News / protest
Pro-Palestine protesters picket the BBC
Hossam Shabat, a Palestinian journalist, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on March 24. He was 23.
In memory of him, and other Palestinians who have been killed during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, on Friday morning members of the Bristol Stop the War Coalition gathered outside of BBC Bristol in Clifton in protest.
Protesters claimed the BBC is biased in their reporting on the conflict.
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Alongside the Stop the War Coalition, members of the Bristol Trades Union Council and Na’amod, a movement of British Jews campaigning against Israeli occupation in Palestine, were in attendance as were cyclists riding as part of the national ‘Big Ride For Palestine’ movement raising money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance.
Six days earlier, members of the Bristol Stop the War Coalition erected a ‘press cemetery’ to commemorate Palestinian journalists killed since October 7
At several points throughout the picket, protesters shouted “shame”.
Many protesters held signs critical of political figures, including UK prime minister Kier Starmer
During the picket, honks of support came from cars driving past as did heckles from people walking and passing by on scooters.
Several people gave speeches during the picket which criticised the BBC as well as British prime minister Kier Starker and foreign secretary David Lammy.
Protesters said the BBC is biased in its coverage of Israel and the Israel-Hamas conflict
A speech from Jonathan Cook, a freelance British journalist whose writing on Israel and Gaza is widely-read, was also read to the crowd.
Cook’s speech referenced BBC Two documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, a documentary that is currently unavailable on iPlayer following criticism that one of the children featured in the documentary may be linked to a Hamas official.
It also referenced Karishma Patel, a former BBC newsreader who quit her job following her team initially declining to cover the case of a six-year-old child in Gaza named Hind Rajab.
In January 2024 Hind fled Gaza with her aunt, uncle and four cousins.
Following the deaths of her relatives, she called paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for help. Both her and two paramedics were later found dead.
Israel has denied involvement in the deaths of Hind, her relatives and the paramedics although an investigation from Forensic Architecture concluded they were likely hit by ammunition from an Israeli tank.
The BBC picket was one of three pro-Palestine protests that took place on Saturday. The others were a ‘Big Ride for Palestine’ by cyclists and a march in Castle Park
Many of the protesters at the picket in Clifton later joined a Pro-Palestine march in Castle Park on Friday afternoon.
In a statement to various UK media outlets in November 2024, a BBC spokesperson said: “When we make mistakes or have made changes to the way we report, we are transparent.
“We are also very clear with our audiences on the limitations put on our reporting – including the lack of access into Gaza and restricted access to parts of Lebanon, and our continued efforts to get reporters into those areas.”
All photos: Rob Browne
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