The arches of The Carriageworks have been taken over as a bit of a protest area, calling for peace in Gaza and between Israel and Palestine. Much of the sentiment that is portrayed is pro-Palestinian people. There is nothing celebrating Hamas, and little or nothing that supports the Israeli Government, or those that have consented heir activity. It is probably a fair reflection of public mood in the UK. I think that most people simply want the fighting and bloodshed to stop – that is something people have to believe in, but it is out of our hands. The most people can do is protest in all the various ways that protest can manifest itself, and in Bristol, graffiti art is one such way.
This is a powerful piece and I have included it even though I don’t know who the collaborators were. This is a slight embarrassment for me because I met them and chatted with them while they were painting it. I didn’t quite catch their names, and I don’t know if that was my hearing letting me down, or their desire not to give away too much, I didn’t recognise them. The piece captures perfectly the scenes that we have been witnessing since this conflict began, and although there is a ceasefire right now, the fear is that the Israeli Government will return to flattening the rest of Gaza as soon as the ceasefire is over. Street art plays an important part in chronicling these word events in a vivid and representative way.
Natural adventures 