Best Foot Music Phillip Minns

A soundscape of chants, music and some street speakers (as in those not on the stage) and incidental sounds from the National March for Palestine on 18th May 2024, to commemorate the Nakba. The demonstration finished in Whitehall, although many sat in Trafalgar Square, where there was an event by the Sri Lankan Tamil community, commemorating 15 years since the end of the civil war and also the genocide committed there. Coincidentally as with the Palestine situation, there are also connections to the British Empire.

As always the march was hugely diverse, with a sizeable Jewish Bloc.



Photographs and more in the link here

https://www.bestfootmusic.net/post/voices-from-the-protests



Nakba info;

https://nakba.amnesty.org/en/

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/israelopt-current-scenes-forced-displacement-gaza-reminiscent-nakba

https://press.un.org/en/2024/gapal1467.doc.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba

A week after the Gideon Falter 'openly Jewish' incident, which gained wide press coverage and further attempts by him, some in the UK Gov and media to demonise the demonstrations, we attended the National March for Palestine from Parliament Square to Hyde Park. On this occasion we were near the front of the march, for a while with the Jewish Bloc. Following the previous weeks events, numerous people carried 'Openly Jewish' placards.

There were lots of groups with drums and percussion, leading chants along the way. As always the march was hugely diverse, with people from a wide range of religious and ethnic backgrounds, age and where they'd travelled from around the UK. We met people from North Wales, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol across the UK, and fair few people who were visiting London and decided to join for a while.

As the march neared Hyde Park, some people unfolded banners over the statue of Achilles, memorial to the Duke of Wellington, a huge symbol of colonialism. A group of police asked them to remove the banners, but after a few chants of 'show your human side' decided to leave them alone. Later in the day, after the main event had finished, a group gathered in Hyde Park, singing and chanting, for a while the police surrounded the group, mostly just observing and eventually deciding to step back. I made soundscape recordings of the day, this time as we were in the noisier front section of the march, it's mostly chants and atmosphere, with one guy from the Jewish Bloc speaking around 5 minutes in.



Some of the groups on the Jewish Bloc

Black Jewish Alliance

Jewish Socialists Group

Jews For Justice For Palestinians

Jewish Voice For Labour

Na'amod

International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network

We visited Istanbul for a holiday from 3rd to 11th April 2024. These recordings were made whilst walking around the city, predominantly in the Fatih district, which includes the historic peninsula . We also visited Kadıköy & Büyükada. Recordings are made with a Zoom H6 recorder with the XYH-6 X/Y MIC.

All recordings made in public spaces.

Istanbul has an estimated population of 15.46 million and covers 5461 square km², compared to London’s population of 8.9 million and size of 1573 km². Considering its size and population, it’ve very easy to find peaceful quiet spaces. This episode includes street musicians, nature sounds, cafes and memories of life in the city.

The call to prayer (Adhan) is recited 5 times a day and so is a regular part of the soundscape of Istanbul. Our flight arrived in Istanbul early morning on the 3rd April, we arrived at our hotel around 5 in the morning, coincidentally Fajr, the first of the day happened just as we stepped out of our taxi. The street we stayed on was narrow, with high buildings, near several large mosques, causing the sound to reverberate, not dissimilar to being in a canyon. In other places, its a quiet background sound.

We were visiting during the last few days of Ramadan, including Eid, with a major public holiday the following three days (Bayram)

00 - 7.10 April 3rd

Arriving at our hotel, near küçükpazar, early morning call to prayer (Fajr) then Beyoğlu, near Galata bridge.

7.15 - 10.50 April 4th

Balat and Fena.

10.50 - 14.40 April 5th

Near küçükpazar, walking to Beyoğlu, then walking to Suleymaniye Mosque, Eminönü.14.40 -  18.10 April 6th

Ferry to Kadıköy, then Fener in the evening, including drummer. His family have been drumming for generations, he collects money during Ramadan, wishing people happy holidays.18.10 - 27.00 April 7th 

Venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George, Fener. Street sounds Balat and Fener, including drummer.27.00 - 31.00 April 8th

Early morning bakery in küçükpazar, then Büyükada, Princes' Islands.32.00 - 53.42 April 9th

The last day of Ramadan, we spent the whole day around Sultanahmet, visiting the Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia and sitting in the Sultan Ahmet park with 1000’s of people as they waited for the final Iftar meal of this Ramadan. It was really beautiful.53.42 - 1.07.20 April 10th 

Beyoğlu1.07.20 - end April 11th

Early morning call to prayer from our hotel window,  with Simit bakery in background, walking through the neighbourhood early morning and Basilica Cistern sounds.



There are a few bits of recognisable music being played from passing cars, restaurants etc.

27.15: Başkentli Resul - Sabir Ver

1.03: Aynur Doğan - Keçê Kurdan

These are just the ones I recognise, if you know more, please message.

A conversation and poetry reading between Vladyslava Bondar and Naomi Foyle, recorded at Razom ~ Together on the 17th March 2024, at the Rose Hill Brighton

Razom ~ Together is a series of collaborative social events organised by the Ukrainian community and their friends in Brighton, focusing on sharing food, music and a safe space to form friendships.

Naomi worked for Waterloo Press and has a history of publishing Ukrainian literature in the UK. She is Reader in Critical Imaginative Writing at the University of Chichester'.



Further information on Naomi's work on Ukraine can be seen in the links below.

https://pulsemedia.org/2015/01/21/writing-with-foreign-blood-a-visit-to-ukraine/

https://www.naomifoyle.com/category/ukraine/

Vladyslava is originally from Ukraine currently living in Brighton. She is community organiser, activist, founder member of Kupala Brighton and member of the Razom organising team.

Thanks to Marek Kohn for suggesting the idea of a Ukrainian literature reading as part of Razom and introducing us to Naomi. Marek is also a member of the Razom team.

Saturday the 9th of March. A short episode, capturing some of the protest for Palestine. Set against the backdrop of the UK Gov and some of the media calling the marches 'Hate marches'. Also includes the thoughts of some Jewish activists and academics we met on the march.

Saturday, January 13th. National March For Palestine, London, UK.

As always it was incredibly diverse. In relation to some of the negative reactions to the marches, I thought it would be interesting to capture some of the voices of people there, so took a recorder and asked people one question; what made you come today. 10 people spoke, from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences. I didn't ask anyone about how they identify, but 2 people said straight away they were Jewish. Some talked about prejudices they had faced in life and the need to stand against a decline in global ethics. The march was peaceful and attended by people from all over the UK.

The first 6 minutes are people speaking, followed by roughly 10 minutes of soundscape from the demo. The march finished at Trafalgar Square, a short walk from Downing Street. The final couple of minutes are the bells of Westminster Abbey, as we walked away at the end of the day, passing through statues and buildings constructed at the heart of the British Empire, one can't help be be reminded of that empire's lasting legacy.



The first national march was held on 15th October. At the time, the UK Home Secretary branded the marches as 'hate marches' as did parts of the UK press.



As of December 30, 2023 Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated Gaza Strip civilian deaths at 27,681.



On 30 October, Save the Children reported more children had died in three weeks in Gaza than in the entire sum of conflicts around the world in the past four years.

https://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel