Gaza/Israel conflict: Newbury silent vigil calls for peace
Around 50 people gathered in Newbury to hold a silent peace vigil and call for an end to the war in Gaza.
And they have said they will continue to return for the peaceful vigil every Thursday night, between 7.30pm and 8pm, in Market Place until the conflict ends.
Moz Bulbeck Reynolds, one of the organisers of the event, said: “We want peace for Palestine and Israel.
“We will keep going every week until we don’t have to keep going any more. We want to not be going as soon as possible.”
The group, some of whom hold flags and banners, held a five minute silence at 7.55pm at the most recent event, while associate vicar at St John’s Church, Gary Collins, read two poems at the end of the first peace vigil.
Ms Bulbeck Reynolds said the event was a silent peace vigil to ensure that the focus stayed on calling for peace and a ceasefire.
“It’s a chance for people who feel really helpless to, in a very small way, come and give a voice to the voiceless; particularly the innocent civilians in Gaza right now,” she added.
“The sheer weight of the death toll of children is unbearable, even for people sitting so far away in a little quiet market town like Newbury.
“Our message is very clear; it’s about peace. It isn’t about taking sides.”
Steve Masters, a Newbury town councilor who attended the vigil as a “concerned citizen”, said it had been “a really respectful vigil”.
“People across different communities came together looking for a ceasefire and peace in the Middle East,” he added.
“Violence begets violence and it’s the innocents across the region that pay the price… on both sides.
“It is a tragic situation and we should be all calling for a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed.”
People who attended, which included those with both Israeli and Palestinian family and friends, were encouraged to write messages of peace on a board, which the group hopes to present to West Berkshire Council later this month.
Ms Bulbeck Reynolds added that she had written to Newbury MP Laura Farris to ask her to call for a ceasefire in the region, but has not yet had a reply.
