Lancaster activists hold silent protest in solidarity with Palestine
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The event, part of a weekly series of demonstrations, featured a 20-minute silence, during which participants stood with gags and tape over their mouths, holding photos of those killed and messages in support of Gaza.
At precisely 1.20pm, the silence was broken by passionate chants, followed by speeches from members of the community.
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Hide AdActivists said the protest aimed to "amplify the voices of Palestinians whose suffering has been ignored and silenced”.


“For decades, Palestinian voices have been silenced,” said Fariha Blockley, who broke the silence at the event. “They have killed journalists, musicians, artists and poets, all to keep them silenced.
"Just think about the 20 minutes we have spent in silence. Imagine that silence when children are being starved and when universities and hospitals are being bombed.
“We are here today, like we have been here every week, to say we will no longer be silenced. We will no longer allow the Palestinian voices to be silenced.”
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Hide AdThe photos held high during the protest of those killed in Gaza served as a stark reminder of the human cost of the tragedy.


The activists hope to raise awareness about the ongoing violence and stand in solidarity with Palestinians who are unable to speak out.
Patrick Montague, founding member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Lancaster, said: “This silence represents the world’s failure to act while Palestinians are being killed. We will not remain silent while genocide is happening.
“The importance of these demonstrations only increased since the 1st of October when Israeli troops started attacking civilians in Lebanon.”
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Hide Ad“These protests are about showing that Lancaster stands with the people of Palestine,” said Heather Kat, a local activist who has been attending the weekly demonstrations.
The weekly demonstrations will continue in Market Square each Saturday at 1pm.