Today, on Saturday December 16, people gathered in Macclesfield's Market Place to stand for freedom, justice and equality for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and all around the world.

Campaigners have nubbed this article to Macclesfield Nub News to explain why they did it:

"We were there to say that the mass killing of civilians needs to stop. To say that the siege of Gaza which is preventing water, electricity, food and medicines reaching civilians needs to be lifted," they said.

"We were standing up for the right of everyone to live in safety and peace. 

"We were there to say that the UK and US governments must stop providing weapons to Israel. This is about protecting human life. 

"We were there to bring attention to:

·     the thousands of Palestinians who have been killed or displaced in Gaza and the hundreds killed in the West Bank in the last 9 weeks. 

·     the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli state. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, have all found that Israel operates an apartheid system. 

·     the over 700,000 Palestinians displaced from their land in 1948, now living in refugee camps.

·     the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian land. This is illegal under international law.

·     the destruction of olive groves, houses and infrastructure belonging to Palestinians.

·     the residents of Gaza who have been under a blockade since 2005. Even before the recent escalation in violence, 80% of people in Gaza already relied on humanitarian assistance. Each day 400-500 trucks of aid were needed.

"For more information please contact [email protected].

"Or visit the Palestine Solidarity Campaign website."