
Gabriel (left), Anthony (right) and new-found friends on the South Bank, as part of the red line around Parliament, 4 June 2025. Photo: Anthony Bradnum
Hastings residents join ‘red line’ protest against UK arms sales to Israel
Residents of Hastings and St Leonards travelled to London on Wednesday 4 June to join the national ‘Red line for Palestine’ protest, demanding an end to UK arms sales to Israel. Gabriel Carlyle reports.
On Monday 2 June the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) sent out a press release noting that: ‘Right now, 290,00 Palestinians are on the brink of starvation. 70,000 Palestinian children, the majority aged between 1 month and 2 years, have been treated for acute malnutrition. So, we ask [Keir Starmer] this: where is the red line if it is not starving children?’ (see full statement below).
Good question.
The press release called for people to come to London on 4 June, wearing red, to form ‘a red line for Palestine around Parliament during Prime Minister’s Questions to demand a full arms embargo and sanctions on Israel NOW!’
So on Wednesday, Anthony Bradnum and myself caught the first off-peak train to London and joined the protest.
Supporting genocide
According to Amnesty International Israel is ‘committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.’ And for all its recent crocodile tears, the UK government is actively supporting this.
Though it suspended a small number of arms export licences to Israel last September, the government has continued to supply Israel with crucial components for the F35 fighter aircraft – the single largest and most important part of the UK arms trade with Israel – through third countries.
The UK government has admitted that there is a ‘clear risk’ that F35 components sent to Israel – whether directly or indirectly – could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law, which makes such exports illegal under UK law.
Arms sales to Israel are also prohibited under the Arms Trade Treaty, to which the UK is a party.
Opposing genocide
According to an Opinium poll conducted last week, 57% of the public supports a full arms embargo on Israel, with only 13% opposed.
Given the short notice I wondered whether there’d be enough people to form a human chain around Parliament: a distance of about one and a half miles, crossing both Westminster and Lambeth bridges.
I needn’t have worried. Thousands showed up to create a sea of red.
Michael Rosen was there. Brian Eno was there. A friend whose father was a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust was there.
Two colossal banners spelled out: ‘KEIR STARMER – STARVING CHILDREN IS A RED LINE – ARMS EMBARGO NOW’.

Anthony and Gabriel leaving Parliament after unsuccessfully attempting to ‘Green Card’ Hastings’ MP Helen Dollimore. Photo: Anthony Bradnum
Dollimore no show (again)
Once Prime Minister’s Question Time was over, Anthony and I decided to go in and ‘Green Card’ the MP for Hastings, Helena Dollimore.
We filled out our card and waited for an hour. As happened last time I tried this, there was no response.
I included my email on the ‘Green Card’. I haven’t received a response.
As part of a statement given in full below, Ms Dollimore told HOT: “…the human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. The Israeli government’s actions are appalling. We all want this war to end immediately, for Hamas to release all the hostages, and for Israel to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid.”
Though she’s prepared to cry crocodile tears about the Israel government’s ‘appalling’ actions and the ‘intolerable’ human suffering in Gaza, Ms Dollimore has never once acknowledged that these crimes have been taking place – and continue to take place – with the active support of her government (through UK arms sales and RAF overflights of Gaza); or that Israeli actions clearly fit the legal definition of genocide (a fact that carries clear legal obligations for her government); or registered any form of public protest about these two facts. In particular, she’s failed to join other Labour MPs in signing Early Day Motion 1310 on Arms exports to Israel.
Take action
After we’d left, I asked Anthony why he’d come.
He told me: ‘We are witnessing a true horror story in real time. People of Gaza are suffering. International laws are being broken. We have to stand up for human rights. Today people once again turned out in London in their thousands to be heard. Hopefully the tide is turning? Israel will have to be held accountable for war crimes and by being here today we continue to put pressure on those responsible.’
You can send an email Helena Dollimore MP, urging her to support a ‘comprehensive military embargo to end all arms trade and military collaboration with Israel,’ here.
Helena Dollimore responds
HOT contacted Helena Dollimore for a response about this article. This is the statement she sent us:
A spokesperson for the MP said: ‘As Gabriel has previously been advised, constituents are encouraged to get in touch before travelling to Parliament to meet their MPs. In this case, the office received notice that a green card had been issued at 14:28 that stated that the constituent would be in Westminster Hall until 14:30, at which point the constituent was phoned but did not respond.’
Full press release from PSC and other groups:
Keir Starmer: Where is the red line if it is not starving children?
For 20 months Israel has devastated Gaza – killing over 54,000 Palestinians including more than 15,000 children, destroying over 90% of housing, and damaging or destroying over 90% of hospitals. None of this was enough to make you act to impose meaningful sanctions and a full arms embargo. None of this was a red line to end the treatment of Israel as a democratic ally with whom Britain should maintain normal relations. No red line was crossed for you when Israel ignored the measures imposed upon it in Jan 2024 by the ICJ [International Court of Justice] to prevent genocide. No red line when the ICJ ruled in July 2024 on the illegality of Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and told states not to render aid or assistance to maintain that illegality. No red line in November 2024 when the ICC [International Criminal Court] issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yaev Galant for crimes against humanity including using starvation as a weapon of war.
Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire agreement, renewal of military assault and imposition of a full blockade on Gaza cutting off all food water and essential supplies in March finally brought a change in your rhetoric and that of your Foreign Secretary. He described the blockade as “intolerable”, as “morally wrong, unjustifiable” and something that “needs to stop.” He described statements by an Israeli Government minister, endorsed by Benjamin Netanyahu, that Israel’s intention was to destroy what is left of Gaza and force Palestinians to leave as “repellent” and “monstrous”. But still, for you, not a red line that would require the imposition of meaningful sanctions and a full arms embargo. Indeed, just hours after David Lammy ended his condemnation of Israel’s actions, an RAF plane took off from Akrotiri Base in Cyprus to fly over Gaza to provide intelligence for the IDF. Having announced a suspension of new Trade talks, you then sent your Trade envoy to Tel Aviv to promote UK-Israel trade.
Right now, 290,00 Palestinians are on the brink of starvation. 70,000 Palestinian children, the majority aged between 1 month and 2 years, have been treated for acute malnutrition.
So, we ask you this: where is the red line if it is not starving children?
We call on thousands to join us on June 4th at 1130 as you prepare for your first Prime Minister’s Questions since the recess. We will bring to Parliament the red line you seem unable to locate and demand sanctions and a full arms embargo now.
We will not allow you to try to make us all complicit in these crimes against humanity.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Palestinian Forum in Britain
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Stop the War Coalition
Muslim Association of Britain
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
2 June 2025
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