A stirring debut for a Chinese epic

by New Worker correspondent

Andy Brooks with Eliana - BITDB Design, Beijing

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined actors, academics and members of London’s Chinese community at the reception and screening of Dongji Rescue at a packed house at the art-deco Odeon Luxe in London’s Leicester Square last week. This Chinese block-buster tells the story of the fishermen of Dongji island who braved Japanese gunfire in 1942 to rescue hundreds of British POWs from the Lisbon Maru.
“Watching Dongji Rescue tonight holds special significance” said Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang. “Eighty-three years have passed since the Lisbon Maru incident, and the world has changed, but we should cherish the memory and carry forward the friendship between the peoples of our two countries”.
The story "is very close to my heart, because my grandfather, Thomas Theodore Jones, was one of the survivors of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru" Anthony Jones, chairman of the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association, told the reception before the screening. And one of the stars, William Franklyn-Miller, said “the bravery of the fishermen who rescued the British soldiers shines through" adding that he personally felt a responsibility to share this part of history more widely. 
In October 1942, the Lisbon Maru, a cargo vessel requisitioned by the Japanese army to carry more than 1,800 British prisoners from Hong Kong to Japan, was hit by an American submarine unaware of the POWs on board. Rather than assist the POWs, the Japanese shot many who were trying to escape. Many more drowned. All in all, 828 lives were lost. However, this amount would have been higher but for the heroic efforts of the local Chinese fishermen who risked their own lives to save 384 British soldiers from the water. 

Stop the slaughter! Stop the war!

By New Worker correspondent

On Saturday over 300,000 of us marched to Whitehall to demand Keir Starmer ends all arms sales to Israel, expels Israeli diplomats and immediately imposes sanctions on the genocidal state. Meanwhile over a thousand other peaceful protesters had gathered in Parliament Square to defy the government's banning of Palestine Action under the “terrorism” laws. They occupied the square and took part in a silent ‘Defend our Juries’ vigil holding placards supporting the direct action solidarity movement. The Metropolitan Police who had warned that anyone taking part would be arrested under anti-terrorism legislation moved to break up the protest. There were 521 arrests, the largest mass arrest by the Metropolitan Police, ever. This marks a pivotal moment in British history. Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned the shameful arrests of those taking part in the Defend our Juries protests, while the Starmer government continues to arm Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Stepping stones to the future

Andy Brooks pays tribute to the NCP

by New Worker correspondent
 
Comrades gathered at the Party Centre in London last weekend to celebrated the founding of the New Communist Party in July 1977. Friends and comrades, old and new, joined NCP leader Andy Brooks and Peter Hendy from the Central Committee in celebrating the anniversary with speeches, food and drink. Sadly our National Chair, Richard Bos, could not join us on this occasion so Peter MC’d the commemoration and welcomed guests that included diplomats from the Chinese and Democratic Korean embassies in London as well as representatives from the labour movement that have long worked alongside us in London and other parts of the country. 
A Korean diplomat read out his greetings at the social followed by solidarity speeches from Marie Lynam of the British Posadist movement, Ian Donovan from the Consistent Democrats, Dermot Hudson from the Korean Friendship Association and Theo Russell from the International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity campaign. Other tributes came from a member of the NCP Metropolitan Cell & Supporters group and Peter Hendy who read out Richard Bos’ greetings and a call for a new £10,000 New Worker appeal that starts next month. Peter also called on comrades to dig deep to boost our August fighting fund. They did with a collection that raised £460 for our communist weekly!

Stand with the Ukrainian anti-fascists!

by New Worker correspondent

Activists protested in central London last weekend in solidarity with the millions of Ukrainians resisting the Banderite dictatorship, and the maurading military "headhunter" gangs grabbing men off the streets across the country to send to a war which 70 per cent of Ukrainians no longer support. Dozens of people showed support for the protest, clapped and took photos. Only one person spoke to us opposing our slogans, and engaged in a long, and apparently pointless, discussion. The picket opposite Downing Street in Whitehall was organised by the International Ukraine Anti-Fascist Solidarity movement that campaigns in support of the people of the Donbas and the Ukrainian resistance fighting the fascist puppet regime in Kiev.

Stop Starving Gaza!

by New Worker correspondent

Last Saturday thousands joined Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) actions at over 50 locations around the country, including eight across London, and laid down pots and pans to demand our politicians take action to end Israel's starvation of Gaza. “We must keep the pressure up,” says the PSC “as we once more lay down pots and pans to represent those starved to death by Israel’s genocidal blockade and demand our politicians take action to end Israel’s starvation of Gaza. We won't stop until our government ends all complicity in Israel's genocidal violence”. 
In south London Vanessa Redgrave, the veteran campaigning actress, joined protesters demonstrating for an hour outside Lambeth town hall in Brixton for an end to the genocide and for Lambeth council to divest its pension fund of enterprises linked to the Zionist entity.  
“Tonight, local people responded powerfully to the national call from PSC to protest the genocide and Israel’s deliberate starvation of Palestinians, a horror we are all witnessing”
said Micki Loebner from the Lambeth and Southwark 4 Palestine campaign. He told the media that “ in Lambeth, we wanted to join the wave of demonstrations happening across the country and also send a clear message to Lambeth Council: stop investing pension funds in Israeli companies complicit in this genocide. They are still refusing to act.The turnout tonight, especially on such short notice, shows that ordinary people are determined to stand up for Palestine. We see the genocide, and we will keep protesting”.

Museum or Crime Scene?

by Ekaterina Blinova

Many visitors to the British Museum in London have no idea that some of the ancient treasures they admire were looted and stolen.
"During the period of British colonial rule in Egypt the largest thefts of ancient Egyptian artifacts in history took place – amounting to a full-scale plundering of the Nile Valley and the tombs of the pharaohs," says Zahi Hawas, an Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities.
One of the most famous examples is the Rosetta Stone – the key to deciphering hieroglyphics – taken from Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops. Equally scandalous was the looting of artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb by Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the excavation.
The English archaeologist Howard Carter gifted part of treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb to Lord Carnarvon and Egyptologist Alan Gardiner, and a Nefertum statue smuggled into the tomb of Ramses II is also now in the museum. The Rosetta Stone, found by French soldiers in Rashid in 1799, was handed to Britain – along with other artifacts – under the 1801 Treaty of Alexandria after Napoleon’s defeat.  But none of the colonial powers had any right to dispose of Egypt’s heritage says Hawas.
The British Museum dedicates seven entire halls to ancient Egyptian exhibits – from statues and mummies to jewellery and medical papyri. British museums now hold more than 100,000 Egyptian artefacts. All of them were taken illegally, Hawas insists. "Scholars and public figures are calling for an end to the silence surrounding this massive cultural theft”.
Sputnik

Justice for Gaza!

 

by New Worker correspondent

Protesters rallied outside the Egyptian embassy in London last weekend to call on the Sisi government to open up the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian aid into the beleaguered Palestinian enclave. Children attempted to post letters by hand, hoping that the Ambassador would read them, but they were stopped by the police guarding the embassy.  
The mass picket was part of an emergency protest in front of Egyptian embassies all around the world called by the Egyptian Revolutionary Council, a Turkish-based movement that supports the Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed in Egypt after its government was overthrown by General Sisi in 2013.
But back in Cairo the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned the demonstrations saying that they serve the Israeli occupation and divert public opinion from those truly responsible for the humanitarian crisis. They said the Rafah crossing is ultimately controlled by the Israelis who have closed it as part of their campaign to take over the Gaza Strip and denied allegations that held Egypt responsible for the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.

Stop starving Gaza!

 by New Worker correspondent

Whitehall was absolutely crammed last week with Palestinian supporters, thousands of people furious with our government’s complicity and participation in the crimes against humanity we see every day. Protesters sent a message to Starmer banging pots and pans outside Downing Street in London to denounce Gaza’s urgent hunger crisis. The emergency protest followed reports that over 1,000 Palestinians have been shot by the Israelis and their auxiliaries while queuing for food and 154 people in Israeli occupied Gaza have already died of starvation.
Meanwhile the co-founder of a pro-Palestinian direct action campaign has won her bid to legally challenge the British government’s decision to ban it under “anti-terrorism” laws.
Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London’s High Court to give the go-ahead for a full challenge to the campaign’s proscription, which was made on the grounds that spray-painting RAF jets and vandalising the offices of arms manufacturers operating in the UK that supply weapons to Israel constituted acts of “terrorism”.
The High Court had originally refused Ms Ammori’s application to pause the ban and after an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal Palestine Action’s proscription came into effect on 5th July. Proscription makes it a crime to be a member of the group, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
However Judge Martin Chamberlain has now granted permission for a judicial review, saying Ms Ammori’s case amounted to a disproportionate interference with her and others’ right to freedom of expression and was “reasonably arguable”.

Guardians of Peace

 by New Worker correspondent

Ambassador Zheng welcomes the guests

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined diplomats and politicians at a reception at the Chinese embassy in London last week to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). The Chinese Ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, and Defence Attaché Major-General Feng Min addressed over 300 guests that included government officials, politicians, diplomatic envoys and defence attachés together with Ben Merrick, the Director of International Security at the Ministry of Defence.
During the formal part of the event Ambassador Zheng pointed out that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the PLA has braved wind and rain and grown from strength to strength over the past 98 glorious years. It has made remarkable contributions to the liberation of the people, the development of the country, and the security of the motherland, making indelible achievements for the Party and the people. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought the PLA is stepping up efforts towards the goal of building a world-class military by the PLA’s centenary. The PLA will continue to provide strategic support for realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make new contributions to peace and stability in the world.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism in the second world war. The peoples of China and the UK fought valiantly against fascist aggression on the main Eastern Front and the European battlefield, making huge sacrifices for the cause of justice and important contributions to the global victory against fascism. China’s fight was the earliest to begin, and the longest-lasting. The Chinese people suffered the most significant human and material losses before ultimately defeating the Japanese aggressors. Now the current international situation is experiencing transformation and instability. The international community should resolutely defend the outcomes of the victory in 1945, firmly uphold true multilateralism, steadfastly safeguard world peace, stability, fairness and justice, and jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity. 
He also noted that this year also marks the 80th anniversary of the recovery of Taiwan. Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China’s territory since ancient times. The Chinese people and their armed forces will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China. Nor will they allow any external forces to undermine their efforts for complete reunification.
And in her speech, Major-General Feng Min said the PLA had made steady progress in its modernisation and combat capability. The PLA is firmly committed to defending national sovereignty, security and development interests, to putting people first, and to safeguarding peace. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Chinese military's first participation in UN peacekeeping operations. China is the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments. Over the past 35 years, the Chinese military has undertaken 26 peacekeeping missions, dispatching more than 50,000 peacekeepers in total. Among them, 17 Chinese peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice, dedicating their youth, passion, and lives to the cause of UN peacekeeping.

Stop the Genocide! Stop the War!

by New Worker correspondent

Tens of thousands of protesters defied sudden downpours on Saturday to march through the heart of London to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza. The Israeli terror campaign is reaching new heights as the Zionist army tries to starve the Palestinians into submission and exile. More than 900 Palestinians have been gunned down by the Israeli army and their US proxies just trying to get something to eat. These “aid sites” are death traps – and were designed to be such.
Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader who now heads the Independent Alliance bloc in parliament called for the halt of all British arms sales to Israel.
He later said “The UK government says it is doing everything it can to alleviate suffering in Gaza. The UK government won’t suspend the sale of F-35 parts to Israel.
The UK government won’t stop the use of RAF Akrotiri or end military cooperation.
The UK government won’t accept the ICJ ruling that the occupation of Palestine is illegal.
The UK government won’t recognise a Palestinian state. The UK government won’t impose comprehensive economic sanctions. The UK government won’t conduct an assessment of genocide, let alone fulfil its legal obligations to prevent it. The UK government won’t even say that war crimes have been committed.
“Empty words cannot hide the truth: the UK government is complicit in crimes against humanity”.