Stop the War coalition Newsletter

Newsletter – 11/04/25

Eighteen months of slaughter, thousands upon thousands brutally murdered – 18,000 of them children – yet still the British government says almost nothing and does even less. 

Now two MPs have been denied entry and deported from Israel, a disgraceful and anti-democratic act. David Lammy, along with a host of other MPs, have spoken out, but the government has rejected calls for retaliatory diplomatic expulsions. Israeli impunity continues.

And while this diplomatic offence is the focus of Parliamentary concern, Israel has massively escalated its genocidal assault, turning Gaza into a ‘killing field’ and normalising ethnic cleansing.

Not content with blocking aid, targeting civilians, schools and announced on Monday a new government department to aid the ‘voluntary’ removal of Palestinians from Gaza, provoking justifiable concerns of a second Nakba. Still Labour remains silent. 

Where our government fails, the Palestine movement must step up. Help us by joining local events this weekend and building the 17 May Nakba 77national demonstration.

From Bournemouth in the south to Orkney in Scotland, activists are demanding and end to genocide. Join in tomorrow (Saturday 12 April) wherever you are.

Get organising – Book coaches – Arrange transport. 

Nakba 77 – Central London 12 noon, 17 May

Democracy Under Fire

Freedom of speech and the right to protest are under fire. Palestine activists in the USA and Germany are being threatened with deportation, and here the government is attempting to amend the already draconian protest laws while imposing increasingly restrictive conditions on the Palestine demonstrations. 13 of the movement’s high profile leaders and supporters and have been charged, arrested or questioned for taking part in peaceful protest.

On Friday an international press conference was called by the Foreign Press Association in London to highlight the growing repression in the UK. Yanis Varoufakis (former greek finance minister), Jeremy Corbyn, Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos, actor Juliet Stevenson, Chris Nineham from StW and Ben Jamal from PSC joined a panel to answer questions from the world’s media.

The panel stressed how UK state repression has entered a new and dangerous phase, how the government’s position on Palestine is challenged by the size and momentum of the Palestine movement and how it has responded by stifling protest and free speech. Juliet Stevenson commented that ‘the days of the UK being an example of a place where democracy and free speech flourish are over,’ but as Jeremy Corbyn said, our right to protest is sacrosanct and must be defended.

 No to Austerity – No to War 

Welfare not Warfare

Tariff turmoil or not Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer are sticking to their plan – arbitrary fiscal rules and cuts to every budget but defence.

Starmer’s militarism and intransigence translates into welfare cuts for the poor and disabled alongside job insecurity and low wages for us all. The bitterness felt towards Labour for this betrayal and the anger of ordinary people must be channelled into action.

Our Welfare not Warfare meetings around the country are proving hugely popular and are continuing apace. The No More Austerity march and rally must be as big as possible, and we ask all our supporters and groups to do what they can to build it - petitions, street stalls, TU resolutions. The arguments cannot be more stark and the stakes could not be higher.

Begin organising now to join the Welfare not Warfare anti-war bloc on 7 June.

Check out our new Welfare not Warfare tote bags in our online shop!