Candlelit vigil at Kilburn station calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the deaths of so many children

 

Photo: Pete Firmin

A candlelight vigil was held in Kilburn yesterday calling for a ceasefire in the current conflict. The names of Israeli and Gazan children killed in the conflict were read out, interspersed with poetry. A minute's silence for all the victims ended the hour long vigil.

The vigil was organised jointly by Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Brent Friends of Palestine. A collection was made for the Palestine Trauma Centre, a charity supported by Brent Friends of Palestine, whose building has been destroyed by nearby bombing.  The charity works with children traumatised by the ongoing situation.

A spokesperson for Brent and Harrow PSC said:

With the child death toll  rising daily many Brent and Harrow residents have been horrified by the pictures coming out of Gaza and feel a desperate need to do something about the situation. Bringing people together to respect the child victims and emphasise their humanity by naming them and their ages, was a moving act of empathy and solidarity. The call for a ceasefire was heartfelt from a peaceful crowd that represented the diversity of Brent. 

We will be joining hundreds of thousands on Saturday at the march to the US Embassy calling  for a ceasefire. The killing of innocent children must end.

 

 

The National March for Palestine: Ceasefire Now assembles Hyde Park at 12 noon on Saturday and marches to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, avoiding the Westminster area. Details of meeting up points for local people from brent2harrowpsc@outlook.com

 

The Palestine Trauma Clinic after the bombing

 

As Brent Friends of Palestine  don't have a website if you would to to donate to the rebuilding  it is more straightforward to go direct to the Palestine Trauma Centre UK website to donate ..

www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/news

You might  also like to  have a look at the PTC UK online Gallery, ' Gaza: On the Inside; From the Inside' which was put on the website just before October 7th. It has some amazing photographs.

 

Amazing line-up for 'Stand Up for Gaza' comedy evening March 20th

From Brent Friends of Palestine

We have about 80 tickets to sell for the comedy night we are organising on Friday March 20th at 7.30 pm at the Yaa Centre, W9 2AN. It will be a good evening out so PLEASE come and  buy your tickets as soon as you can. 

 

Tickets are £18 for adults and £12.50p for students. 

Tickets are not available on the door but can be purchased from https://www.wegottickets.com/brentpal

Comedians taking part , who are all giving of their time and comedian skills free are:-

 

Nish Kumar from BBC's The Mash Report and Radio 4 News Quiz:

Angela Barnes from BBC's Mock the Week and Radio 4 News Quiz:

Daphne Baram from Laughing for Palestine:

Michelle de Swarte who has a range of TV credits as a comedian on a number of different channels

MC: Ian Saville ; socialist magician, ventriloquist and comedian

PLEASE come if you can .. and bring a friend..Buy tickets in advance from the above website

 

Its probably suitable for children over 14 as some comedians do seem to swear at times from our experience !

Palestine-Israel: A Jewish Perspective Thursday Granville Centre

Support Palestine! Two events on Saturday May 11th

From Brent and Harrow Palestine Soldiarity Campaign and Brent Friends of Palestine

The Palestinian people need our solidarity more than ever, and are calling for global protests to protect their collective rights. As Israel continues to flout international law and violate human rights, there is a responsibility on the global community to hold it to account and push for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people.

No new Nakba! - End the Siege! - Defend the Right of Return!

Organised by: Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al- Aqsa, Muslim Association of Britain

Plus in the evening this event organised locally:

Ticket Reservations HERE

Cracks in the Wall - Beyond Apartheid in Palestine/Israel - November 20th 7.30pm Granville Centre - with Ben White

Unmissable 'Stand Up for Gaza!' May 18th

Brent Friends of Palestine have done amazingly well to secure such a top group of comedians for this event for a really worthwhile cause. Do please buy a ticket.

STAND  UP  FOR  GAZA

4 comedians, Alexie Sayle, Francesca Martinez, Jeremy Hardy and Sarah Pascoe, will be providing the entertainment for this fundraising event.

When:  Friday May 18th; doors open 7.15 and comedy starts at 7.45.

Compere: Ian Saville, the socialist magician. 

Venue: YAA Centre, 1, Chippenham Mews, Marylands Rd, London W9 2AN ( Nearest tube; Westbourne Pk or Warwick Avenue 10 mins walk: Buses; 18,36, 6 187 all stop nearby; Street parking after 6.30. step free access )

Tickets: £17.50; £14 concessions; Available from https://www.wegottickets.com/event/435208  NOT available on the door

Wine/ Beer/ Soft drinks and Light snacks will be available from 7.15 pm

ALL PROFITS will go to the Palestine Trauma Centre's Fridays of Joy Project in Gaza: See info@ptcuk.org

Fund-raising concerts in Brent this weekend

Balfour declaration: origin and relevance to today - public meeting May 16th

Palestine Trauma Centre fundraiser: Music to ‘Create Joy Amongst the Debris’ October 1st

Tickets should be booked in advance by e-mailing brentfop@gmail.com

Brent Friends of Palestine continue to raise funds for an imaginative play project run by the Palestine Trauma Centre.  The opportunity to do something positive for children in Gaza has captured our imagination.

Children's story teller.  The banner shows Brent Friends of Palestine amongst the sponsors

 Life in Gaza continues to be extremely grim for the population.  Rebuilding of houses, schools and work places destroyed in the attacks on Gaza in 2008, 2012 and 2014, has not occurred. Promised aid has not been delivered.  Israel controls all the crossing points and prohibits imports of key building materials and equipment.  Electricity and water infrastructure has been badly damaged and supplies are increasingly scarce.  There is no movement of people between the Palestinian West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  Food production is very limited.

The UN Secretary-General has found that the blockade and related restrictions contravene international humanitarian law as they target and impose hardship on the civilian population, effectively penalizing them for acts they have not committed. All this has considerable impact on the long term physical and mental well- being of children in Gaza and the West Bank.

Two major international events this summer have highlighted obstacles faced by Palestinians wanting to travel outside Gaza. This year a team of 6 athletes went to the Rio Olympics despite the enormous difficulties of training in Palestine. For example, Mary Al-Atrash, a swimmer has had to train in a half sized pool despite there being several Olympic sized pools in Israel. The head of the Palestinian team, Issam Qishta, was not given a permit to leave Gaza and so the team had to leave without their leader. Also those who went had to buy their kit once they reached Brazil.

In July the 80 strong Palestinian Youth Orchestra toured Britain giving concerts in several British cities including London.  Again, two members of the orchestra living in Gaza were not allowed to leave.

The Palestine Trauma Centre provides therapeutic support to families and children whose lives have been devastated by the bombings and the harshness of life in Gaza.  It was founded by a clinical psychologist from Gaza.

The Centre aims to do both reparative and preventative work with children and families. One aspect of this work is the Fridays of Joy sessions when teams of play workers, story tellers, clowns and play therapists visit villages and refugee camps in Gaza and run imaginative sessions which involve hundreds of children, giving them some fun, which is, in itself, therapeutic, and on a regular basis can have a long term benefits for the children. One of their slogans is ‘Create Joy Amongst the Debris.

Brent Friends of Palestine are holding a fund raising concert in Central London on Saturday October 1^st with singer-songwriters Frankie Armstrong, Janet Russell, Leon Rosselson, Palestinian oud player and singer Nizza al-Issa and professional violinist Simon Hewitt Jones. Simon travels to Palestine to work with young violinists in Ramallah. The MC will be Ian Saville, socialist conjuror, just returned from the Edinburgh Festival.


More information can be found at Brent Friends of Palestine on Facebook

'Denied Entry' film Q&A fundraiser March 4th Queens Park

Brent Friends of Palestine fundraiser for Palestine Trauma Centre Gaza, Friday 4th March 7-9.30pm  Interfaith Centre, (Anne's & St Andrew's Churches) 125 Salusbury Rd, NW6 6RG Directions:  LINK

"Perspectives on Palestine" film "Denied Entry" by award winning film maker Kate Jangra,

Introduction by Kate Jangra followed by discussion with Panel

Panel: Kate Jangra, 

Dr.Mohamed Altawill  Director of the PTC ,

Freya Aquarone sociology student involved in developing and running music projects in Palestine.

Refreshments

Transport: Queens Park Bakerloo line and Overground  and Brondesbury Park Overground and 206 bus. Free parking after 6.30

Brent meeting and fundraiser on Palestine next week

Joint Brent STW and Brent  & Harrow PSC Meeting
HOW CAN THERE BE PEACE IS PALESTINE/ISRAEL?
Speaker: John Rose [Author of The Myths of Zionism]
Monday, November 9th at 7.30pm
Brent Trades Hall (London Apollo Club)
375 High Rd, Willesden, NW10 2JR
[It’s very close to Willesden Bus Garage, buses 6, 52, 98, 226, 260,
266, 302, 460 and just five minutes’ walk from Dollis Hill
Jubilee Line station]

Meeting organised by Brent Friends of Palestine
HELP   GAZA’S   CHILDREN HAVE   A   CHILDHOOD
373,000 children in Gaza need therapeutic support as a result of years of conflict.  (UNICEF 2015)
Help Brent Friends of Palestine raise funds to buy a bus for the Palestine Trauma Centre.
Come and hear   David  Harrold,  Chair of Palestine Trauma Centre
Songs by Leon Rosselson
Tuesday 10th November at 7.30pm
North London Tavern
375 Kilburn Park Rd
Kilburn Jubilee Line     Brondesbury  Overground
Buses 16,32,189,316,332