Real Media. What's Happening

Welcome to this week’s Real Media / Phoenix Media Co-opnewsletter. Please also remember to subscribe on YouTube. Protect Journalists Israeli occupation forces murdered journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank last week, and then attacked pallbearers at her funeral. A fellow journalist (whom occupation forces injured at the same time) said: “They shot us for no reason. We, a group of journalists, were there wearing our full press uniforms, in addition to the helmets with the word “press” written on them in large letters, as big as the whole world. We were obvious.” The Committee to Protect Journalists said Abu Akleh was “an inspiration to a generation of female Palestinian reporters”.  Journalists seeking to cover other violent situations are far from safe, too. At least seven have died in crossfire in Ukraine this year, for example. And Mexico, which for years has been one of the most dangerous countries for journalists due to a US-backed war on drugs, has reportedly seen the murder of 11 journalists since the start of the year. Another journalist under threat - Julian Assange    This week marks another important step in the battle to prevent Julian Assange facing the rest of his life in a United States prison. This evening, supporters are protesting outside the Home Office, after his defence team handed in their final legal arguments to the Home Secretary today. Priti Patel will now have until the end of the month to rule on his extradition. Although legal arguments are running out, it’s still not quite the end. His lawyers may file an appeal to the High Court on issues raised previously at Westminster Magistrate’s Court, and it’s likely this will be initiated in the coming weeks. For receiving and publishing documents that exposed US war crimes, Assange is charged in the United States with political offences under their ‘Espionage Act’. He was originally sent to Belmarsh in April 2019 for bail offences connected to fictitious sexual allegations, but has been held there since April 2019 under conditions amounting to torture, simply because he is considered a flight risk. Last Thursday, peace activist Maria Gallestegui walked up to the wall of high-security MHP Belmarsh, and sprayed the message “Priti Patel – Save Julian Assange” in blood-red paint. She attempted to use a power tool to symbolically drill a hole in the wall, and threw red balloon paint bombs, but was eventually stopped by prison guards and later arrested by police. Watch the film below - read the full story here. Nakba Day: direct action against weapons manufacturer  Credit: Guy Smallman In 1948, the military occupation of Palestine by Western-backed Israeli military saw the displacement of almost three-quarters of a million Arabic people who lost their right of return. Nakba means ‘catastrophe’ or ‘disaster’ and describes the destruction of the Palestinian society and homeland. In response to Israel’s Day of Independence, Nakba Day is commemorated on May 15th each year with silent vigils, strikes, marches and protests. In the UK for the past 18 months, Palestine Action have been using direct action to repeatedly shut down Israeli military manufacturer Elbit Systems (which manufactures drones used to surveil and target Palestinians in illegally occupied territories).   On Sunday, Nakba Day, just days after Israeli soldiers shot dead Al-Jazeera’s reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, activists stormed the main offices of Elbit Systems in Bristol. They sprayed the building, smashed windows, and while some locked on across the access road, others gained entry, barricaded themselves into an office and smashed and dismantled IT equipment. Among the group were two dissident Israeli citizens. Nine activists were later arrested, but despite dozens of similar actions over 18 months, Elbit Systems have not yet produced documents to prove their business is lawful, court cases have been postponed and abandoned, and activists have been acquitted. The campaign continued today at the London HQ of Elbit, where 4 activists sprayed red paint and blockaded the main entrance early this morning. An Elbit security guard attacked peaceful protesters and recklessly pulled over a 6-foot step ladder on top of which a young woman had D-locked her neck. The guard refused to identify himself and was not wearing any SIA badge. A Christian view on climate action  Reverend Sue Parfitt is an 80-year-old climate activist and retired vicar from Bristol. She has been arrested on multiple occasions and has also fought and won in the courts. She’s supported Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil. She is also a member of Christian Climate Action. We filmed her at the weekend at a gathering of Just Stop Oil supporters where she gave a speech about her personal relationship between her faith and her direct action. Watch it here. She sees it as her job at the moment to “get the Church off its bottoms and get them on the streets.” Reminding us that the early Church spent its time in and out of prison and in response to the question: “Should we be breaking the law?” She says “Of course, we should break the law if the law is evil. That’s why Jesus died on the cross – he was breaking the law – it’s so obvious isn’t it?” Despite Royal Assent for new police powers, and the Queen’s Speech promising further unprecedented draconian authoritarian powers, her message as a climate activist is: “Whatever it takes, whatever the cost, we’re going to keep going at this.” There’ll be more words of inspiration from Just Stop Oil activists in a short film later this week. Other news... Credit: Extinction Rebellion Protesters from a range of groups disrupted an African Energies Summit event at the Mayfair Hotel this morning. Some climbed onto the canopy and displayed a banner “End Oil Colonialism”. The summit is a networking event sponsored by major oil companies and attracting oil executives and African Heads of State. People in Dalston, London, hit the streets on 14 May to stop police from arresting someone for “an immigration offence”. Footage of police violence soon spread online. Weeks of mass protests in Sri Lanka finally forced the country’s prime minister to resign. And despite facing fierce repression, protesters continue to call for a meaningful change to the toxic mix of neoliberal economics and nepotistic mismanagement. In the Philippines, the apparent electoral victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sparked protests. His father, Ferdinand Marcos, led a corrupt and brutal dictatorship in the country for two decades. Do let us know of any stories and issues you’d like to see more of, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and please consider donating to help us carry on our work and bring you this newsletter.