Palestine Action slash painting of Lord Balfour in the University of Cambridge

From Palestine Action's own press release, 8th March 2024:
Link | Archive 1 | Archive 2

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Palestine Action ruined a 1914 painting by Philip Alexius de László inside Trinity College, University of Cambridge of Lord Arthur James Balfour – the colonial administrator and signatory of the Balfour Declaration [1].

An activist slashed the homage and sprayed the artwork with red paint, symbolising the bloodshed of the Palestinian people since the Balfour Declaration was issued in 1917.

Arthur Balfour, then UK Foreign secretary, issued a declaration which promised to build “a national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, where the majority of the indigenous population were not Jewish [2]. He gave away the Palestinians homeland — a land that wasn’t his to give away.

After the Declaration, until 1948, the British burnt down indigenous villages to prepare the way; with this came arbitrary killings, arrests, torture, sexual violence including rape against women and men, the use of human shields and the introduction of home demolitions as collective punishment to repress Palestinian resistance [3] [4].

The British were initiating the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, fulfilling the Zionist aim to build their ‘home’ over the top of what were Palestinian communities, towns, villages, farms and ancestral land, rich in heritage, culture and ancient archeological history [5].

The Palestinians refer to this time as the Nakba — which translates into the great catastrophe. In 1948, the Zionist militia, trained by the British, forced over 750,000 Palestinians into exile, destroyed over 500 villages and forced those who remained to live under a brutal reign of occupation [6].

Since 1948, the Zionist regime continued to ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people which has now culminated in an intensified genocide in Gaza, which 20 United Nations experts refer to as the second Nakba [7]. Calls for a second Nakba were repeatedly made by Israeli leaders before October 7th [8].

In the past 154 days of genocide in Gaza, Israel has killed over 30,000 Palestinians, injured over 72,000 [9] and displaced over 1.9million — 80% of the Gaza population [10].

Britain’s support for the continued colonisation of Palestine hasn’t wavered since 1917.

Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms supplier, who use captive Palestinians in Gaza as a human laboratory to develop their weapons, use Britain as a manufacturing outpost. The Israeli weapons maker build weaponry in factories across the country and work closely with the British government [11][12].

Palestine Action vows to continue their direct campaign until Elbit is shut down and British complicity with the colonisation of Palestine ends.

ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS

If you would like any further information on Palestine action, please contact media@palestineaction.org

Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals formed with the mandate of taking action against the sites of Elbit Systems and other companies complicit in Israeli apartheid, calling for all such sites to be shut down.

[1] https://artuk.org/discover/artworks...g-om-pc-prime-minister-and-philosopher-134685

[2] https://www.aljazeera.com/features/...-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-explained

[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-63145992

[4] https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/britain-palestine-balfour-colonial-crimes-reparations

[5] https://decolonizepalestine.com/intro/the-mandate-years-and-the-nakba/

[6] https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/5/23/the-nakba-did-not-start-or-end-in-1948

[7] https://unric.org/en/palestine-preventing-a-genocide-in-gaza-and-a-new-nakba/

[8] https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/why-israels-leaders-call-for-second-nakba

[9] https://www.reuters.com/world/middl...fensive-gaza-health-ministry-says-2024-03-08/

[10] https://www.nrc.no/news/2023/december/gaza-displacement/

[11] https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/3794[12] https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/el...nment-contract-ministry-of-defence-7-october/

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[Criticallacitirc]

So the British trying to stop infighting between the jews & Arabs by creating two separate countries was bad . But the British creating two ( three later) countries to stop Muslims & Hindus from fighting was good ? Or progressives just don't care cause India vs Pakistan is brown vs brown ?

 

[DoubleD]

Imagine being a journo and realizing you don't have to parrot propaganda.

It's directly from Palestine Action's website, no journo involved.

So the British trying to stop infighting between the jews & Arabs by creating two separate countries was bad . But the British creating two ( three later) countries to stop Muslims & Hindus from fighting was good ? Or progressives just don't care cause India vs Pakistan is brown vs brown ?

Of course they care. Anything that can be blamed on the British / white people / colonialism, will be. The partition of India is no exception. Doctor Who even did an episode about it.

I do find it bemusing that when we draw straight line borders, it's bad because it doesn't account for ethnic divisions. But when we attempt to draw borders along ethnic lines, it doesn't work and they blame us for that also.

And when cultural enrichers pour in by the million, progressives blame us for that too because the British / white people / colonialism destabilised the region so now they all have to come here.

 

[Fareal]

There's the benefit of your Oxbridge education: you both know who Balfour is, his role in the formation of the modern Israeli state, and can recognise him in a picture to vandalise it. Very good, Upper second

 

[frozen_runner]

SJWs were never into smarts. Expecting them to read a wbole document is like expecting Chris chan to seek mental help and hit the gym.

Can you blame them? They read a book once. And then the author turned out to be a transphobe!

 

[Phalanges Mycologist]

There's the benefit of your Oxbridge education: you both know who Balfour is, his role in the formation of the modern Israeli state, and can recognise him in a picture to vandalise it. Very good, Upper second

This was the same calibre of uni that had someone wanting to pain over "Straight white men" in the student union hall and backed down when they got told it was a mural of WW1 losses by survivors and got told in no uncertain terms by the Uni, English heritage and the general public if they tried it they would get fucked over an backed down VERY publicly an very quickly.

 

[Fareal]

This was the same calibre of uni that had someone wanting to pain over "Straight white men" in the student union hall and backed down when they got told it was a mural of WW1 losses by survivors and got told in no uncertain terms by the Uni, English heritage and the general public if they tried it they would get fucked over an backed down VERY publicly an very quickly.

Now come on, they have to have their little romantic youthful fling with idealism before they settle into the serious work of increasing their generational wealth and fucking the poor till they bleed.

 

[Chongqing]

It's directly from Palestine Action's website, no journo involved.

My mistake, sorry.

 

[Morethanabitfoolish]

This was the same calibre of uni that had someone wanting to pain over "Straight white men" in the student union hall and backed down when they got told it was a mural of WW1 losses by survivors

To be fair that was Southampton uni and an American.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6380989/Student-union-president-threatened-paint-war-mural-returns-work.html

A student union president who sparked fury when she threatened to paint over an historic war mural returned to work today, the day after Remembrance Sunday.

Emily Dawes caused anger when she tweeted that the Rothenstein Mural at Southampton University should be 'taken down' because it contained only white men, 'even if I have to paint over it myself'.

The 21-year-old, whose family live in Virginia in the US, was put on leave until further notice after her incendiary tweets last month.

She returned to her £20,000-plus role today, but faces continued calls from fellow students to stand down.


Emily Dawes, the student union president who tweeted that a war mural should be taken down or painted over, has returned to work the day after Remembrance Sunday

Her comments were aimed at this mural in the university's Senate Room. It shows the awarding of a degree to an unknown soldier and was painted in memory of students and staff who died in the First World War

Students are campaigning for her to resign from the role following the offensive tweets
The mural she complained about shows an unknown soldier receiving a degree and was painted in memory of students and teachers who did not return from the First World War.

Two petitions have been launched by students calling for Miss Dawes to resign, with one receiving over 21,000 signatures.

Third year history student Dan Lake, who started the change.org petition for Miss Dawes to step down from her position, said she needed to be held accountable for her tweet which was 'not representative' of students.

He said: 'Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but she used a twitter account for work which is supposed to be representative of the students. What she said is not representative of us at all.

'The university runs associations with naval squadrons and the armed forces, and people who study here have family that served.

'It's a mural for people who left university to fight and didn't come back.'


Activist Dawes has family in the US but came to Southampton, UK to study physics

She tweeted a picture of the mural, saying 'f*** yes' the mural should be 'covered up'
Mr Lake said the student union is hoping people 'will just forget about it'.

He added: 'Emily Dawes needs to be held accountable. I wasn't expecting the petition to get loads of signatures - maybe a hundred, but it blew up and got shared everywhere.'

Today, members of the Student Union refused to comment on Miss Dawes' return.


Dawes enjoyed a privileged education at the $6,500 (£6,000) a term Northwood College for Girls in north London.

She has take part in activism since graduating in from High School in the US three years ago, joining the SlutWalk rally in Washington DC in 2015, aimed to prevent violence against women, an hour's drive from her family's six- bedroom home.

After coming to Britain to study physics on the south coast, she took a year out of her studies to be Students' Union president, where salaries for sabbatical officers start at $25,000 (£20,000).

But in the build up to Remembrance Sunday, she took aim at the Rothenstein Mural, which was painted in 1916 'as a memorial to members of the British universities serving in the Great War'.

'It depicts an academic procession and the conferring of a degree on an unknown soldier,' according to the university.

She tweeted: 'Mark my words - we're taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself.'

She had earlier tweeted a picture of the wall, with the expletive-ridden message: 'ONE OF THE WOMEN JUST SAID 'it's nearly armistice day so are we covering up this tapestry??' AND HOLY S***. F*** YES. GRL PWR #sotonsenatelive'.


Dawes has styled herself as an activist, posting pictures online of her at a series of protests

It was presented to the university by the son of its artist, Sir William Rothenstein, in 1959 and appears on the wall of the university's senate room in this building on campus
After her comments were criticised by the student union, the university and armed forces veterans, Dawes apologised.

She released a statement saying: 'Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to apologize for the offense and upset I have caused with what I have said.

'I never meant to the disrespect to anyone past, present and future.

'I had no intention of the tweet being taken literally, and upon reflection have realised how inappropriate it was.

'My intention was to promote strong, female leadership and not the eradication and disrespect of history. I do not believe that to make progress in the future, we should look to raise the past.'

What is the Rothenstein Mural in Southampton?​

The Rothenstein Mural was painted in 1916 by Sir William Rothenstein, former principal of the Royal College of Art.
It shows a procession of academics and the conferring of a degree on an 'unknown soldier' undergraduate by the then Chancellor of Cambridge University.
It was presented to the Southampton in 1959 by the artist's son and features many noted academics from the time, including Vice-Chancellors and Chancellors, and the then-Poet Laureate Robert Bridges.
The mural was installed in the Senate Room in in 2014 as part of a commemoration of the centenary of the start of the war.

 

[Fruttasecca]

Balfour did nothing wrong.
He saw that how fucking shit the middle east was and know that by letting jewish settle there, he would make the muslims piss and shit themselves forever.
God tier trolling.

No he wanted to deport the kikes to that pisshole to let the muzzies do the dirty work, unfortunately the Germans chimped out and then mutts got possessed and propped that pisshole up to be their middle eastern foothold, both events ruining his lives work.

 

[KiwiFuzz2]

The irony of wanting to erase straight white men when you yourself are a straight white man.

 

[CircuSphere]

At least they have chosen a relevant target and have some awareness of history, that's usually beyond these types.

I find it kind of amusing that the tribe are constantly kvetching about the right but as soon as the lefties get involved suddenly there is vandalism, immolation and violence everywhere.

 

[Abraham Lincoln]

Balfour did nothing wrong.
He saw that how fucking shit the middle east was and know that by letting jewish settle there, he would make the muslims piss and shit themselves forever.
God tier trolling.

No he wanted to deport the kikes to that pisshole to let the muzzies do the dirty work, unfortunately the Germans chimped out and then mutts got possessed and propped that pisshole up to be their middle eastern foothold, both events ruining his lives work.

There were jews already in that area from before as well.

It seems like Hitler was willing to finish a job rather than let it be dusted under the couch when it was clear Jewish influence was still strong in Europe.

 

[Corpun]

Should slash Lord Rothschild's painting, since he is the one who put the Bongs up to that project.

 

[Geoffrey of Zealand]

Defacing irreplaceable artwork for performative activism should be rewarded with an immediate firing squad. It's the ultimate expression of "I have nothing to contribute to culture or society except destruction."

 

[KiwiFuzz2]

Definitely a man. There's video.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/08/pro-palestine-protest-trinity-college-lord-balfour-portrait/

 

[Dog-O-Tron 5000v5.0]

A shame. He made the greatest rings.

 

[khaine]

There is a simple solution for this bullshit

 

[DoubleD]

Always listen to these people when they tell you how smart they are.

Link, Archive

Neither the comic, nor the subsequent tweets, acknowledge that the painting was slashed several times with a blade - something that causes far more damage than mere spray paint.

Even the language seems designed to play this stunt off as harmless. "Bart Simpsoning" - equating it to the actions of a mischievous but ultimately lovable child. But even Bart (at least in the early seasons) had a strict limit to his wrongdoings. In Season 1, an entire episode's plot centered around him being genuinely remorseful for the damage that he did to the city founder's statue.

We're long past the point where The Simpsons could be considered a depiction of an average American dysfunctional family. Nowadays, it's positively aspirational.

 

[Absolutego]

Can't wait until I have to look at every piece of art through bulletproof glass and subject to TSA-style security screenings, all because people were too weak-willed to break the orbital of the children of privilege universally responsible for this bullshit.

 

[kcbbq]

"The intended boundaries of Palestine were not specified, and the British government later confirmed that the words "in Palestine" meant that the Jewish national home was not intended to cover all of Palestine. The second half of the declaration was added to satisfy opponents of the policy, who had claimed that it would otherwise prejudice the position of the local population of Palestine and encourage antisemitism worldwide by "stamping the Jews as strangers in their native lands". The declaration called for safeguarding the civil and religious rights for the Palestinian Arabs, who composed the vast majority of the local population, and also the rights and political status of the Jewish communities in other countries outside of Palestine."

So he wanted Arabs to have their rights protected and have their own land in Palestine as well. Very smart to attack his painting.

They got it - Trans-Jordan. Gaza wasn't part of British Mandate Palestine, though, it was part of Egypt that was so worthless they refused to take it back when Israel gave back Sainai.