Yet still we come - standing in solidarity with Gaza

The BDS protest on Saturday 23 July 2024 was another great demonstration of solidarity with Gaza and Palestine with excellent speakers with powerful messages.

The creative family protest was "Poems for Palestine". Children wrote poems and drew powerful pictures representing what is happening in Gaza and their hopes for the future.

But ten months into the genocide in Gaza, it's hard not to feel a sense of helplessness, as the death toll reaches 35,000 including almost 17,000 children. Who cannot feel devastated by the inhumanity of our political leaders that allows such slaughter to continue for their own political ends, and the banks and businesses that care more for profit that for human lives?

But looking at the work of the children, their words and pictures, I was moved to write and recite my own poem, ‘Yet still we come’ about the resilience of our support for Gaza and Palestine in the face of what can seem like overwhelming apathy among the general public and the political self interest of the ruling classes. I'm no poet but I think it's important to put feelings into words.

You can see my poem below...

Protest against the BBC 6th April - Do your job BBC without fear or favour

Six months into Israel's genocide in Gaza, SPSC Aberdeen continues to organise protests every week - some promoting BDS, especially the campaign against Barclay's complicity in the manufacture of weapons which are then sent to Israel. The protest today was against the BBC condemning its biased reporting throughout the conflict and calling for it to boycott the Eurovision if Israel is allowed to take part.

This is the first time in a while that I have spoken but I wanted to share my speech. I will create a record of our original protests when I can.

"We gather here six months into Israel’s vicious bombardment of Gaza which has seen the massacre of almost 33,000 civilians – over 14,000 of them children – with many more missing under rubble

Any excuse that Israel has put forward for their slaughter of civilians has long since been debunked by anyone with an ounce of humanity

The International Court of Justice has found plausible evidence of genocide and an interim report by the UN special rapporteur has confirmed that

These are important steps but anyone watching the horror unfold in Gaza over the past six months can be in no doubt that Israel is engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide

Not just the massacres of entire families through their bombing campaigns which have left so many bereaved, so many with life changing injuries, so many traumatised, so many displaced

A bombing campaign which has targeted so called safe areas – bombing residential areas and even the tents and makeshift shelters that the displaced have been forced into

Not just the destruction of most of the hospitals in Gaza, the targeting and murders of so many health care staff, that our colleagues in Health Care Workers for Gaza, some of whom are here today, remember every Friday evening

One child dies in Gaza every 15 minutes... the protests continue 21 October 2023

Welcome. It's so good to see so many people here again. I'm Kate Ramsden, from SPSC Aberdeen and it is my privilege to chair this solidarity demo with Gaza.

Because what is happening in Gaza is unbearable

For all of us who care about human rights

For all of us who value every human life equally

And for the avoidance of doubt I do not include Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer amongst us

Their support for Israel shames us all

But if it’s unbearable for us what must it be like for the people living in Gaza

For the people dying in Gaza – over 4000 civilians since this Israeli bombardment began

For the people mourning in Gaza for their families, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and God help us, for their children – one killed every 15 minutes since this began

Think about that. In the time we are here, 4 more children will die in Gaza

For the people displaced in Gaza

For the people made homeless in Gaza

For the people starving in Gaza, deprived of water, food, fuel and medicines in the most brutal of collective punishments – a war crime

Whilst the world looks on and the west is complicit

Gaza solidarity protest 14 October 2023 - And so it begins...

My name is Kate Ramsden and I’m a member of Aberdeen Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. I have the privilege of chairing this event today.

Welcome to this Call to Action in solidarity with the people of Palestine and specifically the people of Gaza, under such terrible attacks from the state of Israel with the loss of so many lives, many of them children

This is not the first time we have gathered in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Gaza

Over many many years, the people of the North East of Scotland have come together to bear witness to the ongoing oppression, killings, occupation and state terrorism by the government of Israel and to give Palestinians a voice

Because the events of last weekend, tragic though they are, have not come out of nowhere. The killing of innocent civilians has been going on for many years – only those innocents have been Palestinian.

There has been a silent slaughter of Palestinian men, women and children by the state of Israel since the Nakba but growing in intensity over recent years

The people of Palestine have been oppressed and yes, terrorised by Israel, with home invasions, the taking of Palestinian land, restrictions on work and travel, the imprisonment of their people, including their children, the siege of Gaza, frequent bombardments and the killing of civilians.

Even before the terrible bombardments of this past week, this had been the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2014.

This oppression has been supported and also masked by Western governments including our own, who bear massive responsibility for it. Our government has continued to sell arms to Israel and has totally failed to call them out for their oppression of the people of Palestine.

One of the most grievous things about the situation today is how the media and politicians describe the tragic killings of Israeli civilians and children, when they have been all but completely silent on the murders of Palestinian civilians and children by the Israeli army and Police and through settler violence.

There are huge double standards at work here and there always were

That is why it is so important for us to come together here today to give Palestinians, to give Gazans a voice.

Gaza Solidarity Protests Aberdeen Introduction

As an active member of Scottish Palestine Solidarity, Aberdeen I've been actively involved in organising and often chairing the Gaza Solidarity protests, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the genocide, as Israel responded to attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 with its terrible and indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza, killing more and more civilians and children each passing day, whilst the world has looked on.

My introductory comments to these protests have become an  account of the carnage in Gaza week on week, as the world has looked on and failed to end Israel's massacre of the population through air assaults and their collective punishment of withholding food, water, medicines and fuel. They have referenced Israel's war crimes in real time, and the dismal failure of our Westminster government and the Labour leadership to call for a ceasefire, instead greenlighting Israel's war crimes.

I've decided to publish them on this blog, in part to archive them for myself, and in part to keep this account live for as long as the carnage in Gaza continues, and as an account for posterity when the day comes, as surely it must, when this is over. It may end but it must never be forgotten.

We must stand together against racism, fascism and attempts to divide us

In her speech to the St Andrew's Day Rally, Kate Ramsden, UNISON highlights the importance of fighting racism and inequality and calls for support for UNISON's Year of Black Workers in 2023.

Greetings from UNISON Scotland and thanks so much for inviting me to speak here today.

I’m pleased to bring solidarity from my union to this St Andrew’s day rally.

Because it is so important to be constantly vigilant in the fight against racism and fascism.

And especially now, coming out of COVID and with a cost of living crisis – which is really a cost of greed crisis - when it is all too easy to demonise and blame certain groups – like migrant workers, benefits claimants, disabled people, older people and single parents.

The last couple of years have presented significant challenges for all workers.

COVID impacted on both our personal and professional lives, with many of us losing colleagues and loved ones whilst struggling to deliver services.

 All workers have experienced below inflation pay rises while prices soared. Public services continue to be underfunded and understaffed.

 Our Black colleagues have faced all of these challenges but also have to fight racism on a daily basis.

 Scotland is not immune to that sadly. But it is not just the overt racism that blights lives.

Aberdeen gathers in solidarity with the people of Gaza and mourns the killing of innocents

I attended and spoke at a protest and vigil for Gaza in Aberdeen on Saturday 13 August, to call on our governments and the international community to condemn Israel's latest bombardment of Gaza and to mourn the lives lost including 16 children. 

You can see what I said below. I have put the link to the SPSC statement which has links to petitions and letters to politicians. please go on and  sign and send these.

"Kate Ramsden, speaking on behalf of SPSC Aberdeen.

We are here once again to protest Israel’s bombing of Gaza.

Ordinary people, compassionate people, doing what Western governments have failed to do. Stand against Israel’s apartheid and oppression of the Palestinian people and demand an end to it.