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National Demonstration: End the Genocide in Gaza - Hands Off Lebanon - Don't Attack Iran!

Saturday 2nd November: Assemble 12 noon, Foreign Office, Parliament Street

We keep seeing the continuing escalation of the horror perpetrated by Israel, having thought it couldn't get any worse. Northern Gaza is now being described as “a genocide within a genocide” and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has told the people there (not for the first time) that they have two choices: starve, or leave. The near-total siege of Gaza that was imposed a year ago is now truly total in northern Gaza - and meanwhile the area is still being bombed mercilessly. But the people there have no way they can leave safely - if they are told to go to “safe zones” and do so, those are bombed too - and those who do decide to flee are also attacked en route.

And in Lebanon similarly - Gallant has threatened to “turn Lebanon into Gaza”. Already about 3,000 Lebanese have been killed.

The West Bank is also under attack, and also being bombed by the IDF, though so far on a much smaller scale than in Gaza and Lebanon. Settler violence, backed by the army, has increased enormously in the last year, as have cases of “administrative detention”. This means that Palestinian homes are raided by the IDF and/or settlers and/or police, normally in the middle of the night, and people are arrested without charge and without being given a reason. Many of those arrested are children and teenagers. They are imprisoned, maybe for a few days or a week or so, maybe for much longer or indefinitely. And many of them are subjected to torture, including rape. A while ago a group of soldiers were charged (because of international outrage when the news got out) with systemic rape of Palestinian prisoners, and there were demonstrations in Israel in support of the soldiers - and also debate in the Knesset in which some members expressed their own outrage at the arrests of the soldiers and claimed that raping Palestinians was perfectly okay.

And a couple of weeks ago, much of the world was horrified by the images of tents burning outside Al Aqsa hospital, set on fire by Israeli bombardment, with a teenager and his mother being burned to death, along with several others. This one image happened to cut through in ways that others possibly haven't - but the same agonising death has been inflicted on countless others in Gaza, especially in the refugee camps, and many tens of thousands of others have suffered different but equally agonising deaths from Israeli bombardment, being buried alive under rubble with no hope of rescue, targeted drone and sniper attacks - to name just some of the methods Israel is using to carry out their genocide.

How can our UK government and that of the USA think all of this is okay, not only continuing to enable it - by defending it diplomatically, obstructing resolutions in the UN, and mouthing Israeli talking points about Israel's “right to defend itself” - but actively participating? As we all know, the majority of Israel's weaponry is supplied by the USA, so if that supply were stopped, so would Israel's genocide, within a few days. And the UK is also actively participating - we have military personnel in Israel acting as advisors, and in the last year the UK has sent thousands of spy missions to fly over Gaza from the UK's air base in Cyprus. And of course, the UK is continuing its arms trade with Israel, despite the small cut in licenses for military equipment - that didn't include the components of the F-35 fighter jets, which are still being supplied, enabling these fighter aircraft to continue their bombardment of Gaza. This active participation of the UK and USA means that our two countries are also involved in committing genocide - whereas, under the terms of the Genocide Convention, it's the duty of every country to do whatever they can to prevent a genocide from taking place.

Please join Saturday's demonstration to demand an end to the genocide, starting 12 noon at the Foreign Office in Parliament Street and ending at the US embassy in Nine Elms Lane. For more details see PSC's website: https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-for-palestine-2-november-2024/.

Raised Voices will be meeting at 1:20pm at the eastern corner of the junction of Millbank with Vauxhall Bridge Road, look for our banner.

March for Clean Water - Sunday 3rd November

Some of Raised Voices will join other singers at the March For Clean Water to protest against sewage in our rivers and for water companies to face suitable penalties. If you'd like to sing with us, email info@raised-voices.org.uk for details of time and place to meet.

For the background on the UK's dirty waters, see this article by Feargal Sharkey, who is one of the march organisers: Privatised water firms are imperiling our health and poisoning our rivers. Act now: flood the streets with rage

Recent events

National Demonstration: One Year On - End the Genocide in Gaza - Hands Off Lebanon - Stop Arming Israel!

Saturday 5th October, assemble 12 noon, Russell Square.

This Saturday's Palestine demo seems more critical than ever, following Israel's horrific pager and walkie-talkie terrorist attacks on Lebanon 2 weeks ago, and subsequent bombing attacks both on Beirut and on many other Lebanese towns and villages, as well as bombing attacks on Yemen. And there is the increasing danger of the war spreading even further.

And of course, all this is on top of the continuing genocide in Gaza, with more bombings of refugee camps, and schools where displaced families have been sheltering, in the last few days, and well as the continuing devastation caused by ongoing starvation, and disease due to the destruction of both the sanitation system and medical facilities. According to official records over 41,000 have been killed in military attacks in Gaza in the last year, a high proportion of them children - but the official records only include victims who are fully identified, and since the destruction of Gaza's medical facilities and other civilian infrastructure this has been near-impossible for months now, so the actual figure will be much higher. There have been numerous reports of bodies blown to bits, and also of a type of bomb specifically designed to slice bodies into small pieces, so that people are totally unable to identify their children and other family members. What sort of mind could conceive of inventing such a device? We have also heard accounts of people being handed a bag of human remains to bury which of course could contain parts of several different people. In addition there are more tens of thousands buried under the rubble, including some bodies that were deliberately driven over by IDF bulldozers and ground into the rubble. Including those who have died of preventable diseases, starvation and malnutrition or a combination of these factors, all caused by Israel's wanton destruction, and those with chronic illnesses that are treatable in normal circumstances, the Lancet gave a likely figure of at least 186,000 deaths in Gaza since last October - but that was in July, so that number also will be much higher now.

And of those so far surviving, a huge proportion of Gaza's population have seen their homes destroyed and have been forced to live in tents or other makeshift shelters, and this with winter on its way and the rainy season already started. This of course would be extremely difficult even for people in good health - which for most of the population of Gaza is impossible.

Israel's bombing attacks, often carried out with US-provided 2000-lb bombs, inevitably kill the civilian populations of whichever country they attack rather than the resistance forces they claim to be trying to defeat. So the attacks have no military purpose in the normal sense, but only achieve mass murder and genocide.

The UK must immediately cease all arms deals with Israel, not merely the measly 8% of arms licenses that were suspended in early September. Furthermore, in July the ICJ ruled that Israel's prolonged occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal, that Israel's actions constitute apartheid, and that Israel must end all aspects of its illegal occupation. This imposes a responsibility on other countries not to aid or abet Israel's occupation in any way - which means that in addition to ending all arms supplies to Israel, the UK and UK-based companies must divest from any involvement with Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, otherwise the UK is also in breach of international law.

So far the UK government has signally failed in these duties, but is instead still smearing pro-Palestine protesters as antisemitic, and in some cases bringing severe legal charges against some individual supporters of Palestine and even some journalists, merely for reporting the true facts of the situation.

Raised Voices sang in support of the marchers at Saturday's demo. For further details about the demo, see https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demo-for-palestine-5-october-2024/.

National March for Palestine - End the Genocide - Stop Arming Israel! - No Middle East War - No to Islamophobia!

Saturday 7 September 2024, assemble 12 noon, Regent Street Saint James's to Israeli embassy.

Raised Voices took part in this demo protesting against Israel's continuing genocide in Gaza, singing for the march as it went by.

National March for Palestine - Stop arming Israel, End the genocide, no Middle East War!

Saturday 3rd August. March assembles 12 noon in Park Lane, ending with a rally in Parliament Street.

Israel's genocide of the people of Gaza continues apace in all its horrifying aspects - direct killings via bombing and sniper attacks etc, starvation, deprivation of all means of sustaining life including destroying water supplies and sewage systems, deliberate enabling of the spread of disease and of course the very near total destruction of the health system. Added to this is the torture of large numbers of prisoners, many of them detained without charge.

And it is clear that the Israeli government's participation in ceasefire talks is a pretence, to keep its supporters in the US, UK and EU governments on board. This is most starkly demonstrated by Israel's assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, a leading negotiator for the Palestinians in the ceasefire talks, which were showing signs of making progress - was this why he was killed? Releasing the Israeli hostages was also part of these negotiations - so this assassination also demostrates that the Israeli government's expressed concern for the fate of the hostages is completely phoney. And of course, Haniyeh's assassination while on an official visit to Iran brings closer the danger of a wider Middle East War.

Israel is only enabled to continue its genocide by the constant supply of arms, from the USA mainly, but also the UK, and EU countries especially Germany. We can't do so much about the USA and Germany, but we need to pressurise our own government to change course - all along, the UK's support for Israel has meant that we are complicit in the crimes committed by Israel. So this demonstration is yet again calling for our government to Stop Arming Israel! We hear that David Lammy is considering banning some arms sales to Israel - what more evidence does he need? And why only "some" arms sales?

For more information see Stop the War's event page.

Raised Voices is participating in two demos this Saturday, and will join the Palestine demo after singing in support of the Whole Truth Five in Parliament Square. We plan to sing as the march goes by, from about 2pm, at the southern end of Cockspur Street where it joins Trafalgar Square. Please join us there, look for our banner.

Singing in support of Julian Assange, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, WC2A 2LL, Monday 20th May

Julian Assange has been imprisoned in the UK's notorious high-security jail, Belmarsh, for over 5 years, at serious risk to his physical and mental health. Belmarsh is intended for convicted terrorists and serial killers - whereas Assange has not even been charged with anything! He is "wanted" in the USA for the "crime" of journalism - merely publishing information about US war crimes, for example in Iraq and Afghanistan, that the US government didn't want to be known. Here in the UK, the legal processes in his case so far have been totally corrupt. If his extradition to the USA goes ahead, he is liable to a sentence of 175 years, in conditions likely to be even worse than Belmarsh. And in addition, this would set a terrible precedent in terms of investigative journalism, freedom of speech, and the public's right to know what governments do in their name.

This Monday is when the decision on Julian Assange's extradition will be given at the RCJ. From the RCJ hearing in February three of Julian's nine grounds of appeal were allowed, and the UK judiciary requested assurances from the USA relating to his First Amendment rights, his treatment as a non-US citizen, and the use of the death penalty. In relation to the latter, this point in his appeal was raised in the context of a plot in 2017, under CIA director Mike Pompeo, to murder Assange. The concern is that extra charges would be added - and there is precedence for this in his case - once Julian was extradited, making him liable to the death penalty.

These "assurances" were received from the USA in April, but as Amnesty points out "Dubious diplomatic assurances made by the USA as to his treatment are not worth the paper they are written on, not least because they are not legally binding and are riddled with loopholes". As an example, the "assurances" relating to his First Amendment rights only state he can "seek to raise" First Amendment rights; it does not guarantee that he will receive them.

Raised Voices will be singing in support of Julian Assange, sometime around 11am though timing will depend on how long the court proceedings take.

For more information on the campaign see https://assangedefense.org/ and https://www.ifj.org/actions/ifj-campaigns/free-assange-now.

Nakba 76 - End the Genocide - Stop arming Israel! - Saturday 18th May

Saturday 18th May, assemble 12 noon, march from BBC in Mortimer Street to Whitehall

Wednesday 15th May marked the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, meaning "catastrophe", which is what the creation of the state of Israel was for Palestinians - and some are referring to the current genocide as the 2nd Nakba, though of course at another level the catastrophe has been continuous throughout these 76 years.

And Israel's atrocities are continuing. The news from Gaza is so horrifying, it's impossible to know what to highlight. The bombing is ongoing in all areas of Gaza, e.g. there were more than 100 airstrikes in Jabaliya over the weekend. And the near-total siege is still in force. People in northern Gaza are starving, and starvation is rapidly spreading south. A convoy of trucks bringing in food aid via Jordan was attacked by Israeli settlers, the food thrown into the road and destroyed, and then 3 of the trucks set on fire. At Karem Abu Salem crossing near Rafah, Israeli protesters have been blocking aid deliveries for months, with aid trucks backed up for miles, and the food they are trying to deliver of course going off.

Israeli bombardment has destroyed much of Gaza's infrastructure, including for water and sanitation. So of course, with people already weakened by hunger, this is leading to a huge rise in infectious diseases. Oxfam reported that their "staff in Gaza have described piles of human waste and rivers of sewage in the streets, which people are having to jump between, [and that people are] having to drink dirty water and children [are] being bitten by insects swarming around the sewage.” And of course in Rafah this is exacerbated by the chronic overcrowding, a city formerly of about 250,000 people now accommodating about 1.3 million, with the influx of people driven there when other Gazan cities were attacked.

And this is on top of total devastation of Gaza's health system; if a service is somehow resurrected after Israeli bombardment it is then attacked all over again.

This demonstration again called for for an end to the genocide, and halting the supply of armaments to Israel. For more info see https://www.stopwar.org.uk/events/national-demonstration-nakba-76-end-the-genocide-stop-arming-isrsael/. Raised Voices sang with some of Strawberry Thieves as the marchers passed by.

Conscientious Objectors Day - Weds 15th May, Tavistock Square

Raised Voices sang at Conscientious Objectors Day this year on Wednesday 15th May from 1 to 2 pm in Tavistock Square, London. The ceremony commemorates the men and women, all over the world from the distant past to the present, who refused to kill for reasons of conscience. During the ceremony, as well as speeches and songs, attendees lay a flower on the massive memorial stone as the names of many conscientious objectors are read out. With so much fighting and destruction now taking place it has particular relevance this year as people still take this courageous position.

London March for Palestine: Stop Arming Israel! Saturday 13th April, 12 noon

We keep thinking that Israel's genocide in Gaza can't get any worse, apart from the cumulative effect obviously making the situation worse every day it continues. And then we hear about further levels of depravity, such as the obliteration of the whole Al-Shifa hospital complex, IDF soldiers storming the hospital and completely destroying all buildings and departments, and shooting people inside and around the hospital - a targeted slaughter of more than 400 people including medical staff, patients, and displaced civilians who had been sheltering there, many of the victims being children. And then the bodies were further mutilated by the Israeli forces driving over them with bulldozers, crushing the bodies and grinding them into the rubble and dust, as well as some bodies being burned.

And subsequently Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced the success of this operation, and that this would be taken as a model for the next phase of the war! This horrific statement clearly indicates that Israel's sense of impunity is undented, despite a more critical tone from various western leaders following the deliberate murder of the 7 World Central Kitchen aid workers - but these same western leaders continue to supply armaments to Israel, in the case of the USA billions of dollars' worth. So it's timely that, in addition to calling for a permanent ceasefire, the focus of this demo was to demand that our government Stop Arming Israel! For more information see https://palestinecampaign.org/events/london-march-for-palestine/.

The demo started from Russell Square; Raised Voices sang in support of the marchers a little further along the route at the junction of Remnant Street with Kingsway.

Defend Our Juries - solidarity with Trudi Warner - Thursday 18th April

Raised Voices sang at this vigil and rally. Recent state and judicial challenges to how juries operate include preventing them from hearing about defendants' motives by judges who instruct defendants not to mention their motivations on pain of being charged with Contempt of Court. Some climate activist defendants who did state motivations were indeed charged for that, and a few have been sent to prison for Contempt of Court. At their original trials, the judge told jurors that they had to ignore those motivations. But our law allows for juries to decide according to their consciences, as this copy of a plaque at the Old Bailey shows! Yet the Attorney General wants to prosecute Trudi Warner for holding a sign that stated this legal right of juries. More details on the Defend Our Juries website.

Here are some clips of Raised Voices singing at the vigil. Videos by Martin Fisher.

National Demonstration - Ceasefire Now - Stop the Genocide in Gaza - Saturday 30th March, Russell Square, 12 noon

Israel's genocide in Gaza continues - they are continuing air strikes across Gaza, now including Rafah, and have renewed their assault on Al Shifa hospital and several others. And the near-total siege is still in force, with aid trucks prevented from entering Gaza, not only by the IDF but also by hundreds of Israeli citizens “demonstrating” at the Rafah crossing, in a closed military zone, so officially it's illegal for them to be there. And all this despite the UN Security Council having finally voted for an immediate ceasefire and lifting of the siege, though only for the month of Ramadan - which is already more than half-way through. Deaths from starvation, most of them children, are continuing to rise, and preventable diseases are rife because of the lack of sanitation and the destruction of medical facilities.

This demonstration started from Russell Square, assembling at 12 noon, and marched to Trafalgar Square. Raised Voices met near Russell Square, and sang as the march passed by.

For more information see https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-ceasefire-now-stop-the-genocide-in-gaza-2/.

National Demonstration for Palestine - Ceasefire Now! - Stop the genocide in Gaza! Saturday 9th March

As we know, the USA and the UK are complicit in Israel's ongoing genocide, so this time the march went to the US embassy. People in Gaza are now dying of starvation as well as the slaughter carried out by the IDF, added to the deaths from preventable diseases caused by the destruction of Gaza's health system along with the total lack of sanitation due to the blockade, which remains near total. And the few aid trucks that are allowed through are then also attacked by the IDF, e.g. with hundreds of Gazans being shot by the IDF when trying to get basic food supplies from one of the trucks, in the now infamous flour massacre. And yet the USA and UK continue to supply arms to Israel, and have not reversed their defunding of UNRWA, so are complicit in genocide in terms of “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part” as well as in enabling the direct slaughter of Gazan men, women and children.

The demonstration assembled at 12 noon in Hyde Park and marched to the US embassy in Nine Elms Lane. Raised Voices sang for the marchers as they passed by.

Singing in support of Julian Assange, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, WC2A 2LL, Wednesday 21st February

Julian Assange has been imprisoned in the UK's notorious high-security jail, Belmarsh, for nearly 5 years, at serious risk to his physical and mental health. Belmarsh is intended for convicted terrorists and serial killers - whereas Assange has not even been charged with anything! He is “wanted” in the USA for the “crime” of journalism - merely publishing information about US war crimes, for example in Iraq, that the US government didn't want to be known. Here in the UK, the legal processes in his case so far have been totally corrupt. If his extradition to the USA goes ahead, he is liable to a sentence of 175 years, in conditions likely to be even worse than Belmarsh. And in addition, this would set a terrible precedent in terms of investigative journalism, freedom of speech, and the public's right to know what governments do in their name.

Julian Assange's final appeal against extradition to the USA was held at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st February. Raised Voices sang in support outside the court at lunchtime on Wednesday 21st, between 12:30 and 2pm. For more information see here.

Read this legal argument (Twitter thread) by Julian's wife Stella so you understand what is at stake.

National Demonstration - Ceasefire Now! - Stop the genocide in Gaza! Sat 17th Februrary

It's now 3 weeks since the ICJ ruled that Israel is potentially committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and issued the provisional measures to prevent this continuing. But Israel is ignoring this ruling completely, and both the genocidal slaughter and the deprivation of all necessities are continuing with greater intensity than ever, including the destruction of nearly all critical infrastructure including hospitals, schools, and universities.

So the same 6 campaigning organisations called another National Demonstration to demand Ceasefire Now, and to Stop the Genocide, as part of a Global Day of Action for Gaza. See https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-march-for-palestine-stop-the-genocide/.

Raised Voices joined this demo, singing for the march on Park Lane.

National Demonstration - Ceasefire Now! - Stop the genocide in Gaza! Saturday 3rd February

There was another National Demo for Palestine on Saturday 3rd February. South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice charging Israel with genocide against the people of Gaza - the whole case is likely to take years to adjudicate, but since a case of potential genocide demands urgent remedy, the court can issue “provisional measures” if it finds that there is a case to answer. They did indeed so rule, and demanded that Israel cease “killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.”

However, in the few days since this ruling of the ICJ, Israel's genocidal attacks on Gaza have intensified, the near-total blockade is still very much in force - and the few aid trucks that have been allowed to enter Gaza via Israel are now being blockaded by Israeli citizens. So the need for us to increase the pressure on our politicians is greater than ever. Once there is formal notice of the serious risk of genocide, as is now the case, all states have the duty to take concrete steps to prevent it. Failure to do so means complicity in genocide, which is also a crime in international law.

We demand that UK politicians reverse their policies of failing to call for a ceasefire, so providing Israel with impunity, and of complicity by supplying armaments to Israel and allowing Israeli arms companies to be located in the UK. And we also demand that they restore funding to UNRWA, the main lifeline for Palestinians and for Gazans in particular - outrageously, their funding was withdrawn last weekend by the USA, UK and several other states.

Raised Voices joined this demo, called by the same 6 campaigns who organised the previous demos, see for instance https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-march-for-palestine/.

Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA) - Saturday 9th December

Raised Voices sang as part of CADFA's 20th anniversary event on 9th December. Abu Dis is a town in the suburbs of Jerusalem, where in 2003 the Israeli Separation Wall was being built across Abu Dis itself. In 2004, the International Court of Justice found this to be a serious human rights violation and in breach of international humanitarian law. CADFA works to create awareness in the UK of the human rights situation in Palestine.

National Demonstration for Palestine – Ceasefire Now! – 11th November 2023

With now well over 10,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel's genocidal bombing, and still no end to the total blockade making any sort of normality impossible, the same six campaigns called another national demonstration Saturday 11th November to demand an immediate ceasefire. The demonstration marched from Hyde Park to the US embassy in Nine Elms Lane. Raised Voices were at the eventin, singing for the marchers as they passed by.

A map of the route is available on Stop the War's website.

Stop Braverman, Stop the Hate, Refugees Welcome, Unity not Division - Saturday 4th November

Suella Braverman's talk of a 'hurricane' of refugees coming into Britain crossed a line. She is using the kind of scapegoating language that is stirring up hatred and fear and opening the door to the racists and the far right. Braverman went still further, saying that attacks on women and LGBT+ people should not give them the right to claim asylum. Braverman and the government have also widened the attack on the right to protest targeting BLM, climate activists and other campaign and solidarity groups. We all need to come together to stop the scapegoating, hate and division coming from Braverman and the Sunak government.

Raised Voices joined the Stand Up To Racism protest outside the Home Office on Saturday 4th November at 12 noon. More details here.

March for Palestine - Stop the War on Gaza! - Saturday 21st October

With the Israeli genocide in Gaza continuing, by intensive bombing of the civilian population including bombing their hospitals and schools, as well as the ongoing total blockade, another demonstration was was called by the six organisations who organised the previous week's event. This time the march started at noon from Marble Arch, finishing again with a rally at Downing Street. Raised Voices found a good place to sing for the marchers as they went down Park Lane. Although the march was huge and noisy we were able to sing a lot while somewhat quieter sections of the march went by, and were heard and appreciated by those near enough, many of whom slowed down to listen. One older Palestinian man was moved to tears by the lyrics of one of our songs, and thanked us for being there.

March for Palestine - End the violence - End Apartheid! - Saturday 14th October

Some of Raised Voices sang at this national demonstration for Palestine to protest at Israel's terrible bombing of Gaza and its total blockade, cutting off supplies of food, water, medicine, fuel and electricity. The demonstration assembled at the BBC at Portland Place, and we sang near there as people gathered and then in Regent Street as the march went by, before joining the march as it continued to Downing Street. The demonstration was called by six campaigning organisations including Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War, CND and FOA.

14th-20th October 2023, London - Oily Money Out!

The Oil and Money Conference (rebranded as the 'Energy Intelligence Forum' last year), a luxury summit for the biggest names in the fossil fuel industry took place in London 17th-19th October. While some people are in fuel poverty and many are suffering consequences of climate change, the fossil fuel industry was schmoozing over plans to increase drilling and mining, having already reduced commitments to climate action. Raised Voices sang in protest during the actions, as did other choirs.

Protesting against the DSEI Arms Fair! Tuesday 12th September

Every two years since 2001, an Arms Fair has been held at the ExCeL Centre, selling weapons to oppressive regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Israel. (Click here to read more about thei history of DSEI.) Each time, Raised Voices has been part of the protest against it.

This year we joined the protest on the first day of DSEI, starting off at 11:00 with protestors walking from Stratford to raise awareness about the arms fair among the local people, leafletting and talking to people along the way. After singing with this group at locations in Stratford we went to the ExCeL Centre to join the protest there. Tuesday 12th was Migrant Justice Day at DSEI, so we sang appropriate songs for this theme as well. Finally we re-joined the walkers from Stratford, as they cast a wreath into the dock opposite the ExCeL Centre to commemorate those killed in recent wars, especially those who have been killed by weapons supplied by the arms trade, e.g. at arms fairs such as DSEI.

Calling on nuclear-armed states to sign the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons! Say No to nuclear war threats!

On Friday 4th August Raised Voices sang in support of an Embassy Walk organised by Trident Ploughshares and CND, calling on some of the nuclear-armed and NATO member countries to sign the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and to get rid of their own nuclear armaments. The protest walk called on the Russian, French and Germany embassies, and on the UK government in Downing Street. Campaigners from the UK were joined by others from France and Germany who are in the UK to take part in the annual fast in commemoration of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For further details see https://www.londoncnd.org/events/2023/8/4/haringey-cnd-embassy-walk

Supporting climate activists against length of sentence, 26th July 2023

Raised Voices sang in support of an appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice for Morgan and Marcus. Last October, they bravely climbed the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge to keep the climate and ecological crisis on everyone's agenda. They were sentenced to an unprecedented 3 years and 2 years 7 months in prison, respectively. The demo was organised by XR Events and Actions UK, and you can read more and find a petition here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2185407081791403/. The judges will give their decision in writing, in a few days or weeks. We sang Build a Better Future (see video below), When London Lies Under the Ocean, and This Is An Emergency.

Busking for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) at Highbury & Islington Stn., Thursday 6th July 2023

Raised Voices spent an evening busking to raise money for MAP at Highbury & Islington Station on Thursday 6th July. Medical Aid for Palestinians tries to cater to the medical needs of those in Palestine & Palestinians who have been spread across the Arab world. Long-established, MAP can enter even Gaza to do its work. MAP's vision is a future where all Palestinians can access an effective, sustainable and locally-led system of healthcare, and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity. Please see https://www.map.org.uk/ for more details.

Here are some photos and a video from the event:

NAKBA 75 – National Demonstration to Free Palestine, 13th May

Raised Voices took part in the NAKBA 75 National Demonstration to Free Palestine, End Apartheid, End the Occupation. Nakba means “catastrophe”, which is what the creation of the state of Israel was, and continues to be, for Palestinians. 15th May marks the 75th anniversary of Nakba. For more information see Palestine Solidarity Campaign

The demonstration marched from Portland Place to Downing Street to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Singing with XR Peace at The Big One

Raised Voices joined XR Peace to take part in Extinction Rebellion's The Big One event in protest against the military causes and impacts of climate chaos, and the devastation of war.

On Friday 21st April we sang at the picket outside the Ministry of Defence, and the next day we joined the Big Biodiversity March for Earth Day, "to honour and respect our natural worls and all endangered species".

Watch Raised Voices sing One Song One Dance in support of Extinction Rebellion in London in April 2023.

Resist Racism on 18th March

Raised Voices sang in support of the national demonstration initiated by Stand Up to Racism on Saturday 18th March 2023, assembling at noon in Portland Place, London.

An event for International Womens Day

On Friday 10th March at 7.30 pm, Raised Voices sang at an International Women's Day event with the women's section of Leyton CLP at Wanstead Library.

Stop the War in Ukraine – Peace Talks Now

No to the Russian Invasion – No to NATO – No to Nuclear War! Saturday 25th February: Raised Voices joined this demonstration to sing with the march as it set off. This National Demonstration was organised by Stop the War and CND, calling for peace talks now, and no more supplying of arms and heavy weaponry with the danger this brings of further escalation, possibly nuclear escalation. Starting from Portland Place, the march ended with a rally at Trafalgar Square.
Further information here.

Julian Assange event: Secret Power, Media Freedon and Democracy

On Saturday 28th January, 4-6pm, Raised Voices sang at this event at St Pancras New Church in Euston Road: Secret Power, Media Freedom and Democracy in the context of the Julian Assange case.
More details from WISE Up Action.

More photos, videos and news

Cynthia Cockburn

In March 2020, Raised Voices held our memorial for Cynthia Cockburn, a long-term member who contributed a huge amount to the choir and was also instrumental in setting up Campaign Choirs Network. Please click here to read more about Cynthia, and see photos and videos of the memorial.

Climate Action Songs

Watch Raised Voices sing "Build a Better Future", one of our Climate Action Songs for Great Big Green Week 2021.

Raised Voices singing at this event

Raised Voices at online Conscientious Objectors Day event

Watch Raised Voices sing "Who Do They Think They Are?" recorded over Zoom, and shown as part of the online Conscientious Objectors Day.

Raised Voices Zoom recording of "Who Do They Think They Are?"

Raised Voices at Extinction Rebellion protest

Watch Raised Voices sing in support of Extinction Rebellion in London in April 2019.

Raised Voices singing at Extinction Rebellion in April 2019