Manchester Synagogue Attack

silverlining48

Was interested in FGTs statement that masks and megaphones are illegal so had a Quick Look. They are not illegal.

I’m surprised silverlining but thank you for checking. I found this though:

Are balaclavas illegal in the UK?
AI Overview

No, it is not illegal to wear a balaclava in the UK, but a new law creates an offense of wearing a face covering to conceal your identity at protests. While a general ban on balaclavas is not supported by the government, police do have the power to demand you remove a face covering that is being used to hide your identity.

And re megaphones. Wasn’t Steve Bray (Stop Brexit) banned from using one I seem to recall?

I don’t know the person you mention re megaphone FGT. but think the police can ask for a face covering to be removed probably because of behaviour of wearer.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And re megaphones. Wasn’t Steve Bray (Stop Brexit) banned from using one I seem to recall?

I think the last government passed a Bill that altered what could and couldn’t be done at marches/protests regarding noise (megaphones) and covering one’s face to conceal your identity.

I think Steve Bray was banned from using a microphone in a specific area near Westminster wasn’t he, rather than banned from using one altogether. I remember he flouted it, and argued the toss about where exactly he could broadcast from.

silverlining48

Was interested in FGTs statement that masks and megaphones are illegal so had a Quick Look. They are not illegal.

Designated protest areas: Recent legislation has created a new criminal offence for wearing a face covering to conceal your identity in designated protest areas. in England and Wales.

Sorry, FGT2, I see you already posted that.

Must keep up!

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Oh dear Shelmiss, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope he is recovering.

It will have made the Jewish communities here even more nervous.

Shelmiss I hope he makes a speedy recovery.
The marches and protests are going ahead today it seems including some who will hold up placards supporting PA knowing there will be police there to arrest them. No respect, no concern that police will be diverted from protecting synagogues and the Jewish community to police their protest. Showing their true colours as one protest missed would not lessen their support for Palestine.

Shelmiss

Whitewavemark2

Off now to share Shabbat with some friends.

Oh please do me a favour. Off you go and enjoy your Shabbos with your (implied) Jewish friends.

I have just found out that a good friend of my close friend’s son was shot during the terrorist attack and is in hospital.

Don't be so patronising, Shelmiss what on earth is wrong with celebrating a religious festival with friends?

As a Quaker, we do it all the time in local Interfaith Organisations and yes, it does include many religious backgrounds including Jewish and Muslim members of the group.

When something like you describe has happened, to me, there is all the more reason to find what we all have in common not what divides us. It seems to me you are the one "using" someone shot to criticise another Gransnet poster.

Nasty uncalled for post, Wyllow3, aimed at a poster who is distressed.

Jews as Quakers !

Other Posters have mentioned their friends on this thread, but only Whitewave is derided. What is that about?

There are quite a few 'nasty, uncalled for' posts on this thread.

silverlining48

I wouldn’t agree there is blanket coverage of Gaza by the bbc.
Other independent channels such as ch 4 or even ITV are more likely to report on Gaza than the bbc and there is rarely a mention of what is going on in the West Bank.

Having a go at the BBC because you personally don't like what it does ignores the steady newsfeeds, available to all because they are not behind some paywall, and they are always careful to attribute the information to the place where it has come from.

Here is the "front page" of BBC I player as of right now. 2 main features - Trumps attempts for a Gaza peace, but the major reporting for the UK itself is on the attacks and murders at the synagogue

I think it's worth repeating surfsup's post of Thursday 15.41 because some posters seem to have lost sight of this:

As someone who has lived close to a synagogue for over 15 years I should add that security and a police presence has been a constant for many years.

It’s quite obvious that many of you are blissfully unaware of just how much anti Jew hatred there is in the UK. It’s ramped up since 7/10/23 but it’s always been there and it’s despicable.

Also Iam64's post also on Thursday at 15.59:

Can anyone remember when our Jewish communities caused trouble?
I do know some so frightened by increasing anti semitism, they’re considering moving to Israel. Desperate times

What are you saying overall, Allira? Surely anyone with any knowledge of history knows that jewish people have been the target of anti semitism in this country constantly as history unfolds.

Reference my Dad for example, who fought at the Cable Street Battle with Jewish people against Mosely and so on? Or which political and social groups actually worked hard after the war to bring more refugees over? It certainly wasn't the far right.

AI google on overall situation:

"Historically, antisemitism was rooted in religious, economic, and ethnic prejudices, with the term "antisemitism" emerging in the late 19th century to describe a new, racial form of anti-Jewish hatred that flourished on the political right. This culminated in the Holocaust but continued afterward through far-right groups that promoted conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.

While antisemitism has also been present in other political contexts, including on the left and within certain Muslim communities, its historic and most extreme manifestations, such as state-sponsored genocide, are most strongly associated with far-right movements and racist ideologies. "

What are you saying overall, Allira?

I think it's worth repeating surfsup's post of Thursday 15.41 because some posters seem to have lost sight of this:
Also Iam64's post also on Thursday at 15.59:

Re the terrorist - apparently now the number of people arrested in the wake of the Manchester attack has risen to SIX as police confirmed al-Shamie “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology”.

There are good and bad in every community .Being Jewish doesnt confer sainthood at birth .
That was said to me at a march long before last Octobers horrors.By a fellow marcher from Glasgow who is Jewish
Oreo there have been Jewish members of Scottish Support for Palestines since and maybe before I joined in the mid 1980s.
Are you really saying THEY are antisemitic ?Or just humans like the rest of us who abhor Israeli governments vile treatment of Palestinians for decades .
Open your eyes or at least learn about the huge number of Palestinians who have been held without trial..some children who have been held for 20 years .The government of Israel ….not just Netanyahu,s government have been committing war crimes for most of my life !

Open your eyes too about the number of Jews IN ISRAEL who have condemned their Government's policy - which has the secular aim of expanding the land occupied by Jewish settlers to the detriment of the non-Jewish inhabitants, and has nothing to do with their shared faith with Jews living, working and worshipping in other countries.

Yes Allira I agree with you ; I had no idea of the rampant anti-Jewish feeling throughout the UK. I have seen it represented on TV channels but usually at demonstrations in big overcrowded cities or following a murderous incident. There is little Jewish presence where I live, and I can only recall teaching children from two Jewish families in forty years of teaching, although I taught plenty of different ethnicities.
The fact that schools for Jewish children need to have a constant security guard present is shocking; also at the Synagogues. One in a nearby town has been targeted very recently.
The blatant insincerity of the protesters is equally shocking; apparently they are protesting today because they don't like the label 'terrorist' applied to their activities.
My feeling about protesters is that they are protesting because they love it; parading in front of the cameras makes them feel important, nothing more, nothing less.

But it is shameful.

Quote Elegran Sat 04-Oct-25 14:41:04
Open your eyes too about the number of Jews IN ISRAEL who have condemned their Government's policy - which has the secular aim of expanding the land occupied by Jewish settlers to the detriment of the non-Jewish inhabitants, and has nothing to do with their shared faith with Jews living, working and worshipping in other countries

Please the number of Jews in Israel who have condemned their government policy, not the usual,”a large number of”

paddyann54

There are good and bad in every community .Being Jewish doesnt confer sainthood at birth .
That was said to me at a march long before last Octobers horrors.By a fellow marcher from Glasgow who is Jewish
Oreo there have been Jewish members of Scottish Support for Palestines since and maybe before I joined in the mid 1980s.
Are you really saying THEY are antisemitic ?Or just humans like the rest of us who abhor Israeli governments vile treatment of Palestinians for decades .
Open your eyes or at least learn about the huge number of Palestinians who have been held without trial..some children who have been held for 20 years .The government of Israel ….not just Netanyahu,s government have been committing war crimes for most of my life !

Thank you, Paddyann, some sensible points against the hate mongers who would divide not try not bring together. The Jewish member of my Quaker MfW group would abhor much of what is being said.
there's good and bad in every group.

How can we lose sight of this? Sainthood is not conferred on whole groups of different jewish Groups as a whole,

Because of a truly horrible attack against some of their number. Tomorrow in our MfW we shall undoubtedly be holding all those who suffer in this terrible, divisive conflict.