First came the heckles against bias reportage…
…now the BBC empire strikes back with a block on aid appeals for Gaza:
While the media is now saturated with reports showing the scale of Israel’s barbarism over the past three weeks and the humanitarian disaster it has created, and while the United Nations, the Red Cross and all the other aid organisations involved are saying that immediate emergency aid must be rushed to Gaza, the BBC has blocked a joint appeal by a wide range of organisations from being broadcast after all the main news programmes on every TV channel.
A spokesperson for the organisations which wanted to broadcast the prime time appeal, said, “Agencies are already providing food, drugs and blankets as well as delivering clean water. But we will soon reach the limit of what we can do, without more money.”
And the BBC’s response? “The decision was made because of question marks about the delivery of aid in a volatile situation and also to avoid any risk of compromising public confidence in the BBC’s impartiality in the context of news story.” [Source]
In turn, Stop the War has organized a protest to be held this Saturday, assembling at 2.00 p.m. outside BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London.
The rally will start at 3.00 p.m. and follow through Regent Street, Piccadilly, Lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Northumberland Avenue, Embankment, Parliament, Downing Street, and conclude at Trafalgar Square at 4.30 p.m..
Protesters are advised to “bring children’s dolls wrapped in white shrouds to lay on the steps of the BBC [and] shoes with messages to Gordon Brown inside to deliver [on] the march past Downing Street.”
A detailed list of the coaches scheduled from around Britain for the demonstration can be found here.
Filed under: Conflict Zones, Europe, Israel, Middle East, Palestine , activism, Gaza, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, Politics, war
to be a bit more constructive, here is a draft of feedback you can send to the BBC:
”
I am shocked and appalled that the BBC has refused to air a TV fundraising
appeal for Gaza, stating that the BBC wishes to ‘avoid compromising public
confidence in its impartiality’.
Please write to me immediately explaining why the BBC has refused to support
this appeal. The DEC is an umbrella organization representing a number of
aid agencies including ActionAid, the Red Cross, Cafod, Islamic Relief and
Save the Children. These organizations are not proposing to rebuild Gaza
(which should clearly be paid for by Israel) but to deliver urgent,
life-saving humanitarian aid. These organizations are apolitical and the
appeal is a response to humanitarian principles.
I fail to understand why the BBC is prepared to air appeals for humanitarian
crises in Burma and the Congo, but not Gaza. Why is delivering life saving
aid to Palestinians a political act and life saving aid to the Burmese an
apolitical act? In essence, the BBC appears to be stating that saving the
lives of Palestinians is political? This position is utterly shocking and
immoral.
I urge you to urgently reconsider your position before more lives are lost
and to write to me explaining why saving the lives of Palestinians is a
‘political’ act and saving the lives of other people in need is a
‘humanitarian’ act?
“
Please refer to the links below to unravel the reason for BBC Director Mark Thompson’s decision of not allowing Gaza Charity Appeal. (A point to note is that Mark Thompson’s wife is an active jew)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/bbc-chief-holds-peace-talks-in-jerusalem-with-ariel-sharon-517400.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3724384.ece
Please make complaint to BBC for this decision at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml