Protest at office of Sheffield MP who did not vote for Gaza ceasefire

A peaceful protest will take place outside the MP’s constituency office at SOAR Works in Knutton Road, Southey at 3.30pm today, Friday (November 24).

It has been organised by a wide-ranging group of constituents who are unhappy that the MP followed the Labour leadership’s decision to abstain from a vote on a Commons motion put forward by the Scottish party SNP last Wednesday (November 15) that called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

A rebellion by 56 Labour MPs was joined by Sheffield MPs Paul Blomfield and Clive Betts. Heeley MP and Shadow transport minister Louise Haigh abstained and Hallam MP Olivia Blake was undergoing hospital treatment but put out a statement saying she would have voted for a ceasefire.

There have also been protests outside Ms Haigh’s office in Heeley. Posters with red handprints symbolised that protesters believed she has blood on her hands.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer put forward his own motion, which all his party’s MPs voted for, calling for longer humanitarian pauses.

Organisers say tomorrow’s protest will be a family event with children present to highlight the fact that to date 7,208 children have been killed, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

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Local resident Caz Jordin said: “By not calling for a ceasefire, Gill Furniss MP has shown no sense of humanity and we no longer trust her to represent us on this matter.”

Negotiators from the state of Qatar yesterday announced a four-day ceasefire that began today, with Hamas later in the day releasing some of the Israeli hostages it took during its attacks on October 7.

In retaliation for those attacks, Israel has launched daily airstrikes and a ground invasion, displaced 1.7 million Gaza residents and cut off vital supplies to the area.

Aid is expected to come through the Rafah crossing from Egypt to Gaza during the pause in fighting and Israel will release some Palestinian prisoners, the negotiators told a press conference held to announce the ceasefire deal.