70 demonstrators gathered under a beating sun outside St Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich, on Saturday, facing the Forum and BBC East, with placards demanding ‘Unconditional Ceasefire Now’ and a 2m banner declaring ‘Let the Media Inform not Conform’. The protestors were outraged at the government’s failure to demand a ceasefire to the violence continuing in Lebanon and Israel, and were protesting at the plight of the Palestinian people, particularly those caught in the bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The protesters expressed their anger at the situation, particularly in Lebanon, which is sustaining the highest level of civilian casualties and damage to its civilian infrastructure. The loss of life was seen as unacceptable on both sides of the conflict.

Peter Offord, on behalf of the Norwich Stop the War Coalition, and UEA lecturer and Middle East specialist Nicola Pratt, handed in a statement to BBC Head of Eastern Region, Tim Bishop, demanding a more even handed media coverage of the conflict. (below)
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Statement by concerned Norwich Citizens to the BBC
29th July 2006

As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has an obligation to inform the British public of current national and international events in a balanced way. In the context of the current conflict between Israel and Hizbollah, we note the BBC’s failure to interview Lebanese officials, including members of Hizbollah who serve in the Lebanese cabinet, with the same regularity as Israeli political and military leaders are interviewed.

This omission hinders people’s understanding of the conflict and their ability to hold the British government to account with regard to its failure to work towards an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. We note that this policy is causing hundreds of civilian casualties and provoking a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.