'Terrorists' row Tory refuses to apologise for school Hamas remark

THE city councillor representing Cotham has said remarks made by a Tory councillor saying a local secondary school's leaders had 'behaved like terrorists' and compared them to Hamas were 'disgraceful' and 'utterly unacceptable.

- Tristan CORK

Cotham councillor Mohamed Makawi said he had waited a week to see if Cllr Richard Eddy was going to withdraw or apologise for his remarks made about Cotham School, but since he hasn't, he has now condemned them.

Green Cllr Makawi said he would wait to see what action Cotham School's leadership would take, before deciding whether or not to make a formal complaint about Cllr Eddy, but added that he “stood firmly” with the students, staff and governors of the school.

Cllr Eddy's comments last week came during a council meeting at which members of the We Love Stoke Lodge campaign group were lobbying council chiefs to take action which could prevent Cotham School from being automatically allowed to fence off the Stoke Lodge playing fields in north Bristol, in a long-running row between some local residents and the school over use of the playing fields.

The Conservative councillor said he trusted Hamas more than the school and its governors, adding that they had “behaved like terrorists” too.