Prayers and protests for Gaza

Prayers outside Downing Street

Many protests and vigils for Gaza took place in Westminster and around the UK and Ireland in the past week.

On Wednesday, 27 August, journalists gathered outside Downing Street for a vigil to commemorate colleagues killed in Gaza in recent months. NUJ members carried commemorative cards and read the names of 242 journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces. (only 69 were killed during the entire World War Two.)

Earlier, Pennie Quinton, chairwoman of the NUJ Freelance branch, together with colleagues Mike Holderness and Mariam Elsayeh, presented a letter to No 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

In the letter they appealed for international media to be allowed to enter Gaza; for the International Criminal Court to investigate the targeting of journalists; for the UN convention that recognises the rights of civilians, including journalists to be upheld; and for states to adopt a new UN convention that specifically protects journalists.

Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh and Ahmed Anaouq, co-founder of We Are Not Numbers were among the speakers. Ahmed read the final letter of journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa to her 13 year old son Ghaith:

Gaith - the heart and soul of your mother, I want you to pray for me, don't cry over my death so that I remain happy.
I want you to make me proud and be smart and responsible. I want you to become a successful businessman.
I want you not to ever forget me, I did everything I could to keep you happy, safe and well.
And when you grow up and get married and have a baby girl, name her Mariam after me.
You are my love, my heart, my soul, my support and my son that I'm proud of Gaith.
I want to be proud by what people say about you.
Please Gaith, remember your prayers, your prayers, your prayers my son.

Your mum Mariam

The Downing Street vigil ended with Muslim prayers.

Nearby, that evening, on the Green in front of the Houses of Parliament, a group of Jewish, Muslim and Christian campaigners held a fast and prayers for peace.

During the day the NUJ also held a virtual vigil for all the journalists and media workers killed in Gaza. This included a period of silence to commemorate every journalist killed, followed by speeches from the NUJ general secretary and joint presidents and vice-president, the union's Continental European Council chair, and the International Federation of Journalists' general secretary. The vigil began with a reading of 'A Night in Al-Hamra' by Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef and ended with Seamus Heaney's 'From the Republic of Conscience'

The NUJ also held in-person vigils in Brussels, Edinburgh, Belfast, London, Dublin, Bristol, Glasgow, Derry, Cardiff, Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham and Dublin.

The next National March for Palestine will take place on Saturday, 6 September, meeting in Russell Square at 12noon. The themes are: Stop Starving Gaza, End All Arms Sales and Defend the Right to Protest. The Christians For Palestine will be organising prayers before the march. We'll bring you those details as soon as we have them.