Saturday 3 January - Victory to the Intifada! Newcastle!

Supporters of the Revolutionary Communist Group and its newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! joined over 400 other people in Newcastle to demonstrate against the Israeli attacks on Gaza and to demand freedom for Palestine at Grey's Monument.

The demonstration was initiated by Palestinians living in Newcastle and supported by a range of organisations including Tyneside Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Tyneside Stop the War Campaign, University Friends of Palestine, Newcastle University Islamic Society, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!/ Revolutionary Communist Group, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Party and a number of community groups.

The opening speaker, from the Palestinian community, emphasised the need for absolute solidarity with the Palestinian right to resistance in their struggle for self determination against colonial occupation. This was followed by a speaker from University Friends of Palestine, who pointed out that Israel had absolutely no interest in recognizing an independent Palestinian state

The FRFI speaker explained why it was fitting that a celebration of Cuban resistance, originally planned from 12-4, made way for such an urgent demonstration of solidarity with Palestine, highlighting Cuba's active solidarity with the Palestinian cause and their shared struggle against imperialism. She compared the solidarity shown by socialist Cuba to the role played by Britain as an imperialist country: 'While socialist Cuba exports doctors and teachers, capitalist Britain exports instruments of repression'. She went on to emphasize that 'British imperialism has consistently colluded with Zionist terror throughout the years of Intifada and that Israel could not survive without the support of US and British imperialism'. The speaker received a spontaneous round of applause when she said: "Israel could not survive without the support of US and British imperialism. In order to fight the occupation of Palestine we need to fight British imperialism." The speech ended with a call to support the third Palestinian intifada called by Hamas from within the heartland of imperialist Britain, by getting out on the streets and targeting key links in the chain of support from Britain to Israel, like Marks and Spencer, Britain's biggest corporate sponsor of Israel and the Labour Party, which has always been a racist, imperialist party and which has supported Zionism since its 1944 conference called for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.



There followed an open mic session where speeches were interspersed with chants of 'Victory to the Intifada!' 'Free, Free Palestine!' '1,2,3,4 Occupation No More! 5,6,7,8 Israel is an Apartheid State!' etc.

It was also highlighted that, although there was a massive turnout and it was an inspirational event, one demonstration alone would not change the situation in Palestine and had to be the start of a movement on the streets of Newcastle to demand an end to all British support for Israel.

There will be a public forum on Gaza and action we can take in Newcastle on Tuesday 6th January, 7-9pm at the Culture Café (above Get Stuffed takeaway), Mary's Place (near Haymarket metro), Newcastle hosted by FRFI. All groups and individuals welcome.

Victory to the third intifada! Free Palestine!