Wed January 28th
Glasgow - BBC Scottish HQ, Pacific Quay  4.30pm
(called by Stop the War)
Edinburgh - BBC East Scotland, The Tun, Holyrood Rd   5.30pm (called by Scottish PSC)

SPSC will project the DEC's Appeal for Gaza onto the wall of the BBC building.
Speakers include Pauline Goldsmith, one of the four signatories of the actors' boycott letter BBC.

Protesters will today gather outside the BBC in Glasgow and Edinburgh against the controversial decision by
the BBC not to air a Disasters
Emergency Committee (DEC) crisis appeal for the people of Gaza .

  Mick Napier, chair of the SPSC, said, “The BBC’s decision to impede the humanitarian appeal on behalf of the people of Gaza comes on top
of this well-substantiated record of pro-Israeli bias.  It also comes to a population who see yet another invasion in the Middle
East where the British government is on the wrong side and believe that the BBC is even more so. The Sun newspaper never recovered on
Merseyside from its appalling misreporting of the Hillsborough disaster and the BBC may never recover from this similar violation of
deeply held convictions.  The great majority of British people clearly feel that Palestinians have been savaged and that denying
aid to the victims is sadistic.”

Samena Dean, from the Islamic community said: “This has nothing to do with impartiality, but everything to do with
 Mark Thompson’s views on the conflict.  He clearly wants to help Israeli punish the Palestinians for resisting the Occupation and the Siege. 
Mark Thompson visited Israel in 2005 and held talk with Ariel Sharon, the man responsible for the massacres at Sabra and Shatila. 
By the very fact that Mark Thompson would meet Sharon shows that he would rather ‘Aunty Beeb’ peddle Israeli propaganda
then help to relive a humanitarian crisis in Gaza .”

 Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (intifada).
The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland .
For further information, contact:
Email: info@scottishpsc.org.uk
Website: www.scottishpsc.org.uk  

 2. BBC defends Gaza appeal decision:

The BBC has defended a decision not to air a TV fund-raising appeal for Gaza , saying it wanted to avoid compromising public confidence in its impartiality.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7846150.stm

 3. BBC under pressure over Gaza emergency appeal

The BBC came under mounting pressure today to screen an emergency appeal for Gaza , after ITV, Channel 4 and Five all announced they will show it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bbc-under-pressure-over-gaza-emergency-appeal-1515149.html

 4. DEC would normally raise about £10 million:

A national appeal from the DEC would normally raise about £10 million, but without the broadcasts the total is certain to be lower.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5568735.ece

 5. DEC Access and Impartiality
The DEC members are committed to humanitarian principles including independence and have confirmed they are able to
 work without hindrance from the Hamas controlled authorities both to identify who are the most needy and to channel
 assistance to them directly, either through their own staff or well established local non governmental partners.
The DEC members have submitted lists of partners and their banking arrangements, to insure proper systems are in place.

http://www.dec.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=320
6. General Background 
The State of Israel was founded through the systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948. This event, known as the 'Nakbah',
or
 catastrophe, to Palestinians, saw the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of them from their homes. Those expelled are
still refused their
rights under international law to return to return home. The crimes committed against the Palestinian people did not end
 in 1948
however, and daily theft of land and resources continues as Israel pushes forward its policy of replacing the Palestinian
people with
Jewish immigrants from around the world.