Aug 5, 2025 04:33 PM
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/20...ive-labour
EXCERPTS: On Monday evening (4 August), the pro-Palestine movement unleashed a “siege on Labour”. Located on a side street in south London, its party headquarters is an unassuming, dusty-brown office block. But, surrounded by a mass of keffiyehs, flags and badges organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the area became a cacophony of noise – and confrontation.
The protesters came bearing two key messages: that Labour is complicit in the destruction wrought on Gaza, and that David Lammy must resign as Foreign Secretary. There was a vengeful mood. Several carried a banner reading, “Labour supports genocide,” decorated with fresh, blood-red handprints.
[...] While support for Palestine was universal among those who turned up, there was a split over which MPs were adequately on the side of the cause. Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, “even the Tory, Kit Malthouse” – who has strongly criticised Labour’s response to the war – drew praise from one protester, who cited the incoming Corbyn-Sultana party as an example of “people-powered movements rising up”.
But another declared that British politics is laden with “imperialist parties”, and that “we’ve never seen a Labour MP [truly] defend the Palestinian people in their resistance-struggle.” Not even Corbyn? “When you look at the Labour Party under Corbyn, it’s the same [as now].”
[...] In the judgement of these protestors, Lammy is a collaborator with Israel, the personification of Labour’s feeble response to the war, and its half commitment to a Palestinian state. His name came up more often in my conversations with protestors than Keir Starmer, despite the Prime Minister’s own missteps on the issue... (MORE - missing details)
RELATED (scivillage): Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn to form new socialist party In UK
EXCERPTS: On Monday evening (4 August), the pro-Palestine movement unleashed a “siege on Labour”. Located on a side street in south London, its party headquarters is an unassuming, dusty-brown office block. But, surrounded by a mass of keffiyehs, flags and badges organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the area became a cacophony of noise – and confrontation.
The protesters came bearing two key messages: that Labour is complicit in the destruction wrought on Gaza, and that David Lammy must resign as Foreign Secretary. There was a vengeful mood. Several carried a banner reading, “Labour supports genocide,” decorated with fresh, blood-red handprints.
[...] While support for Palestine was universal among those who turned up, there was a split over which MPs were adequately on the side of the cause. Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, “even the Tory, Kit Malthouse” – who has strongly criticised Labour’s response to the war – drew praise from one protester, who cited the incoming Corbyn-Sultana party as an example of “people-powered movements rising up”.
But another declared that British politics is laden with “imperialist parties”, and that “we’ve never seen a Labour MP [truly] defend the Palestinian people in their resistance-struggle.” Not even Corbyn? “When you look at the Labour Party under Corbyn, it’s the same [as now].”
[...] In the judgement of these protestors, Lammy is a collaborator with Israel, the personification of Labour’s feeble response to the war, and its half commitment to a Palestinian state. His name came up more often in my conversations with protestors than Keir Starmer, despite the Prime Minister’s own missteps on the issue... (MORE - missing details)
RELATED (scivillage): Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn to form new socialist party In UK