MEMBERS of the Radnor Palestine Links group were joined by fellow demonstrators in Knighton last Friday (May 21), standing united in the rain human rights as a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Palestine.

Standing in the rain in Brookside Square, Knighton, Radnor Palestine Links were supported by local groups of Unite Community, XR Peace, United Nations Association Shropshire and the human rights charity CADFA.org. At least 20 protestors held placards and flags calling for an end to Israel's bombing in Gaza and for human rights for Palestinians and for the root causes of the conflict to be dealt with.

“A ceasefire has been declared this morning and we hope it will hold,” said Radnor Palestine Links member Lee Coveney, from Presteigne.

“We're all very upset by the slaughter and destruction in the past 11 days. But assuming it holds, the real problems continue. The Palestinians have been attacked, confined and had their human rights violated in so many ways since Israel declared itself a state 73 years ago, and military aggression has continued since then.

“We call on our government and the international community to ensure that the current apartheid situation ends and that Palestinians are allowed to have the same human rights as the rest of us.”

The group are collecting signatures for a petition addressed to Powys County Council asking them to divest their pension fund from companies included in the UN Human Rights Office’s list of enterprises active in Israel’s illegal settlements and to implement a statement of investment principles so that the fund cannot invest in companies that breach international law or are complicit in human rights abuses.

“We are not laying the blame for the situation at the door of individual Israelis,” added Angie Zelter, another Radnor Palestine Links member and renowned protestor.

“It is the Israeli government, police, army and the right-wing settler movement that are involved in daily human rights abuses of Palestinians, including house demolitions, theft of farmland and water resources for more and more illegal Israeli settlements and the siege of Gaza that has been going on for 14 years now.

“The way forward is for everyone to have equal human rights and to be treated properly. This conflict will never end until the siege of Gaza ends, international law is respected and Palestinians are seen as equal human beings with human rights on a level with everyone else.”

For more information contact Lee on 01544 260398 or Angie on 01547 520929.

Similar demonstrations have been held throughout Powys in May, including in Machynlleth and the previous weekend in Presteigne.