Palestine support group delivers Christmas tree to David Davies

Families for Ceasefire, a group based in Usk and led by parent Hannah McDonald, attempted to deliver a Christmas tree decorated with 10,354 ribbons to secretary of state for Wales and Monmouth MP, David Davies on Wednesday, December 20.

Ms McDonald said the ribbons "represent the children killed in Gaza and Israel”.

Monmouth-based group Families for Ceasefire decorating tree with ribbons to represent child deaths in Gaza (8000) and Israel (43) (Image: Families for Ceasefire)

Ms McDonald said the group was carrying out the demonstration “at a time when a decent number of senior Tories are now calling for a permanent ceasefire".

Although no one was available at Mr Davies' office to accept the tree, the group was able to take it to Abergavenny Baptist Church, where it has been put on display "while we wait for David Davies to collect it".

Although MPs have not voted to support a ceasefire, the Senedd did do so last month.

Mr Davies was among those MPs who voted against calling for a ceasefire last month.

He said: “The images and videos—including what I have been shown by the Israeli Embassy—were horrendous.

“Unarmed people were tortured, kidnapped, sexually abused and murdered by Hamas terrorists who filmed themselves committing these acts.

“As a direct result of Hamas’ unprovoked attack, countless Israeli and Palestinian lives are being tragically lost".

Tree full of ribbons to represent people killed in the war in Gaza. (Image: Families for Ceasefire)

Christmas Tree now at Abergavenny Baptist church waiting for SS David TC Davies to collect (Image: Families for Ceasefire)

Another pressure group, the Palestine Solidary Campaign, carried out a demonstration on the Newport City Footbridge on December 7.

Chairwoman Rebecca Vaughan said the organisation is campaigning for “equality, justice, freedom for all people, but particularly people in Palestine”.

"What happened on October 7 was absolutely horrendous and we condemn all killing of all civilians and all breaking of international law," she said. "And what’s happening now in Gaza, in my opinion, is breaking international law. It’s disproportionate, it’s indiscriminate and it amounts to collective punishment”.

Ms Vaughan has been a supporter of the cause for decades, first becoming aware of the situation in Palestine and Israel decades ago.

Families for Ceasefire delivering open letter to Monmouth representative and Welsh Secretary of State David TC Davies with 250 signatures (Image: Hannah McDonald)

Previously the Families for Ceasefire group in Monmouth drafted an open letter sent to Mr Davies.

Roz Scourse, 34, another member of the group, said: "The open letter has the support of over 250 constituents and demonstrates the scale of ongoing opposition and criticism."