Sheffield MP responds to Palestine protesters’ call to speak out about Israel’s action

A protest was called by Sheffield Palestine Action outside Heeley MP Louise Haigh’s office on Chesterfield Road on Friday (October 20) in the middle of Storm Babet, which caused floods in Heeley and across the city.

They targeted the MP’s office as part of action for Gaza called by Palestine Action as Louise Haigh is shadow transport minister in Labour’s shadow cabinet. She responded that Labour have called for humanitarian aid corridors to be opened to Gaza.

Israel has put Gaza under siege, cutting off supplies, and hit it with a series of airstrikes, killing more than 4,300 Palestinians.

She condemned the “terrorist atrocities” of Hamas, who attacked military targets and settlers in Israel on October 7, killing 1,400 people, and said Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas but the people of Gaza must not collectively suffer.

Protester Hazel Thompson said: “I’m here to demand an immediate ceasefire now. Louise Haigh hasn’t said anything. It’s obvious because that’s in her role, however I think this is a moment to stand outside your role.

“The UK needs to stop arming Israel, we need to halt Elbit’s actions and the occupation needs to end now. It’s been genocide for many years, like 50 years, now the tension has got enough that the whole world’s looking at it, and we need change and we need to stop supporting genocide and the arms.”

Asked if Louise Haigh needs to speak on the issue, she said: “I think she needs to stand up outside her role. I think it’s not enough to be constrained by the restrictions in government, we’ve been functioning the same way for years and years and years and we’ve inherited these problematic ways of approaching international issues.

“When everyone was protesting against the Iraq war, people are still hurt from the fact that our country didn’t respond, our government didn’t respond.

“There’s Rishi Sunak standing up and claiming that all Jews are in support of Israel, which isn’t true, that it’s anti-semitic, it’s problematic. We’re standing up against that.

“It’s obviously a genocide because so many Palestinians that are unarmed, that are struggling with money, that have been pushed out of their homes for years and it’s inherited.

“So many of the Palestinians are children and I refuse to sit at home while children are getting aimlessly killed.”

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Elbit Systems are an Israel-based electronic defence systems manufacturer who employ over 680 people on 16 UK sites.

Louise Haigh said in response to the protest: “Communities across Sheffield, the country and we in the Labour Party are devastated by the horrifying events in the Middle East, and the loss of thousands of innocent lives.

“We, the Labour Party, have called for all sides to act in accordance with international law, which means the protection of innocent lives and never targeting civilians. We have been leading the calls for humanitarian corridors to be opened immediately, to allow the safe access of medicine, food, water and other essential supplies.

“These terrorist atrocities carried out by Hamas have caused unspeakable pain and damage and Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas. But Hamas are not the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza, who have been in humanitarian crisis for decades must not collectively suffer for the atrocities carried out by Hamas.”