A pro-Palestinian activist group staged protests in Sheffield against the ongoing war in Gaza calling for an end to the conflict and for the British government to cease support for Israel.
A protest on Friday was coordinated by the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign which runs weekly events to fund donations towards and protest against the war in Gaza.
The demonstration took place at 5pm on Friday 19 April at Sheffield railway station and lasted for around two hours. Dozens of protesters held banners, flags and signs aloft whilst singing and chanting, with members of the public joining in as time went on.
Musheir El-Farra, chairman of the group, said: “We hope to raise awareness about the horrific war crimes that are taking place in Palestine and the Gaza strip recently. The killing of civilians, the bombing of hospitals, the mass execution of people, the mass destruction of houses.”
Since November 2023, the Sheffield group has raised £130,000 in donations to Palestine. Over 3,100 families have directly benefited from clothes, blankets or food packages sent by the group.
Mr El-Farra said: “We are trying to change the narrative among people, who are being brainwashed by the media which has been distorting the facts.
“They have shown the Palestinians as the executors when we are the victims of the most horrific injustice. It means a lot that as a city we are trying our best to change the narrative and it means a lot to the Palestinians back home who feel very abandoned by our government.”
Friday’s protest was followed by a march from Mount Pleasant to Sheffield Town Hall on Saturday 20 April. It was also led by the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with over 100 people taking part.
The Sheffield group had its first meeting in 1968 during the aftermath of the 1967 war between Israel and Palestine.
It became an official organisation in 1987 and quickly became one of the largest and most active branches of the nationwide Palestine Solidarity Campaign group; frequently holding rallies, marches and protests to campaign for the rights of Palestinians.
