West Bank Wall Down Protest in Manchester

On Sunday 9th November 2003, the Manchester Palestine solidarity movement mounted its second "West Bank Wall Down" protest in the centre of town. This was part of an international day of action against the Wall. See the First Manchester Wall Down Protest.

Several long grey banners were unfurled in a continuous line down Market Street to represent the wall. Slogans were spray-painted on to the banners in red--to symbolise the blood of Palestinians. As the banners and stalls were being set up, a group of local Jewish people sympathetic to the Zionist project attempted to argue with the protestors. A frank exchange of views took place. Other Jews active in the local Palestinian Solidarity movement joined the discussion and reminded these people that many Zionists had collaborated with the Nazis during World War 2. The discussion ended without agreement. The Wall Down Protest was supported by Jews for Justice for Palestinians and members of Manchester Jewish Socialists.

In between the grey banners, mock "checkpoints" were set up staffed by guards carrying plastic toy "guns". These were simply theatrical props to show how the Israeli army treats Palestinians trying to get through the West Bank Wall to go about their everyday business. While many parents were buying similar toy guns as Christmas presents for their children in the same street, the local plod (police) arrived to inform the protestors that they had received unspecified complaints about the toy "guns" and that the protest would only be allowed to continue if they were removed. There was even talk of sending in the armed police Tactical Aid Group. The protestors argued with the police, ridiculing this nonsense, but eventually agreed, under protest, to remove the plastic "guns" from the "checkpoints". As a police helicopter circled overhead, the protestors addressed passing shoppers through megaphones about the catastrophic effects of the West Bank Wall on the Palestinian people.

A supporter of Manchester Jewish Socialist Group sang the beautiful song, "I Will Rock My Heart Till the Walls Come Down." After a couple of hours, the banners were dropped to the ground and the protestors sat on them to symbolise the need to demolish the wall.