By Annie Brewer
LGBT+ Activists marched through Manchester during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians and Muslims following the recent violence in Western Asia.
Over the past week, the world has looked at Israel and Palestine with anger and extreme discomfort. There has been spreads of misinformation as for the first time the violence can be clearly seen across social media.
With this, comments have been made about Palestine being an extreme homophobic nation and bringing into question the support millions have displayed for the Palestinian people.
To combat this, different groups and people gathered in Platts Field Park, Manchester on the 15th of May to stand in solidarity with Palestinians.
After MP Afzal Kahn made a speech about how Manchester are always standing up for the oppressed through history, the protest moved down Wilmslow Road.
A man from LGBT+ Against Islamophobia, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “As a gay man, through our own oppression we can find a connection with other people suffering from racism.
“For me, my family is mixed. We have Christian, Jewish and Muslim family members. If we can come together like this, we can make a difference on a much bigger scale.”
He added that Israel are hiding behind antisemitism as a justification for their actions.
He said: “I think it’s more antisemitic to suggest that the actions of Israel represent the beliefs of all Jews.”
He explained that it’s important for his group to remain visible when Palestinian politics are brought into question. He said that it isn’t proportionate.
He added: “I have much more in common with a Muslim who is being persecuted under the current system than I have against them.”
The Socialist Worker, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign and LGBT+ Against Islamophobia were there educating people, allowing Palestinian people to tell their stories and handing out booklets telling people how they can help Palestine directly.