Latest news with #PalestinianSolidarity
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Leeds former head teacher's terror arrest shock over protest cartoon
A man arrested under the Terrorism Act for carrying a print-out of a Private Eye cartoon at a Palestinian solidarity rally has said he is "worried" about the implications of the incident for freedom of Farley, 67, was held by police for nearly six hours on Saturday after being detained at a demonstration in Leeds. He was bailed and told on Monday he would face no further head teacher Mr Farley was carrying a placard bearing a print of a cartoon about the government's proscribing of Palestine Action, which had appeared in the satirical Yorkshire Police said it would consider any "learning" from the incident, which was first reported by The Guardian. Mr Farley told the BBC officers "made a beeline" for him as the silent demonstration passed Kirkgate Market and handcuffed him before taking him to Elland Road Police Station. Upon being told he was being arrested under the Terrorism Act because of the placard, he said he offered to show the police the original cartoon from a copy of Private Eye in his backpack, but that officers cartoon commented on the banning of Palestine Action after two RAF planes were sprayed with red paint last month, by highlighting it alongside the killings of civilians seeking aid by Israeli forces in Gaza. Mr Farley, who is from Leeds, said: "I couldn't quite believe it was happening."They carried me to the van and all the way I'm saying, 'It's a cartoon from Private Eye. This is daft'."Mr Farley described the experience as a "miserable" one and that he was close to tears while being questioned by counter-terrorism officers. "The interview just felt absurd," he said."I just thought, these are counter-terrorism officers. Surely you're looking at me and knowing I'm not a threat to anybody."West Yorkshire Police said a 67-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of demonstrating support for a proscribed organisation but that a review found the alleged offence was "not made out". A spokesperson said: "We are sorry that the man involved is unhappy with the circumstances of this arrest."As this is a new proscribed organisation, West Yorkshire Police is considering any individual or organisational learning from this incident." 'It worries me' Mr Farley said he would like a "proper apology" from the force."They got it wrong and I'd really like to see if they will learn from this," he said."They made a mistake and everybody makes mistakes, but it felt like 'action first, think later'."If I'd been a threat or looking like I was going to harm somebody, then (I would understand)."It worries me. Obviously people have to obey the law and I was, but we have to have discussions and to question things."The government isn't always right is it?"Mr Farley said he was planning to attend another a Palestinian solidarity march in Leeds this weekend and that he was grateful for the many messages of support he had also said he felt "vindicated" by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, who told The Guardian the arrest was "ludicrous"."It was wonderful to read that because he is in a position of influence and I've always had a huge amount of respect for him," Mr Farley said."It was a relief, frankly, to see someone talking common sense about it." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Independent
'Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marked a historic milestone as he turned 100 on Thursday, calling the moment 'quite frightening' without showing signs of slowing down. A towering figure in Malaysian politics, Mahathir is known for his transformative and at times controversial leadership. First serving as the nation's fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and then returning as its seventh from 2018 to 2020, Mahathir has been the country's longest-serving and oldest-serving prime minister. Despite the weight of the century mark, Mahathir remains remarkably active. After birthday wishes from his family, he turned up early for work at his Putrajaya office in his signature safari suit. "I'd like to thank all those who sent cakes, flowers, letters and for turning up to wish me a happy 100th birthday. To be 100 is quite frightening,' he said in a special live podcast to mark the occasion. During the podcast, Mahathir also reflected on key moments in Malaysia's history, voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people and spoke about the rise of China. Mahathir, who previously attributed his longevity to neither smoking nor overeating and exercising his brain, also offered personal insights on aging. Although he has a history of heart disease, including two bypass surgeries, Mahathir said staying mentally and physically active has kept him going. 'I have always been active. I cannot understand people wanting to rest. I mean, you take a holiday, you do something, you go on a holiday that is doing something. But some people retire, and they want to rest. What is the meaning of rest? You do nothing?' he said. 'So long as I can function, I want to function. I want to behave almost as if I am not getting old. I try to live the same life that I lived when I was younger. I work, I come to the office, I attend functions and all that. And I think being active is what keeps me alive,' he added. Mahathir acknowledged he was fortunate not to have been struck by any fatal diseases. 'I didnt make an effort to live this long but I look after my health," he said, describing his milestone birthday as just a 'normal day.' During his first 22-year term, Malaysia transformed into a modern economy, but Mahathir used stifling political control to hold power and silence dissent. He came out of retirement to challenge his former party over a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, forming an alliance with old foes that produced a 2018 election victory hailed as a triumph for democracy. When he returned to power at age 92, he was hailed as a hero who ousted a corrupt government and led Malaysia's first opposition victory since independence from Britain in 1957. But that aura wore off. His government collapsed during infighting after just 22 months and in opposition Mahathir became a divisive voice advocating Malay supremacy, working with an Islamist party he had long denounced. After his birthday podcast, Mahathir met more well-wishers at his office. While there was no grand celebration, staff brought out a small cake and sang a birthday song, his aide Sufi Yusoff said. True to form, Mahathir ended the moment with his trademark discipline: 'Ok, back to work!'
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
From Tokyo to Gaza: One man's 600-day protest for Palestine
In the bustling streets of Tokyo, Yusuke Furusawa is impossible to miss. 'Free, free Palestine,' he chants loudly to passers-by. Some echo his words under their breath. Others ignore him and walk past him in silence. A few confront him, sometimes aggressively, but none of that stops him. For more than 600 consecutive days, the 49-year-old carpenter has been protesting against Israel's war on Gaza, all alone. In one hand, he carries a Palestinian flag that towers over the rush-hour crowds. In the other, he holds a placard that reads: 'How many thousands of Palestinian children have to die before you raise your voice?' in Japanese. Around his neck, he wears a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, and hanging over his chest is a cardboard sign bearing a message to the world: 'Stop Gaza genocide '. Even alone, I will continue to raise my voice and speak up for Gaza Yusuke Furusawa, 49 Mr Furusawa has been taking to the streets of Tokyo daily for the past 21 months – calling for an end to the Gaza war and challenging what he says is a cultural tendency towards silence and conformity in Japan. 'I started protesting because I felt angry and powerless,' Mr Furusawa told The National. 'In Japanese society, there is an atmosphere that makes people hesitate to speak out about politics and international issues, I want to resist that.' The activist says he is sometimes met with criticism in the streets of the Japanese capital for being too disruptive and noisy, but it has not deterred him. 'From the people of Gaza, I've learnt a lot of strength, determination, principle and what is important as a human being,' Mr Furusawa explained. 'So, even alone, I will continue to raise my voice and speak up for Gaza.' Solidarity from Shibuya His protest is not solely for the people of Japan. Tokyo is a tourist hotspot, and the activist aims to show that 'there are citizens in Japan, the land of the Far East, who are raising their voices in protest' of Israel's attacks on Gaza. Since the onset of Israel's war on Gaza, thousands of people in Japan have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire. Rallies have taken place in busy city districts like Shibuya, outside the Israeli embassy in Tokyo and across university campuses as part of a global student movement. On March 30, protesters calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories gathered in Shibuya to commemorate Palestine's Land Day, when six people were killed in 1976 for protesting against land confiscation by Israel. On June 15, pro-Palestine supporters took to the streets of Tokyo in support of the March to Gaza movement, which saw thousands of activists attempt to reach Gaza to break Israel's siege on the strip. These protests reflect a growing trend in Japan, which sees residents gradually becoming more aware and connected to events in the Middle East. 'I didn't expect to see protests in Japan, and whenever you see them, I think people are always surprised and try to avoid them,' Aiko Yamakita, organiser at Kifu for Palestine, a volunteer group that raises funds for Palestinians, told The National. 'But with that [said], I think it's definitely grown over the past year and a half, so we're definitely seeing a shift.' Yet according to Mr Furusawa, the number of people taking action for Gaza remains "overwhelmingly insufficient". He says it is "regrettable" that the Japanese government has taken a neutral stance on the war, influenced by its relations with the US. To Gaza and beyond Despite some of the backlash he receives on the streets, Mr Furusawa's solo protest has gained significant traction online, earning him hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, and messages of praise and support from Gaza. In a video pinned to his Instagram, an elderly man from Gaza speaks directly to Mr Furusawa. 'You are a great man, you are supporting us, thank you very much,' says the Gaza resident in English. 'You are a hero, we never forget you.' In another clip shared to his feed, children from Gaza can be seen painting the Japanese flag on the wall of a destroyed building, and holding a sign with Mr Furusawa's name. 'We love you,' they tell him through the screen and amid the rubble. Mr Furusawa follows the news headlines from Gaza closely. The climbing death toll and scenes of the devastating destruction leave him feeling helpless but determined to keep protesting. 'Every day I feel my powerlessness,' he says. 'All I can do is continue to raise my voice.'
The National
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
From Al Ain to the world: Syrian singer-songwriter Ghaliaa finds success without compromise
As the Israeli military's bombardments of Gaza intensified in October 2023, Syrian singer Ghaliaa Chaker got on a plane and headed to the Jordanian capital Amman. There, she gathered with two dozen of her peers across the Arab world in a studio to record Rajieen, a Palestinian solidarity anthem and plaintive call for peace. 'That was the fastest project I've ever worked on,' she tells The National. 'I got the call from [Jordanian music producer] Nasir Al Bashir and when he explained the concept, I was like 'yes, I am all in'.' Featuring an eclectic array of artists, from Egyptian hip-hop heavyweights Afroto and Marwan Pablo to Jordanian viral sensation Issam Alnajjar, Ghaliaa, who is more popularly known by her first name, remembers not knowing everyone in the room. Not that it mattered, because it was all about the collective spirit for a worthy cause. 'We were 25 people, just listening, giving ideas. We seriously crafted this whole thing in two days," she recalls. "We filmed for almost 26 hours in this huge warehouse, and we were all sitting, eating and sleeping in the same place because we just wanted to finish the song and put it out.' That same instinct and conviction has shaped Ghaliaa's rise from a little-known singer-songwriter in Al Ain to a regional favourite. Her Saturday concert at the Dubai World Trade Centre will be followed by a headline slot at Beirut's Aley Festival on July 18. Born to Syrian parents, she recalls a childhood in Al Ain, dubbed the UAE's Garden City, where music inspired and was practiced. 'My dad just loved everything about music. He specifically loved Umm Kulthum and he would play her songs every night before we went to sleep,' Ghaliaa says. 'He would bring home different instruments, from drums to violin and even a saxophone. These were my toys, literally.' Her mother, a fan of western pop such as The Beach Boys and The Beatles, preferred Ghaliaa's music passion to remain a hobby and take up a more "secure career" as a psychologist. While she may have graduated with a degree in communications, the real education came at home. She built her own bedroom studio and signed up for online masterclasses by producer Timbaland and singer Charlie Puth. 'I was a nerd. I spent so much time on the laptop. I consumed a lot of information. I studied a lot, watched a lot of videos. I signed up for a bunch of courses. I just kept going.' The move to Dubai to pursue a full-time music career, including appearing in many of the city's open-mic nights, had an inauspicious start. 'I visited all the labels that were in Dubai at the time and there weren't many,' she says. 'It was a very hopeless situation for me and I remember thinking: 'Am I even in the right place? Should I fly somewhere else to do this, or should I just stick to mass comm?'' Her early singles, such as 2019's Why, were written in English, built around minimal and atmospheric production and emotionally direct lyrics that would go on to define her craft. However, what caught people's attention wasn't the material, but her image. 'I think me being this songwriter, who happened to wear a hijab was super new to them,' she says. 'While I felt the music was easy to relate to, once people started putting a face to the song, that's when the shock came.' Criticism and ill advice followed from the industry and the internet. 'Sometimes it would be about the way I wear my hijab. Sometimes I'd hear that maybe I should cover my tattoos or show more skin. It was always: 'how about you do this, how about you try that',' she says. 'And you know what, it's so freaking tempting to say yes 'I can do that' because these people in the industry know exactly what to say to make you say yes.' It was enough for Ghaliaa to retreat to her own circle of friends and collaborators and double down on her approach. As a result, her confidence grew to meld her evocative songwriting with Arabic lyricism. The results were a string of winning tracks such as A'bali and Elak w Bass that would eventually get the attention of US record label Empire, who Ghaliaa says encouraged her to be herself. Even with her new release Orchestra Sessions, a collection of original works lavishly reimagined by the all-female Firdaus Orchestra, Ghaliaa says she is still drawn towards the stripped-back sounds found in some of the UAE's smaller music venues. 'I still go to these open mics and look forward to the feeling of being surprised,' she says. 'I am telling you there is still so much talent out there who are working hard for the opportunity to be found.'
Mail & Guardian
23-06-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Cape Union Mart seeks court interdict against pro-Palestinian group
Cape Union Mart and its executive chairperson, Philip Krawitz, have approached the Western Cape high court for relief from what they describe as a defamatory and threatening protest led by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.(@Ayesha_Bagus/X) Cape Union Mart and its executive chairperson, Philip Krawitz, have approached the Western Cape high court for relief from what they describe as a defamatory and threatening protest led by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign. In the papers, Cape Union has asked the court to limit the number of protesters, prohibit people from covering their faces, issue an interdict against defamatory claims and order symbolic damages to be paid. Krawitz, who has led the company since 1980, has also asked the court to authorise sheriffs to enforce the order at Cape Union Mart outlets and to compel the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to publish a public apology. The protest began in November 2023 shortly after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack in which about 1 200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 people were taken hostage. The protest has mainly targeted Cape Union stores at the V&A Waterfront, Canal Walk and Cavendish Square in Cape Town. Cape Union Mart says as a result of the protests, it had to close its Killarney Mall store in Johannesburg in April because of declining foot traffic and what it said was ongoing intimidation. Protesters allegedly celebrated the closure online, sharing posts with the caption 'boycotts biting!' The company, which employs more than 3 000 people at 270 branches, warned that continued financial losses could lead to retrenchments. In its court papers it says demonstrators intimidated customers and made public claims that Cape Union Mart was 'funding genocide' and 'killing babies' in Gaza. Krawitz argues that the campaign is being waged 'for no apparent reason other than the fact that the company was founded and is owned by Jews'. Krawitz's affidavit states that in July 2024 he was warned by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) about a planned attempt on his life. He has since hired private security, now travels in a bulletproof vehicle and says photographs of his family have been shared by activists online, which he says heightens the risk to their safety. Cape Union Mart group legal adviser Simone Sulcus told the Mail & Guardian that 'the application was brought as a last resort after previous efforts to communicate the correct facts to the protestors failed'. 'Cape Union Mart and its executive chairman Philip Krawitz categorically state that they have never donated funds to the Israeli army or Israeli government,' Sulcus said, adding that the executive chairman has only donated funds for humanitarian purposes. In 2015 Krawitz was honoured by Keren Hayesod, the fundraising organisation for Israel. This was for his role in leading the Cape Town Jewish community's fundraising efforts during the Israel Defence Forces' Krawitz acknowledged in the affidavit that he has received awards from pro-Israel organisations. But he denied that he or Cape Union Mart have ever donated to the Israeli government or its military and argued that his philanthropic ties are being misrepresented to damage the company's reputation. 'The campaign is being conducted on a fundamentally false premise, and the harm it is causing is severe,' he said. The application calls on the court to prohibit protest claims that link Cape Union Mart or Krawitz to military actions by the Israeli state. It also seeks a restriction on protests involving more than 15 people unless held in compliance with the Regulation of Gatherings Act. Krawitz maintains that the demonstrations are motivated by a public sentiment to link Jews with the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In response to questions from the M&G, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign said Cape Union's legal action was 'intended to intimidate and silence the campaign for justice, peace, freedom and equality for Palestinians'. It added that the motion for an interdict represents 'a textbook SLAPP [strategic lawsuit against public participation] suit designed to suppress critical peaceful voices through legal intimidation'. 'SLAPP suits pose a serious danger to democratic rights in South Africa. They are used by powerful entities to drain activist resources, create a chilling effect on civil society, and shift public discourse away from the real issues,' it said. The campaign said it viewed the court filing as a direct threat to constitutional rights, specifically freedom of expression and freedom of association, adding that it would meet with other stakeholders to discuss its response. 'We see this legal action for what it is. This is a blatant attempt to weaponise the courts to shield corporate interests from public accountability,' the campaign said in a statement. 'This is not about defamation or safety. This is about suppressing the truth, silencing solidarity, and defending profit at the expense of Palestinian lives.' Sulcus said Cape Union Mart does not seek an order preventing the protestors from expressing themselves, but that this ought to be done with 'due regard to the rights of Cape Union Mart's customers and the general public not to be harassed'. 'It must be categorically stated that Cape Union Mart respects and upholds the rule of law that governs all South Africans, which includes freedom of expression and the right to protest,' she said. The case arises amid intensifying tensions over South Africa's foreign policy position on Israel, especially with its
