Donate Your TV License Fee to Gaza for a month
UPDATE: Watch the DEC appeal for Gaza that the BBC (and Sky News) wouldn’t show.
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Protest the BBC decision to censor a public appeal for Gaza by hitting them where it counts: Boycott the TV license in February
FOR UK VISITORS TO THIS BLOG: On Sunday, 25th January, 2009, The BBC decided not to broadcast an appeal by the Disasters and Emergencies Committee (DEC), asking for the publics help in raising funds for aid to the desperate people of Gaza. If you are Facebook, there’s an event created around this.
Evading your TV license costs just £1.50, far less than the annual £137 you’re paying anyway.
In its explanation, the BBC stated that showing the appeal would somehow damage its image of ‘impartiality.’ This reasoning is, of course, ludicrous, and we’re asking you to help them see this by diverting your TV License money to the DEC.
The DEC is an umbrella group of thirteen established charities with no ties to political or militant factions, dedicated to bringing aid to the civilian population of Gaza: those who bore the brunt of the Israeli attack. We stand with the civilians of Gaza. With its decision, the BBC in effect is stating that it does not want to take the side of civilians in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
This decision, if not reversed immediately, will deprive gaza of millions of pounds in aid and will cost hundreds, if not thousands of lives, with 40 thousand people not even having clean running water. They say they are trying to be impartial, but one cannot imagine a greater humanitarian need at this time for the citizens of Gaza. Impartiality or aversion of humanitarian disaster? the BBC will be remembered for this decision.
But there is something that people in the UK can do about it. Everyone in the UK with a television is charged a TV license fee. Depending on your plan, and the time you started paying, this can range from £23 to £12 per month.
Let’s boycott the BBC for a month unless it immediately reverses course and broadcasts the appeal. We’re asking anyone who is on a monthly TV license plan to instead donate that money to he Disasters and Emergencies Committee for the month of February. While the TV Licensing may still attempt to charge you later, the message will be clear and the money that the BBC won’t be getting during that month will go to a much better cause instead: rebuilding Gaza.
Please join this monthlong event now, and also forward it along to anyone you know. And don’t forget to cancel your auto-deduction for TV licensing, or post your bill with a letter of protest in lieu of a check or credit card payment. Let them know that they’re working for us, and not the other way around.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Links:
- File a complaint on the BBC website
- Have your say on BBC decision (scroll to end to post a message)
- Donate to the appeal
- Sign the online petition
- Read more about the story on Guardian website:
- Disasters and Emergencies Committee website
- Free Gaza
I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.
Lots of people here in the UK are scratching their heads in bemusement at the idea that the BBC might be impartial. It's the government's mouthpiece, make no mistake.
Hi 'Drew3000' (Andrew?) – just found your site – thanks, good work! FYI, last night the U.S. major media outlet CBS' program "60 minutes" aired a shockingly *accurate* segment on Palestine.
See it here (after ad):
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4752349n%3fsource=search_video#ccmm
Also, my group (ESPA, in Canada) has also been posting dozens of excellent articles and video links countering the MSM spin on our facebook group page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18332213920
(in the Discussion Board: “Palestine/Israel News” thread)… just FYI.