Peter Rhodes on banners, bands - and have street protests had their day?
Quote of the week? This, from Katharine Birbalsingh, one of Britain's most successful head teachers, forensically demolishing Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson: “As we all know, politicians are not necessarily worthy of their positions.” And who can argue with that?
According to one report, the number of demonstrators at the weekend pro-Palestine demo in Trafalgar Square was smaller than organisers had hoped for. This is heartening because it suggests the followers have rather more sense than their leaders.
They demonstrated this by staying away from an event which, despite all the denials, could appear insensitive at a time when shocked and frightened British Jews were mourning the dead of the Manchester synagogue attack.
I like to think it was common decency that kept some pro-Palestine footsoldiers away. Then again, it might have been the rain.
A cultural divide. Out here in the provinces, highways are seen simply as a means of getting from A to B. In London, the streets seem to be regarded as gigantic canvasses where the angry and indignant can spout their slogans, week after week, with all the divisiveness, delays and disruption that goes with it. Many defend the right to open-air protest as something right at the heart of our democracy. But is it?
Historically, taking to the streets with banners and bands was the only way to spread ideas, show your growing power to the authorities and enjoy a punch-up with the peelers. But today in the age of the internet and social media, a single influencer can annoy more people in one evening than the average street-warrior can reach in a lifetime. So is open-air protest still such a precious thing? Or could we manage with a little less?
The eyes of all the world's media have been focused on Gaza for the two years since the Hamas massacre. So why is it only now that we are told of anti-Hamas armed groups operating within Gaza, including one called Popular Forces which is allegedly armed and funded by Israel and whose HQ compound, amid a sea of rubble, looks remarkably unbombed?
According to some recent reports, Popular Forces is “positioning itself as an alternative to Hamas for Gaza's future governance.” This is a big deal yet I can find little mention of it, even on the BBC Verify website. Most odd.
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