It's Protest O'Clock

This week I was going to write about the ethics of diamonds. I was going to set aside some time to properly research the ethics of earth-mined diamonds vs the energy consumption of producing lab-grown diamonds and make a decision as to whether I felt comfortable working with diamonds again. I'm going to have to leave that for another time because it's time to talk about Palestine - Gaza in particular.

Since October we've seen some of the most awful shit we've ever witnessed in our lives through our mobile phones. I'll admit I wasn't super clued up on the situation with Palestine before October 7th but those of you who follow me on social media know I haven't shut up about it since. You can find a well summed up timeline of the whole thing here.

Cities across the world have been protesting for a ceasefire, the end of the occupation and divestment from Israel since October and mainstream media hasn't really been paying attention... until students started occupying universities across the USA. The disproportionate response of the police and their brutality has sent a huge message to people who weren't previously paying attention and finally the tide feels like its really turning. 

We need to keep the momentum going and the UK is following suit with several protest camps being set up on campuses here and emergency protests being arranged, so for that reason I wanted to share some valuable tools from Green & Black Cross - a volunteer-led organisation that has been set up to help with legal matters that arise from protesting.

• First of all there's this great guide on what to do if you get arrested for protesting.
• They also have these great, printable "bustcards" that contain a brief rundown of that information so you don't forget. Each one is region-specific due to the solicitor you'll need to call.
• They also hold online training sessions so people feel confident in knowing their rights, amongst other things. You can find a schedule of their training sessions here.
• And here is everything else you need to know about protest law in the UK.

You'll find a wealth of valuable information on their website so whether you're planning on staging a protest or attending one, please have a good read to protect yourself from the increasing police powers and crack down on protesting.

If you're disabled, immuno-compromised or have another reason for not being able to be on the front lines of protests then please know that there are other ways that you can help the movement.

• Share information on social media
• Print and distribute bustcards
• Make signs and placards for people to use at protests
• Donate to legal funds of detained protestors
• Boycott Israeli produce and companies who invest in Israeli technology. Here's a link to the BDS movement.
• Provide support to protestors in the way of refreshments or lifts to and from the protest

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

As always, feel free to drop other tips and links in the comments!

~ Riley x

Cover photo by Toby Melville