• Palestinian solidarity in the London borough of Tower Hamlets keeps moving forward.
• The innovative ways Tower Hamlets have made the Palestinian plight ever more alive.
As I walk back from a long day of work when the wind is blowing and the rain is falling, I cannot help but force myself to pause and look at the row of Palestinian flags stuck to lampposts in a single linear line with joy and pride. Tower Hamlets has been one of the boroughs of London where the Palestinian plight has been more alive than ever and never seems to be forgotten with fatigue. From a fortress-like feeling with Palestinian flags everywhere you walk to the stickers stuck on bins calling for Labour MP Rushanara Ali (of Bethnal Green and Bow) to resign because of her reluctance in calling for a ceasefire, to now bus stops being venerated with ads on the atrocities that are taking place in Gaza. When the mainstream media are starting to turn away from the Gaza genocide by giving more attention to the 30 people in Ukraine killed by Russian airstrikes than the 187 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes today, it begs one to think, is this really the time to relax on the rhetoric and activism? At a time when, according to the United Nations, the 2.3 million population of Gaza is facing a hunger crisis, with 576,600 at a catastrophic level of starvation, the Palestinian death toll could double in just a few weeks from starvation alone. This is not a time to stand still, nor is it a time to allow fatigue from protests and marches to get to us.
Pictured: One of numerous Palestinian flags affixed throughout the borough of Tower Hamlets.
What methods did Tower Hamlets employ to execute the bus stop advertising campaign?
These are the first pro Palestinian bus stop ads in London that have been recorded since October the 7th. However, there is more to this story. They were not made or placed by government or corporate agencies; rather, they were created by pro-Palestinian designers with the assistance of pro-Palestinian TFL (Transport for London) worker/s.
As the video above clearly shows, a group of young activists who had access to the keys to the bus stops were the ones who were opening them and the actual design of the bus stop ad was made to look very real and effective with the correct measurements and legitimate references of mainstream sources like the BBC. This indicates that these good samaritans that had executed this virtuous act, must’ve researched their options thoroughly, whilst at the same time acquired and used their skills to design this highly affective ad. It also shows that someone or some people within the select profession of working for TFL (transport for London) have used their profession, knowing the risks it may ensue, to help support the Palestinian cause.
What can we do?
Whilst we live in the midst of such an atrocious genocide, the biggest in Gaza in our lifetimes, we should not feel afraid to take a lesson or two from Tower hamlets. To use their own talents, skills and professions to help the Palestinian cause is something we can all learn from. Attending protests and marches is action that undoubtedly can affect the narrative on display however these protests only happen at certain times. We should aim to help the Palestinian cause holistically regardless of if a protest is taking place or not as our activist fatigue will not benefit the Palestinian plight rather will only aid the media dictators in pushing a narrative for self-defence. We must understand our skills and think deeply in how we can use them to support the Palestinian resistance and those who are suffering. As famous writer Cyril Connoly once said, “A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends.”
