Hundreds of students boycott MP Wes Streeting’s assembly over pro-Israel views

Around 300 school students walked out of an assembly with local Labour Member of Parliament Wes Streeting in protest over his party’s position on Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza.

According to Novara Media, the students aged between 17 and 18 years old at Beal High School in Ilford, East London, either refused to attend or walked out of the assembly with the shadow health secretary last Friday.

One Year 13 student who took part in the boycott, named only as Amina, was quoted by the outlet as saying: “We heard Wes Streeting would be coming down to do a talk on university and personal statements.”

“But as a year group, we wanted to show our support to those in Palestine. Keir Starmer [has] stated he does not support calls for a ceasefire. None of us agreed with this, so collectively we showed our position by not attending.”

Around 300 students at Beal High School in Ilford, east London, either refused to attend or walked out of the assembly that hosted Labour MP Wes Streeting last Friday. Students collectively boycotted the assembly over Labour's stance on the genocide being committed against the… pic.twitter.com/yznSoFMg32

— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) November 8, 2023

According to a parent of a child at the school, which has a high number of Muslim students, Israel’s genocide in Gaza is “politicising young people like nothing has before,” the report said.

In response to the low turnout for the assembly, with only around 20 Year 13 students reported to have attended, the school “drafted in younger pupils to make up the numbers.” When approached for comment by Novara Media, Beal High School said its annual assembly with Streeting was “calm, purposeful and successful… as ever”.

READ: Over 300 Muslim councillors demand UK’s Labour Party to call for ceasefire in Gaza

A similar protest was staged on the same day in Bristol, where hundreds of pupils walked out of class in protest at the failure of British politicians to back a global call for a ceasefire in Gaza, where over 10,000 people have been killed by the US-backed occupation army.

.@wesstreeting what was it you were saying about megaphones?

"Quiet diplomacy" hasn't worked for the past 75 years. As a civilised society, we need to call out war crimes publicly, and loudly. https://t.co/GNGifeZjI1 pic.twitter.com/BwnqPpDgfu

— Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) (@MABOnline1) October 30, 2023

The MP for Ilford North recently came under fire on social media for his comments on LBC Radio, suggesting now is the time for “quiet diplomacy, not megaphone diplomacy.”

📣 "Wes Streeting you can't hide,
we charge you with Genocide!'@wesstreeting: Ilford North says #CeasefireNOW! 🇵🇸✊🏿#MegaphoneDiplomacy#FreePalestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/lRoHoMEd4T

— Layla Mohamed (@styleatthetime) November 5, 2023

Earlier this week hundreds of protestors gathered outside Streeting’s office demanding he back calls for a ceasefire or resign.

Under Starmer’s leadership, the Labour Party faces a growing backlash from Britain’s Muslim community, who form a significant voter base for the party. British Labour MP Imran Hussain has also resigned as a shadow minister from the party’s A-team, joining more than ten Labour council leaders and at least 330 councillors who have stepped down over Starmer’s opposition to a ceasefire.

Ilford North have @wesstreeting as their MP.

Labour won this seat by a margin of 5,218 in 2019.

If the Muslim vote were to change voting sentiment according to our survey, the Muslim vote can itself swing the seat. https://t.co/MfsVzP1bl6 pic.twitter.com/8cHjm5wjaX

— Muslim Census (@MuslimCensus) November 1, 2023

According to Muslim Census, Labour won Ilford North by a margin of 5,218 in 2019, noting that “If the Muslim vote were to change voting sentiment according to our survey, the Muslim vote can itself swing the seat.”

MEMO reached out to both Wes Streeting and Beal High School for additional comments, but received no response at the time of publishing.

READ: Keir Starmer: Long-term security, justice not achieved by bombs