#Iamsudanrevolution

A lively protest took place at Downing Street in defence of the Sudanese revolution – around 500 protestors; overwhelmingly Sudanese on Saturday June 8 writes Veronica Fagan. Women were very prominent, including leading the chants alternating between Arabic and English, accompanied by drumming, dancing and keening. The majority were young. All this mirrors much of what we would be seeing from the squares and streets of Sudan had not the internet connection been cut.

Slogans denounced the military crackdown, the murders, torture, and rapes highlighting the role of the janjaweed and called for action from the UK and UN to assist in seeing war criminals sent to the International Criminal Court – with a rhythmic repetition of a series of names.

Other calls such as “Stand aside; We decide” and “We won’t give up, We won’t give in, until We see our people win” evidently echo from the streets of Khartoum, repeated with a sense of optimism as well as determination. “From the river to the sea, Sudan will be free was surely a conscious adaption one of the familiar refrains of the Palestine solidarity movement. Homemade placards used #iamsudanrevolution #SudanUprising, while there were other more professionally made ones from the campaign itself.

Speakers (or those I could follow) spoke of the desperate messages some were getting from Sudan but also of the remarkable changes that people were fighting for – a different way of organising society, holding goods in common, different relationships between men and women.

Given that the massacre was but days previous,
that 3 opposition leaders were detained that morning after meeting the
Ethiopian Prime Minister, and that Sunday June 9 saw reports of four further
deaths solidarity is needed even more than ever.

Follow the Mena Solidarity Network – facebook (which is updated most regularly) here, twitter here and website here for information about future actions.

If you live in or near London, come to our meeting later in June: Register on Eventbrite here.