Chris Nineham – deputy leader of the Stop the War Coalition and Chief Steward for many of London’s demonstrations against the Israel Hamas War and the British government’s involvement (source) – was arrested for some reason at the Gaza protest in London yesterday. There’s also a video of him getting arrested.
This video is from 2 months ago. Among other things, he says
The police and the establishment in this country … are conducting a campaign of vilification and repression against the movement … it’s really a campaign against freedom of speech in general in this country and certainly on the issue of Palestine.
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We should take no lectures from the Metropolitan Police or any other police force about hate crime and about intimidation …
Displaced Palestinians walk past the rubble as they attempt to return to their homes on Sunday. Photograph: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Truce in effect as Hamas names hostages to be freed: Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31
The long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has finally come into effect, behind schedule by almost three hours, during which Israeli forces continued to strike Gaza, blaming the militant group’s failure to release the names of the hostages due to be released on Sunday.
The ceasefire finally started at 9.15am GMT, after Hamas posted the names of the three hostages on its social media channels.
The Hamas-run civil defence agency said eight people had been killed in the Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip during the hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Three Palestinians were killed in eastern Gaza City by Israeli drones, medics in the territory said on Sunday. The Israeli military said that it had struck “terror targets” in northern and central Gaza, and it would continue to attack as long as Hamas did not meet its demands.
Hamas named the three female hostages as Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. They will be released through the Red Cross, in return for 30 Palestinian prisoners each.
The ceasefire opens the way to a possible end to a 15-month war that has upended the Middle East. But the delay was a reminder of how fragile the process is likely to be.
FORMER Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has hit out at the Met Police over its handling of a Palestine rally in London on Saturday.
More than 70 demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of breaching protest conditions after reportedly breaking through a police line as they marched from a rally in Whitehall.
Police clash with protesters at the rally (Image: Jeff Moore/PA Wire)
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Corbyn, who sits as an independent MP, responded to a post from the Met Police on Twitter/X which said: “The group that forced its way through the police line is now held at the north west corner of Trafalgar Square.
“Anyone in that group should now disperse and leave the area. Anyone remaining in breach of the conditions, or inciting further breaches, will be arrested.”
In his response, the former Labour leader said: “This is not an accurate description of events at all.
“I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of the children in Gaza who had been killed.
“This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through. When we reached Trafalgar Square, we informed police that we would go no. further, lay down flowers and disperse.”
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This is not an accurate description of events at all.
I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed.
This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through.
Palestinians in the Bureij Refugee Camp, strive to maintain their routines under challenging conditions, surrounded by destroyed buildings, as the implementation of a ceasefire agreement is anticipated in the coming days in Gaza City, Gaza on January 17, 2025. [Moiz Salhi – Anadolu Agency]
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip will go into effect at 8.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) on Sunday, Jan. 19, Anadolu Agency reports.
Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari confirmed the development on X: “As coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza.”
“We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official sources,” he added.
The Israeli army also issued a statement confirming its readiness to implement the deal.
“The agreement will take effect on Sunday, January 19, at 08:30,” the Israeli army said in a statement, noting that its forces “will carry out the operational plan in the field in accordance with the established agreements.”
Meanwhile, the Interior and National Security Ministry in Gaza announced preparations to deploy its forces in the enclave after the ceasefire enters into force.
Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip with the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday.
Nearly 46,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,600 injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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