“Death on the Med” Protest at the BBC

1.00pm Saturday 21st August
Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR

Bring placards, musical instruments, banners, whistles, etc.

Event will include the now-famous "Murder on the Mavi Marmara" street theatre
see YouTube movie at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNVzgZx0bc


Last Monday 16th August, the BBC broadcast a Panorama programme entitled ‘Death on the Med’. It claimed to reveal ‘what really happened’ when Israeli commandoes boarded the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010.
The programme was extremely biased, portraying the activists on board as violent terrorists who set out to kill Israeli soldiers.

• Why was Israel’s ‘right’ to board the ship presumed throughout the programme?
• Why didn’t the programme mention Israel’s siege of Gaza has been declared illegal by the UN? It assumed Israel has the right to blockade Gaza, but the motives of those attempting to break the illegal blockade were questioned.
• The program mentioned the ‘thousands of rockets’ fired from Gaza into Israel but didn’t mention the bombs, rockets and white phosphorus dropped on Gaza by Israel during Operation Cast Lead in 2008/9, killing 1,400 people.
• Why was the Israeli evidence of how and when they killed the activists not questioned? Activists on the top deck of the ship say the first person killed was shot from a helicopter – before any Israeli had even landed on the deck. However, none of these activists were interviewed.
• Activists shot footage of the Israeli attack, but their cameras, laptops and other recording equipment was taken by the Israelis and has not been returned. Why was this point not raised during the programme, or put to the Israeli spokespeople?
• Why were the autopsy reports – which reveal that each victim was shot several times at close range, in a way that can’t constitute self-defence – not mentioned?
• Why was there no footage of the Israeli assaults on the activists?
• Jane Corbin, the presenter, never questioned the use of the word ‘terrorists’ to describe the activists, or their alleged willingness to attack the commandoes. Why did she fail to examine why there were no fatalities or serious injuries among the Israeli commandoes, when these ‘terrorists’ were so willing to attack?
• Why were there no interviews with any of the British activists or journalists on board the ship?
• Why wasn’t it pointed out that Israel doctored the video footage in the program?

Watch the program here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00thr24

Complain to the BBC:-

Online: BBC complaints link: Follow the link and fill out the online form: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/
Ring: BBC complaint line number: 03700 100 212
Email: panorama.reply@bbc.co.uk
Write: BBC Panorama, MC4A1, Media Centre, Media Village, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TQ.

REMEMBER we have the eye-witness reports of the two Bristolians on-board the Mavi Marmara.

National Palestine Solidarity Campaign see www.palestinecampaign.org

Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign see www.bristolpsc.info
Join our monthly meetings on last Tuesday of every month 7.30pm at Hamilton House (opposite Jamaica Street), Stokes Croft, BRISTOL BS1 3QY