BBC: Don't Censor Palestine! -- Campaign for Sat. May 21

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http://altahrir.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/bbc-dont-censor-palestine/

The BBC have messed up again.

They have rightly come under fire for censoring the word “Palestine” in a performance by rapper Mic Righteous on Charlie Sloth’s BBC 1Xtra hip hop show. The show was originally aired in December, but Mic Righteous’ set was re-aired at the end of April in a best-of episode, re-igniting controversy. A spokesperson from the BBC said the censorship was necessary to preserve the station’s “impartiality”. You can see the clip on the BBC website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00f15g4 (about 3 mins in). Read the article in the Guardian about the controversy here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/13/bbc-palestine-lyric-mic-righteous .

The BBC don’t have a great track record of being “impartial” when it comes to Palestine, given their controversial and indefensible decision not to air the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza after Operation Cast Lead in January 2009. You can read the BBC’s statement on this matter here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2009/01/bbc_and_the_gaza_appeal.html

On the 21st of May, people from all over Britain will demand that the BBC air the word “Palestine”. We will not stand for this censorship. We will email, text and phone every contact for every show and we will get Palestine on air.

BBC – DON’T CENSOR PALESTINE!

What you can do:
1) Invite everyone you know to participate in this facebook event.
2) Gather a group of friends together on Saturday with phones, computers, a twitter account (#dontcensorpalestine), whatever, put on a pot of coffee and get going.
3) Check back here for more information on scheduled programmes and contact details – to be uploaded soon. Make a list of all your targets and call/email/text in.

Remember: we’re trying to get Palestine ON AIR.

Phone in to a gardening programme with a question about your roses – when you get on air tell them in Palestine very little will grow because you have no access to water supplies.
Phone in for cooking advice from James Martin and ask him to say “Free Palestine” on air.

If you’re only emailing or texting, you may not get on air. That’s OK! This is a huge statement in itself. We need to inundate the BBC with demands to use the word “Palestine” – and to make a public apology for this politically motivated censorship.

Most importantly, we can’t let this happen quietly.