Protest at Israeli bombing

Between 60 and 70 people mounted a roadside candle-lit vigil on Tuesday 30th December in Hebden Bridge to protest about the bombardment of Gaza by Israeli troops which had caused, to that point, over 350 Palestinian deaths.

This is not the only local response to the events in Gaza.
On the previous day, an even bigger crowd had rallied in Halifax town centre, supported by the MP for Halifax, Linda Riordan. A further vigil is planned for Friday in Hebden Bridge and many locals will be travelling to Manchester on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest to voice the abhorrence felt at Israel's attack.

"We have been overwhelmed by the sympathetic attitude of members of the public", Annie O'Gara, secretary of Halifax Friends of Palestine. told the Hebden Bridge Web." It's not always the response you get on a political demonstration, but these attacks have touched a nerve with so many people. We were not collecting donations, but a former soldier who passed by emptied his pockets and offered us his money, saying he knew what it must be like for the Palestinians to be under this kind of fire. Israel's use of extreme force in an act of collective punishment against a people already weakened by a lengthy blockade has appalled
many people."

(If you want to find out more about local activities to support the Palestinian cause, ring 01422 844261 or 01422 320139)