Vigil calling for ceasefire in Gaza held outside Thatcham hustings event for Newbury constituency

Newbury’s silent vigil, calling for a ceasfire in Gaza, moved locations this week.

On Thursday – the 33rd consecutive week of the vigil – around 30 people gathered outside the church in Thatcham where a hustings event was being held ahead of the General Election.

Organiser of the vigil, Moz Bulbeck Reynolds, said they wanted to let all of the potential politicians know that “this issues isn’t going to go away” and they will continue to call for a ceasefire each week in Newbury’s Market Place.

This week the group gathered peacefully outside the church where all seven prospective parliamentary candidates in the Newbury constituency attended the evening event.

They held up banners before some went in to listen to the evening’s proceedings.

“We were very happy that the panelists chose to discuss the Middle East as one of the four questions they answered last night,” Ms Bulbeck Reynolds added.

“We were really happy to see they chose to address it.

“We were there purely and simply to make sure that every single candidate knows that people in Newbury care passionately about this.

“Stop killing people is our main message.

“We continue to be a peaceful vigil. [Thursday] night marks the 33rd week in a row.

“We are still seeing new people come each week; there was a Palestinian man there last night.

“It’s become an opportunity for people to come and become part of a community that care.”

The group will continue to gather in Market Place, Newbury every Thursday night at 7.30pm.