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G4S Protest - Delivering the voice of the oppressed prisoners

inminds
3 February 2013

On Friday 1st February 2013 human rights protesters held vigil outside the UK head office of G4S in London to protest against the private British-Danish security company's complicity in the torture of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.

Every person we spoke to was very supportive of the cause of the prisoners campaign and shocked at G4S's complicity.

One gentleman stood in the bitter cold for 10 minutes reading every word of every paragraph on the detailed placard on G4S and the prisoners banner before approaching us to register his disgust at G4S and Israel

G4S provides security systems to help Israel secure prisons and interrogation centres where Palestinian children are being caged and tortured.

These include Ofer prison in the occupied territory where G4S provides the perimeter defense system and the central command control room for the entire facility. At Ofer, children have been sexually assaulted by interrogators and threatened with rape and sodomy with an object in order to force a confession, usually to stone throwing. Throwing a stone carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

G4S also secures the notorious Al Jalame interrogation centre where Defence for Children International reported children are locked in small filthy cells in solitary confinement, some for 65 days! Their only escape being the interrogation room where they are shackled by their hands and feet to a chair whilst being abused, sometimes for hours. G4S provides the security systems that keep these torture dens operational.

The action was part of the Palestinian Prisoners Campaign launched by Innovative Minds (inminds.com) and the Islamic Human Rights Commission (ihrc.org) which aims to raise awareness for the plight of Palestinian prisoners and build solidarity for their struggle and work towards their freedom.

The cold is no barrier to dedicated campaigners for Palestinian rights

The leaflets went like 'hot cakes' and we soon ran out

The protest was also to show solidarity with the Palestinian hunger strikers.

Ayman Sharawna and Samer Issawi have both been without food for over 6 months. Both Ayman and Samer were released as part of the Shalit swap deal Israel made, but once the captured Israeli soldier Shalit was released by the Palestinians, Israel reneged on the deal and re-arrested both men. To protest both men have been on hunger strike, after 6 months without food both Ayman and Samer are near death. They have lost most of their body weight. In order to survive, their bodies are feeding on its own muscle tissue. They have been described as skeletons shackled to wheelchairs. In their frailty they have had to endure violence from the guards and abuse from the Israeli doctors. Just recently Samer was savagely attacked in the courtroom in front of the judge just because he went to touch the hand of his mother whom he had not seen for so long. They punished him by breaking his ribs.

Samer's family have specifically asked for action against G4S. His sister Shireen Issawi, in a message asked the protesters to "deliver the voice of the oppressed prisoners and hold this company G4S accountable for its responsibility towards these prisoners and its partnership to the occupation in its inhumane practices. It must stop providing these supplies to the occupation..". her full message is included below.

The action was about delivering that message from the hunger strikers to G4S - stop your partnership with the Israeli occupation, stop your complicity in the oppression of the Palestinian people.

The UK head office of G4S is located on the fifth floor of the Southside building in Victoria Street which is adjacent to a parade of busy shop making it an ideal stop to inform the British public of G4S's crimes in Palestine and about the plight of Palestinian prisoners.

Although it was a bitterly chilly day with a freezing wind it was amazing to see so many people take time out of their busy days to stop and read our placards - one gentleman stood there for 10 minutes reading every word of every paragraph on the detailed placard on G4S and the prisoners banner before approaching us to register his disgust at G4S and Israel.

One lady was so shocked at the treatment of children in prisons secured by G4S that she insisted on going inside to complain directly to G4S even though she was lugging a suitcase at the time! The Southside building also houses several NHS (National Health Service) offices, staff from these offices where shocked that they were sharing a building with such a criminal entity responsible for causing pain and suffering to children. One of the staff leaving the building stopped to tell us that he had been to Palestine and after what he saw there he could never support Israel.

The uptake of leaflets was fantastic, they went 'hot cakes', and we ran out very soon. A portable PA system was trialled for the first time, it was a great hit as the short speeches intermingled with pro-Palestinian music created a great atmosphere, a space for people to feel comfortable to stop, read our material and talk to us. It also helped attract the attention of the G4S staff inside the building.

The protest was a great success with one of the newspapers covering it, the article also catches G4S in a lie when they deny any links to Israeli prisons where 'children or people in administrative detention' are kept (see below).

Our next protest in two weeks time will be outside the BBC, exact date and time to be announced closer to the time - please join us. Latest information will be available on facebook and twitter @InmindsCom

One lady was so shocked at the treatment of children in prisons secured by G4S that she insisted on going inside to complain directly to G4S even though she was lugging a suitcase at the time!

Great spot for leafleting

Southside building - home to G4S

Busy shopping parade attracts a lot of attention

Behind the plush offices of Southside building in Victoria lurks the purveyors of security to Israels torture dens.

Source: www.inminds.com

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