Don't let Gaza become another Srebrenica

Today a Dutch court has ruled that the Netherlands was liable for the killings of more than 300 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in July 1995.

It said that Dutch peacekeepers had failed to protect the Bosnian Muslims when the town fell to the besieging Bosnian Serb army.

This ruling comes at an incredibly poignant time, when the Governments and citizens of the West run the risk of accepting liability for the deaths of thousands through sheer unadulterated negligence.

Let us not be liable for the death of thousands of Palestinians, because we we were afraid of being condemned as Anti-Semitic.

It's not anti-Semitic to tell Israel to stop the shelling of some of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in earth. It's time to stand with Gaza and say no more.

Over 200 people have been killed in this shelling, it’s the responsibility of the world to bring the Israeli government and Hamas to the table and organise a ceasefire.

Speakers' corner

Speakers' Corner

A Global symbol of democracy, Speakers' corner in London's Hyde Park is about to reopen to the public after being refurbished.

It is a place where anyone can get up and have their say on whatever subject they choose; whether you’re an anarchist, politician, comedian, or religious zealot the right to get up and have your say in Hyde Park was enshrined in the 1872 Park Regulation act.

In the late 19th century, a combination of park by-laws, use of the Highways Acts and use of venue licensing powers of the London County Council made it one of the few places where socialist speakers could meet and debate, making it one of the birth places of social democracy.

Over the years a great many notable speakers have used Speakers' Corner as a platform for their ideals, such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, William Morris, George Orwell and of course the much admired Tony Benn. It has been the site of numerous acts os protest, including the 1855 riots when 150,000 people assembled to protest the Sunday Trading BIll prohibiting buying and selling on a Sunday - the only day the working class had off.

So next time you’re in London on a Sunday afternoon pop down to Hyde Park and have a listen, engage in a bit of banter, but get involved in voicing your opinion; don’t rely on the politicians in Westminster, Brussels or the press to speak for you.

Get out and have your say!- and make sure you're properly dressed for the occasion with Comrade Apparel

T-shirts: A blank canvas for political dissent

As the Sochi Olympics have shown us, in spite of technological developments in mass communication, a blank t-shirt still provides one of the most poignant methods of protest. As athletes and celebrities around the world wear a shirt in favour of LGBT rights, the t-shirt is more important than ever.

There are few garments as innocuous as a plain t-shirt. Aside from demonstrating the latest and most superb innovations in washing powder - one really does have to wonder how terrible washing detergent was in days gone by - the blank t-shirt has gone relatively unnoticed in geopolitical epoch that has taken place since 2000. But, as governments and Olympic representatives attempt to discern a suitable method to engineer change and express concern with the Russian state, the humble t-shirt has returned to it's function as a canvas for political slogans.

The resonance with which t-shirts can be used to rally popular movements have not gone unnoticed. Chinese authorities recently attempted to force shoppers to register their purchase of plain T-shirts. This scrupulous monitoring aimed to regulate usage. As demonstrations against a major oil refinery grew, the authorities attempted to restrict the sale of t-shirts, requiring anyone purchasing one to to disclose all their personal details.

T-shirts have long had a place in protest, turning the physique of any man into a political sandwich board. Offering all the chance to express their political disdain, philosophical beliefs or the commemoration of a cultural icon.

From 'Occupy' to 'Free Tibet' the t-shirt has provided an innovative way to openly provide support in some tricky debates.

Got a problem? Get it on your chest The History of the Slogan T-Shirt

The History of the Slogan T-Shirt

The t-shirt has long been a means of telling the world what we think, what we feel and what we want to change. It is a garment which has gone beyond fashion.

The first slogan T-shirts with political subtext can be considered as those in the punk era of the 1970s as Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren got in on the act. Their SEX boutique embraced punk counter culture and provided an essential outlet for youth rebellion.

Katharine Hamnett, an 80's crusader using the t-shirt to take popular opinion to Maggie Thatcher. Dressed in a t-shirt donning the slogan "58% Don't Want Pershing" when she was received at a Downing Street reception for London fashion week designers in 1984. The t-shirt epitomised popular opinion about the basing of US Pershing missiles in the UK.

The late 80's saw Frankie Goes to Hollywood use the t-shirt to extol their philosophical ideal to 'RELAX'.

In recent years, the resonance of the slogan t-shirt has not diminished - from homophobia and Team Snowden to fracking - the slogan t-shirt continues to give a voice.

So if you need to get something off your chest - get in on your chest.

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