TWO children showed their support for Palestine by dressing up as journalists whilst giving speeches at an emergency rally on Tuesday.
Siblings Mourad and Mila Ebied, aged 9 and 7, spoke at a demonstration in Edinburgh to protest the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
The protest, organised by the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) alongside other groups such as the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (JPS), and Stop the War Coalition, condemned the Israeli Government’s attacks on Rafah, as well as the intentional targeting of journalists in Gaza.
READ MORE: University slated for 'discriminatory' decision to pull Palestine art display
Speaking to the crowd, the young siblings shared their perspective on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
NEW: Siblings Mourad and Mila Ebied, aged 9 and 7, dressed as journalists and spoke at an emergency demonstration in Edinburgh to protest the ongoing atrocities in Gaza.
— The National (@ScotNational) February 13, 2024
They spoke of the difference between their childhood experiences and the need for solidarity 👇 pic.twitter.com/68ul74z0z5
“Brick by brick and stone by stone, dreams will be rebuilt, you won’t be alone,” said Mourad.
He continued: “Yet in the rubble, a question remains: Will compassion rise, breaking the chains?
“They may destroy every tree and flower, but we will end this, our unity’s our power.”
Mila, addressing “friends from Palestine”, said she was “sorry” that children in Gaza could not experience the same childhood as her own.
“I’m sorry that the leaders turned away from you. I’m sorry the world failed you.
“Your pain is my pain. We’re both children, but I wake up to the alarm clock, you wake up to the sound of bombs.
READ MORE: 'Peace must triumph' - Trade union movement prepares for Palestine demonstration
“I wake up to mama saying “Mila, you’re gonna be late to school”, you wake up to your mama saying “Hurry up, we need to leave”.
“I brush my teeth, you brush off the wounds. I wash my face, you wash off the blood.
“I go to school, you go to war.”
Protestors condemned the Israeli military’s attacks in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza where 1.5 million Palestinians are estimated to have been displaced.
On Monday, dozens of Palestinians are believed to have been killed by Israeli air strikes in Rafah.
The demonstration also honoured the work of Palestinian journalists such as Bisan, without whom many of the stories in Gaza would not have been told or shared with the international community.
As of February 13, a total of 95 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza, as recorded by the International Federation of Journalists.
READ MORE: Palestinian journalist - Support for us in Scotland and around the world gives us hope
Once speaker told demonstrators that he had recently spoken to a Palestinian currently in Rafah, who told him: "Our people are determined to go no where, not to go out of Gaza."
Speaking to The National, Vanesa Fuertes, chair of the Edinburgh SPSC branch, said: “We ask people not to fall into despair, despite the horrifying scenes coming from Rafah. We must mobilise and exert greater pressure than ever before on our political representatives.
“We welcome the request today from South Africa to the ICJ to intervene in Rafah as a matter of urgency.”
Fuertes condemned political leaders in Westminster for “their roles in the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians”.
Fuertes continued: “Sunak and Starmer maintain a criminal silence on the genocide and must be held to account for their roles in the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
“We ask the public to join us as we march to the Labour Party conference this Saturday in Glasgow, assembling at George Square at 1pm.”
A spokesperson for Edinburgh University JPS told The National: “On Monday, in the early morning, over 67 Palestinians were killed after air and sea strikes, launched by the Israeli government.
“The same government that, at the start of their constant bombardments and attacks on Palestine since October 7, told Palestinians to go seek ‘shelter’ in that same area, Rafah. Where there is no water, electricity, food, and where Israelis stop, in a testament of their cruelty, international aid convoys to reach Palestine.
READ MORE: Labour MSP jokes about BAE Systems shares after Middle East bombing campaign
“They violate international treaties and agreements, and continuously commit war crimes. It is apt to describe their actions as genocidal.
“Since October 7, we have been motivated to act, speak, protest, and demonstrate, to show [the] University of Edinburgh, and the UK, and the rest of the world, that we refuse to be complicit in genocide by confining ourselves to silence. We speak out to show our solidarity and our support.
“As the Justice for Palestine Society, we refuse to be mute, and hope, by organizing these protests, to make our voices heard loud and clear so that action can be taken.”
A national demonstration will be held in Glasgow on Saturday to protest against the “genocide” in Gaza, with plans to march to the Scottish Labour party conference.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel