Excellent prompt response re "Colonel Geva Rapp" the evening, in spite of the conflicting details. I understand he was there with hundreds of police who deemed it so important as to close Euston Rd at rush hour…

Thanks for everyone for trying to get the facts right in such short space of time.


At least we have more time for the following Israeli public speaking:
"MONDAY 9TH FEBRUARY AT 5.30PM … WHEN THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR IS LIKELY TO ATTEND THE COUNCIL'S DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION AT KENSINGTON TOWN HALL, W8" – see below.


An opportunity to show our views to the Israeli Ambassador, regardless whether he decides to cancel this event. If he finds an underground entry, surely they cannot stop Councillors and community members from attending this Reception?? If entry is restricted to invitation only, then Councillors and community members should be able to ensure they get it. We can give him a reception outside.


Venue: Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, Kensington, London W8 7NX

Date: Monday 9th February at 5.30pm

Contacts: Soraya Boyd  sorayaboyd@googlemail.com and Councillor Pat Mason:  Cllr.Mason@rbkc.gov.uk


From Councillor Pat Mason, Kensington & Chelsea Councillor:  Cllr.Mason@rbkc.gov.uk

ALERT: PUT MONDAY 9TH FEBRUARY AT 5.30PM IN YOUR DIARIES WHEN THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR IS LIKELY TO ATTEND THE COUNCIL'S DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION AT KENSINGTON TOWN HALL, W8.

At the 21st January Council Meeting, Labour Councillors tabled a motion asking the Council to withdraw the Diplomatic Reception invitation to the Israeli Ambassador because of Israel's slaughter of 1300+ civilians and war and humanitarian crimes in Gaza. The ruling Tories refused to ban the Israelis from the Town Hall.

More information on time & location of demonstration, buses & tubes etc in one week when this information is known to me.

Councillor Pat Mason

I've had second thoughts about this type of tactic, ie demonstration etc. I was there tonight, and yeah, it was good people turned up with such short notice, made some noise, shut down traffic, robbed police of time and money, etc. But after the police charged everyone out of the area, then what? Where did everyone go? I hung out at the back entrance, where after a while a contingent of thuggish looking 'security personnel' complete with ear pieces (one guy was speaking into his collar) where mingling outside. Next to the door was a window into a foyer, where about 20 police had gathered, most likely discussing how to get said war criminal out of the building. The security took notice of me noticing them, and when we went up to the window and photographed a larger group of security (don't know where the police who were just inside went, but several popo vans had just pulled up at the entrance, giving the impression something was up), they literally ran, I mean, they freaked and high stepped it out of there and into another room.

Granted, it was cold, I was cold, and in the end, I buggered off before Rapp left, but not before harassing some of the aforementioned security attache. My point is two fold: perhaps, if there is wind of another Israeli general or other member of the IDF or state swinging through London (which is probably inevitable), perhaps if people are serious about getting an arrest warrant served, they contact a lawyer and see if this is even possible, then turn up quietly, without the 'spread the word a war criminal is in town let's go make some noise' tactic, with arrest warrant (and a lawyer, or a phalanx of lawyers), and see what happens. 'See what happens' - ok, I'm sounding a bit optimistic that anything would happen other than a band of london's finest pummeling the would be arresters, but coming to my second point: please people, if these assholes are in a building, surely they must exit at some point, and it might be worth sticking around to stick it to them! I dunno, again, that's vague...'stick it to them' - what can be done? But if the same energy and number of people had stuck it out in the cold for another 45 - 60 minutes, and converged in back, the potential would exist for something more effective to have happened. I do recognize the importance of spontaneous gatherings such as tonight, but come on people, tactics!

blabber, you're not right. Various reliable sources have confirmed that the general didn't come anywhere near the building last night because of the crowd outside. The event was thus cancelled and any heavy amount of security you saw at the sides was probably there to give safe passage to the attendees of the event, who were probably pretty scarred.

So this 'general' wasn't arrested, well don't get too bumbed out about that because those who commit war crimes and win wars rarely ever face prosecution. Thus the crowd outside achieved the next best thing, to cancel the event, and they probably succeeded in making the organisers fear that there is now a mole inside their organisation who leaked the tightly controlled invitation.

I say well done to everyone who attended, mission accomplished!