Thousands of protesters marched through central London on Saturday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory neared the one-year mark.
Pro-Palestinian supporters from across the country began the march from Russell Square to Downing Street demanding an end to the conflict, which has killed nearly 42,000 people in Gaza;
At Saturday’s 20th “National March for Palestine” in London, familiar chants — “ceasefire now”, “stop bombing hospitals, stop bombing civilians” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — were joined by shouts of “hands off Lebanon”.
The rally came ahead of the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack in Israel by fighters from Palestinian group Hamas which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,825 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory’s health ministry and described as reliable by the United Nations.
Zackerea Bakir, 28, said he has attended dozens of marches around the Uk.
Large numbers continue to turn up because “everyone wants a change”, Bakir told AFP.
“It’s continuing to just get worse and worse, and yet nothing seems to be changing… I think it’s tiring that we have to continue to come out,” said Bakir, joined at the rally by his mother and brother.
– Policing operation –
Several protesters carried posters reading “Starmer has blood on his hands”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as suspended some arms licences to Israel.
However, many at the rally said it was not enough.
Sophia Thomson, 27, found the Labour government’s stance “hypocritical”.
According to Thomson, the size of the protests “goes to show the government doesn’t speak for the people”.
“It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough,” added Bakir, calling for the government to “stop giving a carte blanche of support to the Israeli government”.
London’s Metropolitan police put in place a “significant” policing operation ahead of planned protests and memorial events.
While the rally was largely peaceful, two were arrested for assaulting an emergency worker, according to the Met.
Three others were arrested as tensions rose between the main march and a counter protest.
While exact numbers at the demonstration were unclear, “it appears to be greater than other recent protests”, the Met said on X.
Another rally also took place simultaneously in the Irish capital, Dublin.
A memorial for the October 7 attack will be held in London on Sunday.
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