Silent vigil for Palestine and Israel

Amnesty International, Manchester

invites you to join us in our weekly silent vigil calling for a ceasefire and the protection of all civilians in Palestine and Israel.

St Peters Square, Manchester

Friday 26^th April, 5pm to 6pm

Meet from 4.50pm in front of Central Library

Please wear black or dark colours (and please dress warmly!)

No placards / No banners / No flags / No chants

Simple placards will be provided bearing the messages:

Ceasefire now

Stop arms sales

Israel: stop killing civilians

Hamas: release all hostages

Humanitarian aid now

Uphold International Law

Protect all civilians

Protect human rights

Stop war crimes

We would also like to share with you one of many warm responses received to our weekly vigils. Many people stop and look at the vigil and signal their empathy and support. Back in January a young lady who saw us went away and then returned with a bouquet of flowers which she laid in front of the vigil. This helped us realise that the public wanted to express their feelings about the dreadful events in Israel and Gaza. And so we gave them the opportunity by giving out pink felt hearts on which people write a personal message. We now have several hundred of these hearts and messages, and our craftivism group will create a display piece with them. Last Friday the “lady of the flowers” appeared again and spoke with one of our members. She explained that she had been moved by the vigil to write a piece which she sent to the Manchester Evening News. She has sent it again, but it has not been published so far. This piece is copied below. We hope it has meaning for you.

 All the participants at the vigil agree that it is a moving experience. We hope that you will join us when you can. After six months of giving witness, our numbers are reducing and we would welcome more people. And do please promote the vigil by sending on the email notice which is circulated each Tuesday. 

Hi All,

I hope you are having a nice Friday so far. I wanted to let you know about something I have seen by St Peters Square the past month or so in the hope that you find it news worthy because I truly believe it deserves exposure and highlights the wonderful side of human nature. 

Over the past few weeks on a Friday walking to St Peters tram stop after work I have seen a group of people calling for an end to the horrific scenes we have seen in the Middle East. The way they have called for this has not been by shouting their opinions or laying blame and demanding passers by acknowledge them and support their ideas. They have called for this by standing shoulder to shoulder in a line silently imploring people around the world to remember their humanity and duty to act kindly towards each other. I have seen this line, that grows bigger every week, demonstrate what Manchester is known for, acceptance of each other and a source of comfort for each other in times of loss, even if that loss isn’t in your backyard.

In the shared human experience of feeling powerless it is inspiring to see people from all walks of life come together to publicly grieve and take a stand against violence towards their fellow man. Doing it in silence is somehow more impactful. Walking past this show of quiet unobtrusive strength you can’t help but feel moved, as if their silence in sadness has created a safe space for you to digest the horrors of what you have seen on the news and socials and pause for a second and acknowledge your own grief at what has happened and continues to happen to innocent people on all sides of the conflict. I have watched people literally pause, stand still for perhaps the first time that day, collect themselves moments later and walk on. I imagine slightly changed by the experience, I know I was.

I don’t think it’s by chance that within that line your eyes are drawn to the Hasidic Jewish men standing shoulder to shoulder with women in hijabs in solidarity, after all the message the silent group of once strangers screams so loudly is that regardless of colour, race or creed we should all be outraged by needless loss of life.

Perhaps I am overthinking it, but I do wonder if their strong, closeknit, previously small but growing every week line of silence is designed to make passers by question their own silence. Human rights should be right for all humans.

I would implore you to see them yourself one Friday and make up your own mind.

Thank you for reading,

George

Manchester | Amnesty International UK