Carlisle's Palestine Solidarity group calls for a 'halt to violence'

Carlisle's Palestine Solidarity Group met in Carlisle's town centre on Saturday (October 14) to speak to the public whilst they called for a 'de-escalation of tensions, a halt to violence, a move towards a just peace'. 

The group's action followed in line with pro-Palestine protests which took place up and down the country. 

Organiser Fiona Goldie said many passersby offered their support in their call for 'equality for all'. 

"People seemed to be onside with an end to the killing, which is what we were standing for. 

 "We are a group of peace who don't condone killing, our side is based on freedom for everyone and equal rights for all," she said. 

According to Al Jazeera, recent figures show at least 2,808 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, of which a third are children. 

The decades-long situation escalated following an assault by Hamas militants on October 6. 

Solidarity shown with the Palestinian people in Carlisle (Image: Ian Duncan)

As Palestinians struggle to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military while grappling with a growing water and energy crisis, Fiona said they are 'terrified' of what is still to come. 

"The people who are left are the people who can't move. 

"The poor, the elderly, children, the pregnant - the people who will face the brunt of this assault are the people who didn't commit the atrocity in Israel," she said. 

The Carlisle group first gained its presence back in 2014 following similar bloodshed. 

"We got together in 2014 as a result of a similar assault on Gaza by Israel in response to bombings from Hamas. That assault killed 2,251 civilians approximately.

Vigil attendee holds 'War is the not answer' sign in Carlisle's town centre (Image: Ian Duncan)

"It devastated the water treatment and power plant in Gaza which have never been fully repaired. 

"And since then, the situation for the people of Gaza has intensified. They are ten years into a dependency on food, water, and medical supplies. 

"Every day these interviews we are seeing are getting worse," she said.