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Campaigners for a free Palestine demonstrated outside the meeting of Brighton & Hove City Council on Thursday 23rd October. They were objecting to a recent decision by Penny Thompson, the unelected Chief Executive of the City Council, to block a debate by councillors. The debate would have addressed the City Council’s ethical procurement policy with respect to contracts with companies and other providers complicit in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. Protestors argued that the decision to prevent a council debate on this vital issue was a clear affront to the principles of local democracy and free speech, especially given that at least 10 other councils have help debates on this topic. At the meeting, Councillor Ben Duncan presented the Mayor with a petition signed by hundreds of local residents, expressing their support for a change to the council’s policy so that it does not in future award contracts to unethical companies that are complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law.
View the full press release here |