Pro Palestine rallies occur every Friday, addressing Gaza bombing, ceasefire demands, and wider concerns.
Bombing in Gaza displaced many people and thousands of civilians died, including women and kids. Activists from Lancashire joined the protests and have been bringing drums recently.
During Ramadan, protests moved to Saturdays. Yasin Chopdat helps organize the events. The group has support from drivers and people nearby. About 25 to 30 people stay on the sidewalk ensuring traffic is not disrupted.
People travel from different towns to join, with some coming from Accrington, Burnley, and Nelson. A group also came from Manchester, joined by the Blackburn Drummers for Palestine. More people are joining and showing interest now.
The banner is displayed and then taken down because they want Palestinians to live freely. They feel a ceasefire is not enough, as it gets violated daily. They want to clearly make the Palestinian voices heard.
Two local councillors, Saj Ali and Imran Ahmed, showed their support too by attending the protests. Neelam has attended every Friday and thinks of the Palestinians’ struggles in tents. She feels standing for two hours is easy for her.
Neelam thinks it is great to see diverse people, stating that Palestinian freedom is for all humanity. It goes beyond race and gender, and she feels this shows in their supporters.
Activists protest at BAE Systems in Samlesbury since December 2023, demanding halting of F35 warplane parts. Protesters claim Israel used them in the conflict and ask everyone to get involved in the campaign.
Another protest at BAE Systems took place last week. BAE Systems respects the right to protest peacefully, operates under strict regulations, and fully complies with export controls.