Protesters demonstrated outside the British Museum this week over an event held at the institution celebrating Israeli Independence Day.
The museum was picketed on Wednesday 13 May as an evening event was being held to mark the anniversary of David Ben Gurion signing the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
A spokesperson for the British Museum confirmed the gathering was a commercial event and not one hosted by the museum.
The climate organisation Energy Embargo for Palestine, which organised the protest, said it was “unconscionable” of the British Museum to host such an event.
Mara Adam, a representative of the group, said: “It is not lost on us that this Israeli celebration event is taking place on the evening of 13 May, coinciding with Nakba week when Palestinians were expelled from their lands by Israel.
“It is unconscionable for a British public institution like the British Museum to host an event in celebration of Israel - a state currently perpetrating war crimes and genocide in Gaza.”
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The group demanded that the British Museum disclose full transparency on its links with Israel and end its partnership with BP.
The museum declined to comment on the protest.
Maria Eagle, the defence procurement and industry minister, gave a speech at the event, which was also attended by Reform MP Nigel Farage. The event was hosted by Israel's UK ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and organised by the Embassy of Israel.
A pro-Israel counter-protest was also held outside the event, organised by the groups Stop the Hate and Our Fight UK. Stop the Hate said it had organised the counter-protest because “we won’t let [pro-Palestine campaigners] ruin our celebrations or force us out of public spaces”.
Energy Embargo for Palestine said its protesters experienced “heavy police repression” outside the museum.
The group, which has demonstrated outside the institution on a number of occasions, says the perimeter of the British Museum was surrounded by scores of police officers and the pro-Palestine demonstration was "barricaded" with fences, with one campaigner forcibly removed.
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The protesters allege that when they attempted to leave, police officers forced them to put down their flags and banners as a condition of release, threatened arrest if people put their flags back up, and followed protesters as they went home.
Louise Lamb, from Energy Embargo for Palestine, said after the event: “Tonight’s level of repression has exceeded what we have previously experienced in our past protests outside the British Museum.”
Lamb added: “We are outraged that the British state will go to such lengths to suppress our voices while continuing to aid and abet Israel's criminal actions against Palestinians.”
The Metropolitan Police said Public Order Act conditions were imposed on the protest in order to prevent serious disruption to the community, to prevent noise having a significant impact on the area, and to prevent intimidation of those attending the event.
This article is mostly devoted mostly to the point of view and the BM protest experience of the pro Palestine lobby. Where is the balance? Why should Israel not celebrate its independence? And lastly, why is there not a single comment from the members on this article, not even one agreeing with its bias?
Because
1) Israel is committing live war crimes , crimes against humanity and is proving the Zionist project has resulted in a failed state , not something you should celebrate
2) Israel on declaring independence , immediately breached the UN convention on human rights including denying the inalienable rights of Palestinians – something noted in the UN commission on the recommendations on the partition of Palestine ( 62% of land to 36% on inhabitants)
3) Israel immediately set about ethnic cleansing and displacing by threat of violence and several massacres ( including Tantura) 750,000 people ( which was actually equivalent to the entire population of Palestine in 1900 – ie the Nakba
4) as a member of a Britain’s premier history museum association you and everyone should know this
5) as a British public facility it should it no way be afforded private hires to countries carrying out humanitarian atrocities – would Russia or Myanmar Embassies and governments be afforded this
6) the Israeli ambassador has clearly shown her agreement and support for ethnic cleansing in Gaza and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Israel
7) the prime-minister of Israel is wanted by the ICC ..
I hope there enough of an explanation but there are sadly lots more reasons and why the British museum allowed this at this time needs a proper investigation and transparency , not the silence we are being met with
Yours respectfully
A humanitarian and believer in learning the lessons of history and appalling the UN Geneva convention principle on genocide of prevention , 3rd state obligations and never again
“Applying” the lessons