The Tribune

AS the news cycle moves on remorselessly and public attention is inevitably diverted elsewhere, I should like today to comment once more on the controversy surrounding last weekend’s pro-Palestine march in London.

I wrote last week that there were displays of violence but, bad as these were, they were relatively limited and the number of arrests not unduly excessive given that there were an estimated 300,000 participating in the march. I suggested that, despite the bellowing and spewing out of hatred with banners condemning Israel in vitriolic language, the decision to allow it to go ahead was, arguably, in the end the correct one given people’s right in a democracy to protest publicly and that an outright ban would have been unjustified.

On reflection, however, and following further study of UK media reports, I am now less confident about making that judgement.

In Britain, Armistice Day is always observed on November 11 itself – “the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 when the Armistice was signed to end the First World War. Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday of November. This commemorates British service members who have died in wars and other military conflicts since the onset of the First World War. Commemorative ceremonies are held on both days. These are a sacred landmark in the UK’s national calendar and there is a sombre mood of reflection as the community pays its respects.

This year, the two days followed each other at the weekend and there was an atmosphere of profound solemnity in the nation’s capital. But, as one commentator put it, what should have been a time for quiet reflection and respect was turned into “an arena of fear and friction”. Many in the UK are now saying that because of the significance of last weekend to the whole nation it was disgraceful that the organisers should have gone ahead with the march and that they were being deliberately provocative in doing so.

Apart from letting off steam, the march was never going to achieve anything other than revealing their disdain for the nation’s history as they shouted their political views – and it is said that far-right and far-left are two sides of the same coin in so far as both are guilty of intolerance, authoritarianism and a fixation with ethnic identities. The far-right thugs think of themselves as defenders of British nationhood, but, in reality, their aggression and intimidation stops them from being true patriots.

Thinking about all this further, one begins to wonder how it has happened in Britain that the liberal belief in tribal identity should somehow have become more important than patriotism and national unity. Whether or not this is indeed the case, it often seems that, in apparently failing to treat all citizens equally, a supine British state is reluctant to protect traditional values and is more interested in diversity, multiculturalism and recognition of minorities in the name of diversity. One example of this is the excessive attention given to the views of race campaigners while many believe the police should be dealing more effectively with genuine, intentional and orchestrated racism such as the current surge in anti-Semitism.

Some argue that much of this is theoretical and that, rather than speculating about the police’s attitudes, what matters most is what happens on the ground. In particular, it must have been heartening and encouraging to so many that, in contrast to the weekend violence, the traditional rituals and practices of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday were carried out this year in time-honoured fashion to pay tribute to those who made the supreme sacrifice for their country.

These included the two-minutes silence, the march past the Cenotaph in central London of thousands of veterans and armed forces personnel from all three services and the laying of wreaths led by King Charles to honour the fallen. It was evident that the pomp and ceremony of these historic rituals was executed perfectly and showed Britain at its best – and, of course, everyone has come to expect this, not only because historically the precision of the military has been legendary but also after such high standards were displayed recently at The Queen’s funeral and at the Coronation.

It comes as no surprise to learn that this year many people were overwhelmed by all this – and some commentators in the UK suggest it may have been because of the relief and reassurance it gave them about the continued respect in their country for tradition and the display of national unity compared to the sickening displays of violent thuggery and aggression perpetrated by the demonstrators over the weekend.

Thanksgiving - a time to savour

Having enjoyed a year at a boarding school in Massachusetts as an exchange student, I was lucky to learn at an early stage about the best of America – and this included Thanksgiving. Across the pond, however, I suspect that relatively few will be aware of what exactly it is and its significance in the US.

They will know that it is an American festival which takes place towards the end of the year and some will be able to tell you that it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. They may even be aware that it is a federal holiday while they may have been told, too, that it is regarded by some Americans as more significant than Christmas. They will also have heard that it has been described as a time of warm-hearted togetherness especially for families. But beyond all that they will probably not know much about it.

It is likely that they will associate Thanksgiving with their own Harvest Festival in England which is usually held in September to give thanks for the successful gathering-in of a bountiful harvest. They will assume it can trace its origins back to such festivals expressing gratitude for an abundant harvest because this was in the cultures of both the Pilgrims who sailed from England in 1620 and the Native Americans they encountered when they arrived. The age-old tradition of the harvest festival in British history is celebrated in churches, schools and families, but it is a thoroughly subdued and limited event on a small scale compared to Thanksgiving in America.

It is probably safe to say that not many British people will be aware that the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time in 1621 after their initial harvest in the New World and that they were giving thanks, too, for their recent successful journey and for the new land they had acquired. The celebration was said to have lasted three days and was attended by some ninety Native American Wampanoag and more than fifty survivors of the Pilgrims’ ship, the Mayflower.

That appears to be the “approved” version of history – but nonetheless accurate for that. It is unlikely that many British people will have heard about the cynics who say that, for Native Americans, Thanksgiving is really nothing more than a holiday commemorating the Anglo-Saxon invasion of a country that already belonged to somebody else. They assert that the interpretation of Native Americans is that European colonialists landed near Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts and had a peaceful meeting with the Wampanoag tribe. The history books state that the two groups did indeed celebrate Thanksgiving together in 1621. But, after relations soured – and, later, immigrants arrived in large numbers - Native Americans across the continent were forced to accept the centuries of oppression that followed.

Historians, who like to look at all aspects of the past, understand the reality and inevitability of this. But what is surely significant today is how Americans generally view this national holiday. It seems they see it as a chance to appreciate the good things in life like family, community and the riches of the land, to share their blessings and to give thanks for all that they have.