the discussion in the second session was Roger Nettleship Newcastle Stop the War, Mohammad Asif Glasgow Stop the War, and Sweta Choudhury Stop the War Coaltion. The meeting was chaired by both Tony Dowling and Dave McCallister.

With Israel's British government supported genocidal war in Gaza and now their war spreading into Lebanon and with the war in Ukraine being escalated by the Anglo-US led NATO alliance against Russia. The anti-war assembly concentrated on the anti-war movement in renewing and rebuilding the discussion and involvement in anti-war activities in the north east. Whilst the Assembly reaffirmed ongoing actions in standing with Palestine and Lebanon it also discussed the necessity to further work to oppose the dangerous escalation of war in Ukraine that Britain is playing a leading role in alongside the US. We reproduce audio of speeches below. One is notes as it was mistakenly not recorded.

Session 1: Alex Snowdon    Jason Hussein
Session 2: Roger Nettleship   Mohammad Asif    Sweta Choudury

On April 4^th some hundreds of people took part in a Vigil in Newcastle for Al Shifa Hospital in Palestine. It was organised by medical workers and students in Newcastle to condemn the most recent barbarous attacks by Israel against Al Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza. They also described the Israeli forces cowardly retaliation to the resistance efforts by intensified bombing of hospitals and residential complexes in Khan Yunis and Rafah and their latest atrocity to deliberately target and kill food aid workers in Gaza.

Medical workers and Palestinians spoke with outrage describing the unbelievable crimes of Israeli soldiers butchering patients, medical staff, men women and babies murdering over 600 and destroying the hospital complex completely.

As medical staff they spoke with admiration about the heroism of the medical staff refusing to leave their patients staying and dying with their patients at Al Shifa which was an inspiration for humanity that these Palestinians are showing to the the world the “best human beings on our planet”. One speaker said how this is the largest number of medical staff who have been killed in any war in history. This is Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

They spoke that the people of Palestine do not even have time to process or grieve one vile crime committed by the Occupation before another is committed. They condemn the British government for its continued support for Israel, refusing to impose sanctions and the sending of weapons to Israel to enable Israel to continue its war and refusing to bring about a ceasefire. Bringing it home to the north east it was so tragic to hear the Palestinian students and Palestinians here who have lost so many loved ones from families and friends.

The speakers said that these vile crimes will never be forgotten and that history will condemn them and that these martyrs will be remembered when the Palestinian people are free, free to return in their own land. The speakers said that Israeli settler colonization, with its infrastructure of genocidal violence, cannot and will not extinguish the connection to their homeland and they recommitted to the struggle for the full liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea! The Chair concluded the vigil saying that these efforts will continue to build the movement to stop Israel and combat to end Britain's support for Israeli crimes once and for all!

On Sunday March 3 an Anti-war assembly was held in Newcastle spanning two sessions on Palestine, war and the Middle East and building a mass movement for Palestine. Each session had leading activists in the movement speaking on their experience and was followed by discussion. At the end of the meeting a programme on standing with Palestine was adopted by the assembly as a guide to further action for Newcastle Stop the War who organised the assembly and those participating. The sessions were chaired by Pam Wortley and Roger Nettleship.

Programme on standing with Palestine

Audio of speeches:
Session 1
Mick Bowman - Walk to Palestine Fran Heathcote - General Secrretary, PCS union Habib Rahman - former Lord Mayor of Newcastle, independent councillor Shumel Rahman (statement read by Mehru-Nisa Shah - (no recording) Noor Mahmoud - Palestinian activist Alex Snowdon - Executive committee, PSC
Session 2
Shamyla Khan - President, Newcastle University Palestine Society (no recording) Sarra Malik - Vice President, Northumbria University Palestine Society Mehru-Nisa Shah - Newcastle Friends of Al-Aqsa Abdullah Habeb - President, Northumbria Univerity labour Society (no recording) Pam Wortley - Newcastle Stop the War

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