Guardian and Indy whitewash antisemitism at London anti-Israel rally

Neither the Guardian nor Indy noted the egregious examples of antisemitism at Saturday's anti-Israel demo in London, with their articles providing entirely positive accounts of the protests - representative of a pattern of both publications obfuscating antisemitism and support for violence within the pro-Palestinian movement.

Articles at the Guardian (“London protest demands Israel end ‘unprecedented attacks’ on Palestine”, May 11) and Independent (“Thousands march in London to support Palestinians after Gaza rocket exchanges”, May 12) whitewashed multiple instances of antisemitism at an anti-Israel rally in London on Saturday. 

The demo, “National Demonstration for Palestine: Exist! Resist! Return!”, was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al- Aqsa and the Muslim Association of Britain.

Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) monitored the event reported that the demo included numerous antisemitic banners carried through the streets.  One suggested that the BBC is controlled by Benjamin Netanyahu, whilst another blamed Israel for causing antisemitism.

Crowds also cheered as one speaker – Glyn Secker, head the antisemitism-denial group Jewish Voice for Labour. – claimed that Labour Friends of Israel MPs are “fifth columnists”, accused Jewish leaders of being “in the gutter”, and alleged that Jews who complain about antisemitism are “crying wolf”.

Other marchers called for “victory to the Intifada”, and chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Yet, both publications provided entirely positive accounts of the protests, with neither the Guardian nor Indy noting any of the egregious examples of racism cited by CAA  – representative of a broader pattern documented by this blog of both publications consistently downplaying and obfuscating antisemitism and support for violence within the anti-Israel movement.

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