IlonaM

Update on crowdfunding campaign: Any donations will have double the impact from Fri 3rd - Sun 5th October. Any donations made to the crowdfunder in this time will be matched up to £10,000. 'With one week to go of the SDCAS crowdfund campaign we are close to £50,000, once gift aid is claimed on eligible donations. A generous offer from an individual donor to match donations over the final weekend means we are tantilisingly close to our goal of £70,000! If you have networks you are yet to share the crowdfunder with, now is the time as any donations will have double the impact from Fri 3rd - Sun 5th October. Any donations made to the crowdfunder in this time will be matched up to £10,000. Thanks for helping get us this far, and in advance for any help you can give us in this final week. With best wishes and solidarity, all of us at SDCAS.'

https://www.nationalbooktokens.com/win/the-poetry-playground-awaits-enter-our-national-poetry-day-writing-competition?utm_medium=email&utm_source=nbt&utm_campaign=20251002-national-poetry-day&utm_content=flash-poetry 'Thursday the 2nd of October is National Poetry Day – and this year’s theme is play! To celebrate, we’re inviting you to enter the poetry playground and let your creativity run wild… for the chance to win a glorious £50/€60 personalised National Book Token featuring your poem. One runner-up will receive a £25/€30 gift card in our standard design. Entries will be judged by the wonderful CLiPPA and Jhalak Prize-nominated poet (and Jhalak Poetry Prize 2026 judge) Nikita Gill. Your writing prompt? Play! Please feel free to interpret this prompt in whatever way you wish. There are limitless ways to play and be playful, so let your imagination loose, and show us what poetry and play mean to you. Competition rules, hints and tips: Poems must be no longer than 14 lines in length. All poetry is welcome, and there are no rules or restrictions around rhyme scheme, metre, genre or style, so long as your poem is no longer than 14 lines. A minimum of one poem and maximum of 10 poems can be submitted per entrant. Entrants must be aged 16 or over. Entrants can submit poems on behalf of those under the age of 16. We recommend saving poem(s) in a backed-up document before copying and pasting into the entry form, so you don't lose your work. Where possible, please indicate line breaks by using / (e.g. 'I think that I shall never see /A poem lovely as a tree'). Entrants must submit their poems by midnight, Sunday 5th October 2025.'

I've adopted two cats from Celia Hammond. They are a fantastic no-kill shelter with dedicated staff and volunteers and provide veterinary care at reduced cost for cats living in families who cannot afford private veterinary fees, thereby supporting families to keep their pets rather than give them up for adoption or abandon them. They deserve our support - not just for the current urgent fundraising campaign, but with day-to-day donations of money for ongoing expenses, as well as food, towels etc. Neutering cats as a way to reduce unwanted litters is common practice throughout Europe and the US, including for feral colonies (trap, neuter, return programmes). If people adopted animals that are in urgent need of homes, whether cats, dogs or others, rather than buying them from breeders there wouldn't be such a crisis.

Join us on Saturday 11 October in Central London for the next national march for Palestine. Assemble 12noon in Central London. Link: https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-for-palestine-11-october/

For all the lawyers, law students and human rights activists: Conor Gearty https://observer.co.uk/profile/obituary/article/obituary-conor-gearty-the-unwavering-human-rights-lawyer

Menzies Campbell, former Liberal Democrat leader, dies at 84 Campbell was North East Fife MP for nearly three decades and was made a peer, and once held UK 100m record https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/26/menzies-campbell-former-liberal-democrat-leader-dies-at-84

Claudia Cardinale of The Leopard and PInk Panther fame, amongst others. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/claudia-cardinale-death-pink-panther-italian-cinema-b2832357.html

By the nature of the protests

Given the late Queen's reported opinion of Trump I think she would have been quietly amused https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/20/very-rude-the-late-queens-salty-verdict-on-donald-trump

Led By Donkeys attacks ‘Orwellian’ arrests after Trump Windsor projections https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/17/four-arrested-after-image-of-trump-and-epstein-projected-onto-windsor-castle-ahead-of-presidents-visit

See also Protect The Wild https://protectthewild.org.uk/ a campaign group.

I have found two entertaining ones so far... 1) Led By Donkeys projection on Windsor Castle https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/trump-epstein-projections-windsor-castle-state-visit-arrests-b1248118.html 2) Brits protest against Trump state visit with Epstein merch all over Windsor Castle https://www.indy100.com/politics/trump/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-merch-windsor-castle

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/stop-trump-coalition-march-donald-trump-state-visit-protest-london-b1247913.html

By now you’ve hopefully seen that our main demonstration against Trump’s state visit is in London on Wednesday. Many of you have also asked, though, about how you can help ‘welcome’ Donald Trump to Windsor when he arrives there tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. So here’s the plan: We’re asking you to come and line Windsor High Street tomorrow in a peaceful, static protest. Time: 6pm, Tue 16 Sept Location: Assemble outside Windsor Parish Church, High St, Windsor SL4 1LS and then spread out along the High Street. Grab some cardboard and a pen and make a homemade sign to show Donald Trump and his supporters what you think of them! The world’s media will be in Windsor to cover the state visit, so showing visually that he is not welcome will send an important message far and wide. If you are coming then please join this Signal chat group for important updates. Protest safety Please buddy up and come with someone else You have a right to peacefully demonstrate, but we are expecting a high police presence. Remain non-violent and non-confrontational, and do not talk to the police. It may be better to dress inconspicuously, not like an ‘activist’ We plan on ending at 7.30pm. Please leave in groups of 5–10 and make sure you have a bust card This action is entirely legal but we still recommend that you read this key advice when going on a protest to know your rights. Remember: No comment No personal details Ask ‘under what power?’ No duty solicitor Don’t accept a caution Here is the protest support line: 07946 541 511 and here is more information on Stop & Search under the Public Order Act. Thank you for being part of the movement against Trump. In solidarity, Stop Trump Coalition

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/15/police-search-for-11-violent-disorder-suspects-after-unite-the-kingdom-march

In just two days, we’ll take to the streets to show Donald Trump that he and his politics are not welcome here. On Saturday the global far-right mobilised their biggest protest for decades. We want to show that supporters of Trump and fascism are not the majority – far from it. Here are all the details you need for the day. The march assembles at Portland Place, near the BBC, at 2pm (see assembly blocs below). After speeches here, the march will move off at 3pm. It will then march down Regent St, through Piccadilly Circus, on Whitehall (past Downing St) to our rally at Parliament Square. The rally at Parliament Square will begin around 5pm and finish at 7pm. If you can’t make it to the march, feel free to join the rally after work! (Nearest tube: Westminster). The short, accessible version of the route assembles at the top of Whitehall (SW1A 2DY) at 4.30pm to march to Parliament Square for 5pm. You may also prefer to just join the rally directly at Parliament Square. Join a bloc – and make friends! Our movement is diverse, and various elements are forming ‘blocs’ on the march to emphasise their visual presence collectively. You can join these blocs or form up behind them: A) Palestine, near BBC, W1A 1AA B) Climate, W1B 1NS C) Amnesty, around junction with New Cavendish St, W1B 1LU D) Migrants' rights, W1B 1LS E) Jewish bloc, W1B 1QQ F) Ukraine, around junction with Weymouth St, W1B 1JL G) Europe, W1B 1NR More stewards still needed Stewards are a crucial part of keeping the protest safe for everyone to participate. They are a visible point of contact for attendees who may need directions or other assistance. Experience of stewarding is useful but it's also fine if you haven't done it before. You will be issued with a hi-vis jacket and briefed in advance and on the day. Sign up to be a steward Staying comfortable on the day The demonstration lasts for several hours, so we suggest you should: Bring a bottle of water and snacks (and eat beforehand) Charge your phone fully the night before, and bring a portable charger if you can Go to the loo beforehand (really!) Buddy up with someone, or stick together as a group – it can be hard to find people easily if people wander off Coming alone? Protests can be a great place to meet like-minded people. If you feel unsure, you can always talk to a steward Consider the weather: bring a waterproof jacket or wear suncream where necessary Wear comfortable clothes and footwear, and use our accessible route if you need to (see above) Bring your friends and family on Wednesday. Let’s make this massive! In solidarity, Stop Trump Coalition

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-hunt-attack-south-london-b1247389.html Apologies if already posted on here - did look, couldn't find anything... 'The Metropolitan Police have appealed for help to find a man after a woman was seriously injured in an unprovoked attack in south London. The woman, in her 20s, was assaulted on Lordship Lane in East Dulwich at around 4.45pm on Monday August 25. She was treated by paramedics for injuries to her face and her jaw was broken in the attack. The victim was then taken to hospital and she continues to be supported by specialist officers. Officers are now searching for the suspect and are urging members of the public to come forward if they have information. He is described as a black man in his 30s or 40s with balding hair. He was wearing dark clothing during the attack. He is said to have approached the woman while she was by herself before swearing at her and then hitting her in the face. Detective constable Charlotte Kerr, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are working hard to find the person we believe is responsible for this senseless and unprovoked attack. “While we continue our enquiries, we hope our increased neighbourhood police presence will offer some reassurance to women and girls throughout the local area. “If you saw anything on Monday, 25 August – particularly between the junction of Lordship Lane and Chesterfield Grove at around 16:45hrs - do not hesitate to get in touch with us. “No matter how small you think your information is, it may be the key that unlocks our investigation.” Any witnesses or anyone who can help identify the suspect is asked to please contact the Met via 101, quoting 5018/25AUG or 01/7897951/25. Those who wish to share information anonymously can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'

https://www.nationalbooktokens.com/student-books?utm_medium=email&utm_source=nbt&utm_campaign=20250910-student-books&utm_content=win-250-gift-card 'Win one of five £250 National Book Tokens! Essential study guides to one-pot recipe books, epic fantasy to beloved Victorian classics... National Book Tokens empower students to choose exactly the books they need to write their next chapter in life. That's why we’re giving you the chance to win one of five £250 National Book Tokens to surprise a student at school, sixth form, college or university – the perfect gift to spend on books of their choice, whether for study or simply for fun (or both!).'

The SDCAS Crowdfund campaign is now live: Help Save Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers! "I’m proud to be an advice volunteer at Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers (SDCAS), a community that welcomes and supports refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers in Southwark. Right now, we’re facing the toughest moment in our nearly 30-year history. Unless we raise funds this September, we may not be able to keep offering the hot meals, English classes, advice, and safe community space that so many people rely on. That’s why I’m asking you to support our emergency Crowdfunder: 👉https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-sdcas Even a small donation, or sharing this with your friends and family, will make a huge difference in helping us to reach our £70,000 goal and keep SDCAS open. This place means so much to me, and to everyone who walks through our doors 💛.Thank you for your support in spreading the word. ... Be sure to tag us @SouthwarkAsylum on Facebook and @sdcascommunity on Instagram We really value your support, £70K is an ambitious goal but we know our dedicated supporters can get us over the line! Our sincere thanks in advance from all of us at SDCAS. Best wishes Judith Arkwright"

Depends where you are. At the south circular end of Underhill I have alternating flight paths - planes fly directly overhead for a week, i.e. over my house, and very intrusive, then the flight path moves and I can see them flying over higher up Underhill/East Dulwich but can't really hear them. Then they come back again, and so on ...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/cat-vegetable-onion-deadly-health-anaemia-b2817541.html#comments-area '... Researchers call for spreading more awareness among pet owners about the dangers linked to common foods toxic to cats, such as onions, garlic, and chocolate. They urge pet owners to keep these foods securely stored away from their cats, and raise awareness within their community.'

Melanie Schweizer of the Global Sumud Flotilla details the aims – and anxieties – of the largest humanitarian convoy to Gaza since the blockade began. Dear Ilona, “The time for debate and hesitation has passed; starvation is present and is rapidly spreading.” This was the urgent warning of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) last week as it formally declared famine in the Gaza Strip, where at least 281 people have died from hunger — of whom 114 were children. At the same time, thousands of humanitarian aid trucks sit idle at the border, blocked by Israeli occupation forces. The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has 6,000 trucks on standby, waiting to be allowed entry. Across the border, more than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers while searching for the little food that enters Gaza. After 22 months of genocide, life expectancy at birth in the besieged enclave has fallen by 35 years. That’s why we’re sailing to Gaza: To break the siege. The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a historic moment: The largest civilian and humanitarian fleet ever to sail for Gaza, prepared within the shortest time frame in history, and formed through the unprecedented union of four major grassroots movements — organizers and participants of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global March to Gaza, the Sumud Convoy, and the Asian Sumud Nusantara. This coalition brings together thousands of individuals from across the globe, including lawyers, doctors, nurses, journalists, parliamentarians, and human rights defenders. Together, we embark on a mission to deliver life-saving aid directly to the population of Gaza, and to challenge an unlawful blockade that constitutes one of the gravest crimes under international law. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has, since 2006, organised ships to sail toward Gaza in an effort to break Israel’s illegal siege. Some vessels succeeded, others were intercepted, and one in 2010 was attacked with lethal force, resulting in the killing of ten participants. Despite repression, this coalition has kept the maritime path of solidarity alive. The Global March to Gaza mobilised in March 2025 and brought over 4,000 participants from across the world to Cairo to march to Rafah. Simultaneously, the Sumud Convoy gathered participants from Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia and organized buses to join the Global March. The march and convoy were violently obstructed, with hundreds detained by Egyptian authorities. The initiatives, however, proved that international civil society is ready to act en masse in solidarity with the people of Palestine. This was cemented by the formation of the Asian Sumud Nusantara, which expanded the network even further, demonstrating that resistance to genocide is not confined to one region but reaches around the world. The unprecedented coordination of these four movements signals that humanity recognises its responsibility to act when our leaders not only fail to prevent atrocity but aid and abet the erasure of the Palestinian people. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Since October 2023, the population has faced indiscriminate bombardment, mass displacement, and deliberate starvation. Even as they continue to resist the occupation, the people of Gaza face an increasingly dire situation. The blockade, imposed and tightened by Israel, prevents food, medicine, and essential goods from reaching two million civilians. The result is famine, disease, and mass death. This is not just a humanitarian crisis — it's a deliberate policy, enabled by impunity. International law is clear: The Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 23, obliges parties to allow the free passage of consignments of medical and hospital stores, as well as essential foodstuffs, intended for civilians. Additional Protocol I, Article 70, requires parties to allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief. The San Remo Manual, Rule 102, prohibits blockades that have the effect of starving civilians or denying them essential relief. The Genocide Convention, Article II(c), recognises the deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to destroy a group, including through starvation, as an act of genocide. The Rome Statute, Article 8(2)(b)(xxv), defines the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime. The International Court of Justice has issued three binding provisional measures (January, March, and May 2024), requiring Israel to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza without obstruction. Despite these clear obligations, states have failed to act, and Israel continues to enforce a blockade that has been condemned by UN bodies, humanitarian organisations, and legal experts worldwide as unlawful collective punishment. The Global Sumud Flotilla is a popular response to their crimes: An insistence that where governments fail, we will act. Our flotilla is humanitarian: It carries food, medicine, and essential supplies; it carries no weapons. It is peaceful; our ships are unarmed and transparent in their purpose. It is lawful: it exercises rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including the freedom of navigation on the high seas (Article 87), the obligation of peaceful use of the seas (Articles 88 and 301), and the right of innocent passage through territorial waters. Our mission does not fall under any exceptions that would allow interference under Article 110 of UNCLOS. It is not piracy, not slave trafficking, not illicit broadcasting, and certainly not a military action. It is the lawful transportation of humanitarian aid. Our participants are protected civilians under Article 4 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Any interference, mistreatment, or arrest would not only be a grave violation of their rights but also engage the legal responsibility of the state committing such acts. The Global Sumud Flotilla therefore demands: An immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire. The lifting of the unlawful blockade of Gaza. The guarantee of safe and unhindered humanitarian access by sea and land. Accountability for violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. A free Palestine, finally granting the Palestinians the right to self-determination. This mission stands in the proud tradition of global civil resistance against systems of oppression: Gandhi’s salt march against British colonial rule, Nelson Mandela’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and Rosa Parks’ defiance of segregation in the United States. Liberation has never followed a sudden moral awakening among the ruling class. It follows a struggle which mobilises at scale. The Global Sumud Flotilla is such a mobilisation. It is historic because of what it represents: International unity against genocide, the assertion that law must be practised and not merely proclaimed, and the refusal to remain silent in the face of famine. We sail because governments have failed. We sail because silence enables atrocity. We sail to defend international law and uphold human dignity. The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful and humanitarian mission. It carries not only food and medicine but also the hope of millions: That humanity will prevail over indifference. Melanie Schweizer is a lawyer and Member of the Steering Committee of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

"One of the most disturbing features of the Gaza genocide has been Israel’s attempts to prevent the truth from emerging to the world. But Palestinian journalists, writers and filmmakers are resisting these attempts, against incredible odds. [PSC] are supporting the release of a major new film - “From Ground Zero: Stories From Gaza” - in cinemas across the UK from September 12. It features the extraordinary work of 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through the unimaginable reality of the genocide. Please support this film in your local cinema. There are 84 screenings already scheduled and more are being added. Click the link below to find your local screening. “From Ground Zero” is a collection of short films ranging in length from 3 to 6 minutes using a mix of genres including fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation and experimental cinema. They capture some of the diverse experiences of life in Gaza from the perspectives of Palestinian artists. Above all, the films demonstrate the steadfastness of the people, their shining humanity in the face of tragedy and persecution, and their ability to maintain hope for freedom and justice. We cannot allow Palestinian voices from Gaza be silenced or go unheard. On Friday 12 September at 7.15pm, the London premiere will be hosted at Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel, including a Q&A with Director Rashid Masharawi and PSC Director Ben Jamal. Book your ticket at the link below. https://www.genesiscinema.co.uk/event/100618 “From Ground Zero” was taken off the lineup of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on political grounds after initially being accepted. But as this film release shows, the voice of Palestinians cannot be so easily silenced. The film itself will help strengthen Palestinian voices as all proceeds from the film go to the Masharawi Fund for films and filmmakers in Gaza. We too will never be silenced in our solidarity, campaigning and uncompromising demands for freedom and justice for Palestine." Direct link to information about film, trailer, and UK screenings link: https://www.cosmiccatfilms.com/from-ground-zero

'You’ve shown time and time again that you care about what’s happening in Gaza. If you could put it into words, what would your message of solidarity with Palestinians be? You can now pick up a free postcard in your local Oxfam shop to write your message – expressing how you feel about the atrocities happening to people in Gaza. Post it back to us, and we’ll take it to the Labour Party Conference in September. Many MPs will be there. So will the Prime Minister. This is a big opportunity to speak up for Palestinians and show the breadth and depth of the UK public feeling about this. Roba, an Oxfam colleague in Gaza, has been sharing her experience. It’s hard to read, but it’s important these stories are heard: “You can’t truly understand what starvation is until you’ve felt it. Until it is no longer just a word, but a daily reality that consumes life. There is nothing more soul crushing than hearing a child cry. Not for toys, not for luxuries. But simply for a loaf of bread. That tiny little voice bidding for something so basic. So human. We’re not demanding anything grand. We’re seeking the bare minimum to stay alive. And when you can’t answer that cry, when all you have are empty hands and a heavy heart, it leaves a mark that never fades.” We’re seeing a shift from our government. But they’re not doing enough. Despite changing their tone and acknowledging that there is a risk Israel has breached International Humanitarian Law, they are continuing to allow the sale of arms to the Israeli government. They need to see and feel your emotion. People are starving to death. People are being shot at whilst collecting aid. People are being displaced, time and time again. And Israel's decision to take direct military control of Gaza City marks a dangerous escalation. Israel continues to illegally occupy the Palestinian territory and this latest plan is a brazen act of erasure carried out in full view of the world. When will our government take action and say ENOUGH? So please, share your message. You can even add your name and postcode if you’d like us to try and get your postcard in front of your own MP. Ghada, our colleague in Gaza, said: “Every action, every voice, adds to a movement that can’t be ignored. This is not just about politics. This is about humanity. It’s about solidarity. It’s about refusing to stay and be silent.” We will never stop speaking up for Palestinians in Gaza. Thank you for being here, Charlotte Campaign Engagement Manager'