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Fwd: BBC and Sky: What is wrong with you people?


From:
Stop the War Coalition <office@stopwar.org.uk>
Date: 28 January 2009 22:54:00 GMT
To: 
Subject: BBC and Sky: What is wrong with you people?

STOP THE WAR COALITION    
NEWSLETTER   
No. 1081  29 January 2009   
Email office@stopwar.org.uk   
Tel: 020 7278 6694   
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:   
1) BBC AND SKY: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?    
2) HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED?   
3) OBAMA'S FIRST ACTS OF WAR   
4) NATIONWIDE PROTEST IN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES   
5) GAZA - FAILED BY THE MEDIA    
6) SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN: A PLAY FOR GAZA   
7) STOP THE WAR NEEDS OFFICE AND STORAGE SPACE    
8) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 1744

**********************************************    
1) BBC AND SKY: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

"What is wrong with you people?" These were the words of actor    
David Soul, when complaining to the BBC about its refusal to   
broadcast an emergency aid appeal for the people of Gaza.

The protests over this decision have come from every corner of    
British society. There has been almost universal outrage, from    
the Archbishop of Canterbury to writers and actors who say   
they won't work for the BBC again, from college students   
occupying their colleges to tens of thousands complaining to   
the BBC, from the occupations and protests at BBC offices   
across Britain to hundreds of individuals saying they are   
cancelling their TV licences and Sky subscriptions.

Many thanks to all the supporters of Stop the War who have   
helped build this campaign to get the BBC and Sky to reverse   
their decision. That may not have been achieved yet but the   
scale of the protest has generated colossal publicity for the    
DEC emergency appeal which will be reflected in the donations    
they receive and which will be rushed to Gaza to help bring   
shelter, food, fuel and medical supplies to a traumatised and    
devastated people.

For reports on the different protests around the country and   
to view the appeal that the BBC and Sky wouldn't show, go to   
the Stop the War website: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

For a short, moving film which documents the carnage of the   
last month and the opposition to it around the world,    
including the demonstrations in London, go to:    
http://tinyurl.com/brk78r

**********************************************    
2) HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

The Palestinian cause has never received such widespread   
support as has been mobilised over the past weeks. Israel may    
have reigned back the full power of its military might for now    
but Palestine is still subject to endless occupation, siege   
and ethnic cleansing. The campaign for Palestinian rights must    
be maintained.

Hundreds of people have contacted Stop the War in the last   
month asking how they can help in our activities, enquiring   
about Stop the War groups in their area, seeking information   
about public meetings, asking how they can set up a local Stop    
the War group or organise a petition or a collection for Gaza    
or to report activities in their locality.

If you would like information on any aspect of our work and   
how you can be involved, please contact our national office:   
email office@stopwar.org.uk; phone 020 7278 6694.

VOLUNTEERS MEETING   
Stop the war has been inundated with people volunteering to   
help us in our anti-war activities. Volunteers who live in the    
London area and want to get involved in any way are invited to    
a Stop the War Activities Meeting on Thursday 5 February at   
the Indian YMCA. 41 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6AQ

**********************************************    
3) OBAMA'S FIRST ACTS OF WAR

Within days of taking office Barack Obama sanctioned two   
missile attacks in Pakistan, which killed dozens of civilians.    
Obama also announced the doubling of US troop numbers in   
Afghanistan to 60,000, making it clear that his war policies   
are no different from those of George Bush.

Obama's vice president Joe Biden says there will be an    
"uptick" in the military campaign in Afghanistan which makes   
more important than ever the protests now being planned in   
Britain for Obama's first visit here in April.

It is essential that the anti-war movement mobilises the   
widest opposition to the war in Afghanistan - which is    
unwinnable even if the invaders knew what "winning" would look    
like. Obama's intention is to escalate the war dramatically,   
with the inevitable slaughter of Afghan civilians, already   
being killed in their hundreds.

Stop the War and CND are now planning their demonstration in   
London when Obama joins other heads of government at the G20   
meeting on April 2. Following the G20 protest there will be   
three days of anti-war events in Strasburg, when Obama will   
join in a celebration of the NATO on the 60th anniversary of   
its founding. We will be publishing full details soon.

Stop The War Pamphlet:    
AFGHANISTAN: WHY WE SHOULD GET OUT   
Available from the national office: email   
office@stopwar.org.uk or phone 020 7278 6694

**********************************************    
4) NATIONWIDE PROTEST IN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

The supposed political apathy of students has been exposed as    
nonsense in the rush of activity across the country in the   
past month, with 18 occupations of universities by students   
campaigning for Gaza, and more protests to come. The students'    
demands include an end to universities investing in arms   
companies which supply Israel, funding of scholarships for   
Palestinian students and sending old books and computers to   
Gaza.

Five of these occupations have already succeeded in winning   
their demands, at SOAS and LSE in London and at Oxford, Essex    
and Sussex universities. For more details of the student   
campaign for Gaza, visit our website:    
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Stop the War is organising a student activists' meeting on   
Saturday 7 February for students to meet and discuss how to   
spread and co-ordinate their campaign of action for Gaza and   
against the war in Afghanistan.

STUDENT ACTIVIST CONFERENCE   
SATURDAY 7 FEB 7: 12 NOON - 4.00PM   
CLORE MANAGEMENT CENTRE RM B01    
BIRKBECK COLLEGE, MALET STREET    
LONDON WC1E7HX

**********************************************    
5) GAZA - FAILED BY THE MEDIA

Even before the controversy of the DEC emergency aid   
broadcast, there was widespread criticism of the reporting of    
Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Media Workers Against the War is   
hosting another of its very impressive public meetings, titled    
GAZA - FAILED BY THE MEDIA, in London on Monday 2 February.

The speakers include Gerald Kaufman MP, whose blistering   
attack on Israel's barbarity in the House of Commons was   
widely reported (see video here: http://tinyurl.com/bz32ao)

Other speakers include Seumas Milne from The Guardian and   
Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet.

GAZA - FAILED BY THE MEDIA   
PUBLIC MEETING MONDAY 2 FEBRUARY   
7.00PM ALL WELCOME   
Speakers:   
Seumas Milne, The Guardian   
Sir Gerald Kaufman MP    
Richard Horton, The Lancet   
Jeremy Dear, General Secretary, NUJ   
Lauren Booth, Press TV    
A Palestinian Journalist (tbc)    
Jane Shallice, Stop The War Coalition    
OLD CINEMA LECTURE THEATRE   
WESTMINSTER UNIVERSITY    
309 REGENT STREET LONDON W1B 2UW   
Nearest tube: Oxford CircusS   
Map: http://tinyurl.com/dj6ywh

MORE DETAILS: Email info@mwaw.net, Tel 07801 789 297   
Hosted by Media Workers Against the War: http://www.mwaw.net/

See also The Media Workers Against the War article:   
EIGHT REASONS WHY THE BBC IS WRONG ON GAZA   
http://www.mwaw.net/2009/01/26/gaza-appeal/

**********************************************    
6) SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN: A PLAY FOR GAZA

Seven Jewish Children is a ten minute history of Israel,   
ending with the bombing of Gaza. The playwright Caryl    
Churchill says of her play, "It came out of feeling strongly   
about what's happening in Gaza - it's a way of helping the   
people there. Everyone knows about Gaza, everyone is upset   
about it, and this play is something they could come to. It's    
a political event, not just a theatre event."

There are 13 performances, 6 - 21 February at the Royal Court    
Theatre in London. For more details and how to book:   
http://tinyurl.com/dnjty3

**********************************************    
7) STOP THE WAR NEEDS OFFICE AND STORAGE SPACE

Stop the War must unavoidably move from its current office at    
the UCU union's building in Kings Cross, where we have been   
for a number of years. We are very grateful for the support   
UCU has given us in providing a national office. The UCU   
building is soon to be closed and Stop the War is looking for    
new premises in London. If any of our supporters knows of   
office space which would be suitable for Stop the War, please    
contact: email office@stopwar.org.uk or phone 020 7278 6694.

We are also looking for temporary storage space to house our   
resources (merchandise, placards, printed materials etc). We   
need space the equivalent of a double lockup garage. If you   
know of any available storage facilities, please contact the   
national office.

**********************************************    
8) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 1744

"The rocket barrages which are getting closer and closer to   
populated areas cannot go unanswered," said US Secretary of   
State Hillary Clinton in her first news conference. No prizes    
for guessing which country she meant (clue: not the one she   
should have been talking about).

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

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