Show the appeal now! Show the appeal now!

These were the demands of the fifty protesters who occupied the foyer of the BBC in Manchester last Tuesday 27th Jan. Our occupation follows similar ones in Glasgow and London.

We pay our license fee. The BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. This BBC building is not a private building it is a public building. When our elected government says the BBC should show it, the archbishops and sheiks say we should show it, the people say we should show and still Mark Thompson refuses to show it - then we are right to take direct action over this issue. I applaud all those who occupied today.

For the last thirty days since the Israelis bombed Gaza we have held a prtest vigil outside the BBC in Manchester. This is a story they have refused to cover.

Across Greater Manchester, in Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, Preston, Blackburn, Bury, Manchester thousands have marched for Gaza. This is unprecedented in the region. This is the big regional story that BBC Manchester has missed. They have not interviewed the people at the heart of this growing movement. Only when we took direct action did our story get airtime.

Our argument is not with the people who work for the BBC. We know they are not allowed to say what they think. Only Mark Thomson is allowed to speak. BBC workers have told me that most think the BBC should broadcast the appeal. Many are worried that Thompson's unjustifiable appeal ban is now bringing the whole of the BBC into disrepute. Thompson should broadcast or resign now!

We received assurances that a top BBC representative from Manchester will meet with us Wednesday to hear our concerns. We will report back whet they say at the daily vigil, and on our website.

We will not stand by while the BBC bosses ban the appeal and so prevent people here saving lives over there.

Saturday from 2pm on Market St. Manchester the Manchester Stop the War Coalition invites you to help with a mass petition demanding that the BBC show the DEC appeal, and that BBC boss Mark Thomson resigns.

We will also collect money for the Interpal charity in buckets so they can continue their humanitarian appeal work.