Protest against media bias

antrim | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Saturday July 22, 2006 19:23

by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin

ciaranobrolchain at hotmail dot com

A large crowd protested outside the BBC offices in Belfast against the media's portrayal of current events in the Middle East.

A crowd of around 150-200 protestors (I’m sure someone who can actually count will have an accurate number) arrived outside the BBC office at Bedford Street in Belfast City Centre to protest against the media portrayal of the current carnage being wrought against the people of Lebanon and Palestine, and the impunity with which Israel can carry out its campaign of destruction in Beirut and southern Lebanon in general.

The protest was organised by the Anti-War Movement in conjunction with the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Friends of Palestine society at QUB. There was also a strong contingent from Sinn Féin present. The number of protestors meant that a long line was created in front of the entrance to the BBC building, and considering the heavy traffic in the city centre on Friday afternoons a clear message was sent to plenty of passers-by about the strength of feeling on this issue.

Several protestors then entered the BBC building, to express to a journalist their anger about the way the BBC (and other media outlets) have portrayed the ongoing bloodshed. One person wanted to lodge an official complaint, and was told that such things must go through an official complaints company called Capita.

Back on the outside, on the spur of the moment the crowd decided to march to the City Hall. They marched on the road from the Bedford Street-Ormeau Avenue junction up to the City Hall, then (once more on the spur of the moment) decided to march around the City Hall in order to get their message across to the people who were leaving work at that time. The march stopped at the City Hall, where they stood for a short time. The crowd was then addressed by a member of the IPSC, who said that this would not be the last protest of its kind.