but Archives - Charlie (Chas) (Pablo Alf) Alford

Oxford Union condemns Uygur/ Piker visa cancellation but its own hands are dirty

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:2 June 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

The Oxford Union (OU) has issued a statement condemning the Starmer government for cancelling the entry visas of US anti-genocide speakers Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker. The pair had been scheduled to speak at an OU debate and were barred by Starmer for their speech against Israel’s genocide and other crimes. But its own free speech record is anything but spotless. The government’s action to please the UK Israel lobby is a disgrace, if an entirely unsurprising one. In a post on X, OU president, Arwa Elrayess, said it would proceed with the event. She added that the cancellation was a…

Chevron CEO shrugs off Hormuz toll, but can he really?

Post author:Nandita Lal
Post published:1 June 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Chevron CEO, Mike Wirth, who is the money behind Donald Trump, said his company would not pay a toll to enter the Strait of Hormuz, claiming it is “international waters”. Trump recently threatened to blow up Oman if it, along with Iran, were to charge a toll on the ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Alongside Wirth, Trump also alleged the strait is international waters. The question is: do these Americans really have a choice? Chevron has six vessels under charter in the strait Iran has said: The process of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is…

Police say critique of non-Jewish Mirren’s politics ‘hate’ but ignore actual hate

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:30 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

The Met Police is investigating a clip of an anti-genocide protester criticising actor Helen Mirren’s Zionism as a hate crime. Mirren is a supporter of Israel and who wants it to last “for eternity”, but is not Jewish. Zionism is a political ideology – one that is intrinsically racist, ethno-supremacist and, as shown everywhere around Israel, murderous. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LPC (@landpalestine) Mirren is not ethnically Jewish and is on record describing herself as an atheist. Contrary to media and pro-Israel narratives, many Jews are not Zionist. In fact, within a few years a majority…

Unions welcome ‘Summer Savings’ plan but want it to go further

Post author:The Canary
Post published:22 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Trade unions have offered a guarded welcome to the government’s ‘Summer Savings’ plans. These include several measures which aim to ease summer holiday expense for families with children. Labour affiliated transport union TSSA has welcomed as an ‘important first step’ the government’s introduction of free bus travel for under-16s in England across August. This was part a series of measures that chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined, called ‘Great British Summer Savings’. It also includes a temporary reduction in VAT across Scotland, England and Wales from June to September. The reduction applies to admission tickets for family shows and attractions and children’s menu…

“They have no soul but we’re stronger” – flotilla activist on Israel’s rape and violence

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:22 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Australian anti-genocide activist Juliet Lamont has spoken of the horrors she and other volunteer flotilla crew members suffered after their abduction by Israel in international waters. The Global Sumud Flotilla ships were trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians under Israel’s illegal starvation blockade. Deported crew members show signs of torture and report numerous rapes and the deliberate breaking of bones. Israeli fascist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir himself posted video of the volunteers being beaten and humiliated. But after her own deportation, Lamont gave more detail on what was perpetrated on her and others. It’s truly horrific – but she and her…