To feel like the tide of public opinion has turned against the pro-palestine protestors

@BewaretheIckabogyou summed it up perfectly! Collective outrage for something many know so little about. Who is funding all this activism and fuelling these fires?

If people are finally seeing the pro Palestine lobby for who they are then I’m glad - they’re a bunch of naive middle class fools and antisemitic islamists.

If the Middle East is such a haven perhaps they’d be happier there. Good riddance to them.

Yes! I find the Pro Palestinian moment very extreme. Most people do, but are too scared to ever vocalise this! And when good journalism questions them all of sudden it’s propaganda/lies etc.

On the contrary. The celebs speaking out, the UK recognition of Palestine, the evidence. It’s all stacking up.

Not all Germans supported Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Nobody apologises for the death of 6 million Germans in WW2, approximately 2 million of them were civilians because civilian casualties happen in war.

War is horrific, terrible things happen and we would all wish they didn’t.

People will say, not all Palestinians voted for Hamas or are supporters.

We don’t have empirical evidence to know whether more of the general population of Gaza support Hamas than everyday Germans supported the Nazis. I suspect the latter have a high popularity rating but don’t know.

At least the Nazis were a little bit discreet about their desire to exterminate Jews; for Hamas it’s their raison d’etre and they’ve never shied away from it.

I don’t support Netanyahu and the current Israeli government but Hamas is an anti-Jewish death cult.

The naivety of so many people on these marches supporting the anti-Israel stance but not calling out Hamas is astounding.

Where’s the outrage and weekly marches for people killed in Syria or Yemen, the genocide in Myanmar or the Armenians in Azerbaijan?

So many of the useful idiots were captured chanting from ‘the River to the Sea’ and when asked had no idea which river or the sea they were chanting about.

Also, sadly Gaza isn’t the only genocide happening in the World. Where is the outcry for what is happening in Sudan and China and the horrific human rights atrocities in the Congo and Syria! Where is the collective outrage? I don’t get it!

But today wouldn’t have been their normal day of marching. Had it been on a Saturday which is when they like to do their marches, then maybe. But to actually choose to deviate from that and switch to today of all days, there are no words..,

You can believe that what’s happening in Gaza is horrific and that what happened on 7th October was horrific. Most people feel empathy for both sides. It’s called humanity.

What I struggle with is the growing number of people who deny or downplay what happened on 7th October, or who claim to be anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic. Zionism is complex and deeply nuanced, and to dismiss it outright often crosses into antisemitism.

I also think many sensible pro-Palestinian voices get drowned out by the louder, more extreme ones, people who seem fuelled by outrage rather than understanding. It doesn’t help build empathy or wider public support. It’s also disappointing how rarely Hamas is condemned, or how little is said about the lack of support from neighbouring Arab states. That silence alienates people too.

An obvious celebration of the October 7th massacre on the streets of Birmingham. How could anyone fail to be disgusted?

Not a competition, but come on. Today’s the anniversary of innocent young music festival goers being kidnapped, raped, murdered, and no-one knows whether the ones not released are dead or alive. It’s a day for them to mourn. Yet pro Palestinians thought it a good idea to try to hijack the day by having marches. Why? The day is if no relevance to them whatsoever, other than their leaders decided to instigate a war on that day. It smacks of a celebration of what happened, like trying to minimise what the families have been put through since that day. And now it’s backfiring, because people now see these protestors for who they are. Very unpleasant vile individuals. The tide’s turning…

Totally agree OP. The rhetoric of some of these protesters is frankly terrifying and not remotely what we want on the streets of Britain.
I've seen some thoroughly nasty individuals being interviewed today under the guise of being 'pro-Palestine'. If this is what empathy looks like, frankly, you can keep it!

People could march for peace and a ceasefire and a return of the hostages instead of Globalise the Intifada and Death to the IDF?

I feel like there’s a whole other conversation here about what can people who DO want the UK government to stop arming Israel but who don’t hate Jewish people or want to cause public unrest actually do?

If the current way of voicing our views isn’t effective or is causing distress to people who aren’t to blame and who can’t take action (aka the average Jewish person living in Manchester or wherever) then what’s the alternative?

Eh? My empathy is with the hundreds of children murdered by Israel this last week alone. I’m happy with my empathy being mostly reserved for murdered children. Nothing will take my focus from their systemic and sustained murders

Absolutely agree. I think that some consider Hamas to blame for their own starving population.

This thread is about the protests though. I think recent events show the hardcore protestors are antisemitic and/or narcissistic. The discussion is not about the Israeli government, who are reprehensible. The protests have become hate events and Jewish people in the UK are suffering due to the direct and indirect effects of them.

Don't you have empathy for the Nova victims or Shani Louk, or Kfir Bibas, or the other hostages?

I'd hold the middle

Why are so many old people acting like Hamas are freedom fighters? You'd think experience might bring wisdom...🤔

People are misunderstanding and think you mean the tide is turning on people's opinion of the conflict, not people's opinions of the people who yell Death to the IDF and Globalise the Intifada on a weekly basis.

I think Britain is generally a very moderate country and the value we hold dearest is being fair to others and ourselves.

I don’t think the tide has turned because ultimately when British people see pictures of children starving in Gaza, they won’t perceive that as just or fair. Religion, race and what has happened in the past doesn’t factor in. Starving and killing innocent children isn’t ever the right thing to do.

can I hold the other end of this banner please? 😔

I would like to think that most people understand that the situation is incredibly complex and nuanced, and that neither side is blameless.

I would also like to believe that most people are horrified by the suffering and loss which has been experienced by innocent people on both sides of the conflict. The stories from both Jewish and Palestinian victims are heartbreaking.

We don't have to reduce everything to simple soundbites. We don't have to pick a side. We should remember our common humanity.

If I felt safe going to a march with a banner saying - End Hamas, End the Israeli Actions, I probably would.

The tide is turning because people are seeing there are agitators who have a very different agenda.

I think it’s a close run thing…