Palestine protesters call for Selly Oak Labour MP to be deselected

Protestors called for Steve McCabe to be deselected after he did not vote for a ceasefire

A Palestine supporters group has gathered outside its local MP's office calling for his deselection.

Protesters gathered at Selly Oak Labour MP Steve McCabe's office after he did not vote for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Police said campaigners also entered the Bullring in Birmingham but the protest remained peaceful.

Steve McCabe, who chairs Labour Friends of Israel, said he "sees himself as a friend of Palestinian people".

"I have worked non-stop since I became the chair to advocate for a two-state solution and for an international peace and reconciliation fund to help us get there," Mr McCabe said.

'Share frustration'

One protester who is originally from Gaza said communications with relatives cut off a week ago.

"You worry so much all the time and there are killings every day.

"You don't know if you'll wake up in the morning and hear that everybody's gone," he said.

Protester Farhat said: "Every single action we take makes a difference... we can get together and share our frustration and our anger and our grief about what is happening."

Steve McCabe said he sees himself as a friend of the Palestinian people

Ten Labour frontbenchers, including Jess Phillips, quit to vote for an SNP motion in the Commons backing a ceasefire, in defiance of Sir Keir Starmer's instructions.

Mr McCabe said: "I don't honestly believe we are going to get a ceasefire at the moment, if the entire House of Commons called for it I don't think that'll make Hamas or the Israel Defence Forces stop fighting.

"I think we have to work towards a permanent end to this and I'd like to see an enduring peace and proper peace talks after it so not only does it stop but it doesn't start again."

Farhat said she will continue to come out and protest and "shout about what is happening"

When asked what he thought of the protests outside his office, Mr McCabe told the BBC he worried for the people, some of which are vulnerable, who may have to walk by the protest to get into the MP's advice centre.

"It's pretty difficult when you have to walk through that sort of thing just to see your MP," Mr McCabe said.

On 7 October, Hamas gunmen launched an assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages.

Israel responded with air strikes on Gaza and has launched a ground offensive. More than 11,500 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.