UK schoolgirl thanks supporters, slams abusers after pro-Palestine speech

A UK schoolgirl who was a victim of online abuse from pro-Israeli trolls after she made a speech on her Palestinian homeland has thanked loyal followers for their support.

Leanne Mohamad, from east London, was accused by detractors for “vicious blood libels against the state of Israel” after a video of her speech on Palestine, “Birds not Bombs,” was posted online and quickly went viral.

The 15-year-old responded to the online aggression, telling trolls: “you should be ashamed.”

In response to the online abuse, organizers of the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, a competition held for young people in London and the neighboring county of Essex, released a statement earlier in the week. The organizers said that “following vile and hateful comments posted online,” they had taken down the video of the speech.

On Wednesday, the organizers put her speech back online.

“Following temporary suspension to safeguard a minor, we are now able to reinstate the video,” organizers said.

In the speech, Leanne told the story of her one-year-old cousin, who she described as a Palestinian refugee, had not been given treatment for a severe heart disease and had died in the past few weeks “because he was Palestinian”.

Her speech went on to condemn the “aggression, oppression [and] injustice” against Palestinians and claimed that “since 1948, more than 30,000 innocent Palestinian children have been killed.”