How can we respond to rolling coverage of injustice without turning away? In Govanhill, campaigners and independent publications explored this question, offering insight into grassroots activism, the BDS movement and the vital role of community-led media.

By Samar Jamal | Photos by Mikael Phillips

On Wednesday evening, The Community Newsroom became a bustling hub for discussion, inviting the public to explore how they can respond to the rolling news coming from Palestine.

The event, Action: Responding to Rolling News from Palestine, part of Indie News Week which takes place from 9-15 June, is one of several aiming to raise critical funds and awareness of local news among audiences across the UK.

Through discussion and guest speakers, the event encouraged attendees to consider: How should we process the constant coverage of the genocide in Palestine? How can we bear witness when our instinct tells us to look away? And finally, how can we turn our horror into practical action?

Attendees also had their own questions – why is the mainstream media covering Palestine as it is and what alternative sources of information are available.

Three independent news publications – New Internationalist, The Ferret and Greater Govanhill – who use The Community Newsroom as their shared base, collaborated to present the event. Each shared how they are responding to events in Palestine through their editorial lenses. With Greater Govanhill’s coverage rooted in the hyperlocal, The Ferret’s in national issues and New Internationalist’s on a global scale, each publication offered a unique insight into the role of independent media.

Although the event was in collaboration with these three indie outlets, it was the campaigners from Mothers Against Genocide Scotland (MAGS) and Govanhill Apartheid Free Zone (GAFZ) who shared how their groups are working to express solidarity with Palestine.

Lise and Fi, members of MAG, are part of a network of mothers inspired by a similar group that took root in Ireland a few years ago, sharing that they are “an inclusive collective of activists organising for all oppressed peoples.”

They spoke about the despondency and frustration many have felt in response to what they are witnessing and how those feelings led them to unite after meeting at a Thales demos in Govan. Their name was intended “to try and away from the portrayal in the media that these protestors were thugs and vandals,” they explained.

They reflected on the emotional and political disconnect many feel with mainstream media coverage of Palestine, where stories like the Freedom Flotilla go unreported and language choices distort public perception. This gap can push people into two groups, one that is drawn towards social media, where polarisation often deepens division and the other which becomes overwhelmed and doesn’t engage in action at all, creating feelings of guilt.

Lis and Sarah explained how the group has been utilising Janet Helms’ White Racial Identity Development Model to help understand how to transition from inaction to action by evaluating their power and privilege. The model outlines a five step framework that raises awareness of white people's roles in creating and maintaining a racist society and the need to dismantle systemic racism by evaluating the structures they are part of.

Lis and Sarah outlined how some feel overwhelmed or unqualified to act, while others are frustrated by inaction but shared identities, like motherhood, can bridge that gap. Their campaigns, such as the 48 hours fast, bike rides and fundraisers stress the idea of thinking collectively and acting individually.

They were followed by Jan Baykara, one of the organisers behind the Govanhill Apartheid Free Zone a community-led initiative that began in December last year. The group supports residents and business owners in ending their complicity in the Israeli apartheid state and in amplifying their solidarity with Palestine by boycotting products on the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) list sold across Govanhill.

Jan shared the group’s journey so far, highlighting the emotional and practical challenges people often face when responding to calls to action. These hesitations, he explained, often reveal a wider web of systemic oppression and show how deeply the struggle for Palestine connects with other movements for justice.

He emphasised that BDS is not a quick fix, but a long-term collective effort rooted in grassroots organising. While it may not immediately end Israel’s violence and occupation, it helps shape a culture of resistance that invites us to reflect on what we choose to normalise in our communities and how we respond.

As the event came to a close, the audience were invited to reflect on the conversations and consider what action they could take to show solidarity. Responses were as varied as the audience – from educating ourselves about the history of the ongoing Nakba and the shared struggles of Palestinians and Kurds, to starting honest conversations with neighbours, encouragement for people to continue reaching out to their elected representatives through the traditional channels as well as social media.

Some of the action points from attendees included:

Work to bring the rest of the left together (stop infighting)
To get people more involved, ashamed for not taking part, not knowledgeable enough or too powerless
Working with local football clubs, see if we can get teams with sponsors on the BDS list to not work with those sponsors anymore
Participate – turn up as a show of solidarity

The evening made clear that resistance for Palestine takes many forms, each requiring continued solidarity and collective effort. And at a time when legacy media often reflects the narrative of the powerful, the role of independent media remains vital.

If you want to support Greater Govanhill and the work we do, become a member today.