Demonstrators called for equal rights during a protest criticizing the BBC’s coverage of the Palestinian crisis on Sunday in Salford’s MediaCity.
Manchester Palestine Action organized the event, which marked the UN-sponsored International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 30.
MM spoke to Adie Momech, a member of the group, who said that the BBC is ‘completely parroting Israeli officials’ when reporting the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
WE’RE NOT CALLING FOR UTOPIA: Protestors at MediaCity
“We’re not calling for utopia, we’re calling for equal rights,” he said.
“Equal rights are something that we know very well and that we take for granted, and yet Palestinians don’t have any rights.”
A 16-year-old girl was shot and killed by an Israeli security guard earlier this week after she allegedly stabbed a 70-year-old Palestinian man.
This killing is the latest in a string of violence, which has seen 99 Palestinians and 16 Israelis killed since the beginning of October.
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, called for the Palestinian people to mount a violent intifada against Israeli forces in early October.
TRUST NOTHING YOU READ OR WATCH: Social media shows a different side of the conflict to that reported
But the disparity in the number of deaths on each side of the conflict has caused many to claim that Israeli security forces are using excessive force against Palestinians.
Criticism has also been levied against mainstream media organisations in terms of the coverage of the recent violence.
Videos of violence between Israelis and Palestinians have been surfacing on social media in recent weeks, including footage of the 16-year-old girl shot this Monday and a woman being shot with her hands raised at a petrol station.
And Mr Momech believes that the coverage social media provides is beginning to ‘have an effect’ in delivering the real message of what is happening in his homeland.
“It comes to a point where if enough people know something, then the media looks a bit too ridiculous to not follow up on these stories,” he said.
“People are starting to look beyond what the media is saying.”
As well as protesting against the BBC, Manchester Palestine Action support the 2005 BDS movement (Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions against Israel).
The group was also one of many which put pressure on the Labour Party to cut ties with security firm G4S.
PEOPLE AE STARTING TO LOOK BEYOND THE MEDIA: The BBC was the target of the protests
The British-Danish multinational security firm holds contracts with the Israeli government and is involved in running Israeli prisons and checkpoints.
Human rights groups have reported systematic torture of prisoners, some of whom as young as 12, at Israeli prisons in which G4S operates.
The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee voted to cut ties with G4S this Tuesday.
More information about the boycott of Israe, click here.
