LONDON: Thousands of protesters marched through central London on Saturday demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon as the war in the Palestinian territory neared the one-year mark.
Protesters from across the UK gathered at Russell Square, marching to Downing Street in what has become a familiar sight in the city’s ongoing pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The rally, titled the “National March for Palestine,” marked its 20th iteration, with this weekend’s protests focusing on calls to halt the conflict that has killed more than 41,825 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The marchers chanted slogans such as “ceasefire now,” “stop bombing hospitals, stop bombing civilians,” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The demonstrators called for an end to Israeli violence in Lebanon, shouting “hands off Lebanon,” as tensions in the wider region escalated.
The protest comes ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 41,825 Palestinians, mostly women and children, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations has described the figures as reliable.
One of the attendees, 28-year-old Zackerea Bakir, who has participated in numerous protests across the UK, said that the situation continues to deteriorate, but change remains elusive. “Everyone wants a change… 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,” Bakir said, joined by his mother and brother at the protest.
The protest also saw harsh criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with placards reading “Starmer has blood on his hands” being carried by some participants. While Starmer has voiced support for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as suspending certain arms licenses to Israel, many demonstrators deemed these actions insufficient.
Sophia Thomson, a 27-year-old protester, expressed her frustration with the Labour government’s stance, calling it “hypocritical.” She suggested that the scale of the protests signaled a disconnect between the government and public sentiment. “The size of these protests goes to show the government doesn’t speak for the people,” she said.
Bakir urged the government to stop offering unconditional support to Israel. “It’s not good enough. The government needs to stop giving a carte blanche of support to the Israeli government.”
London’s Metropolitan Police launched a significant policing operation to manage the large turnout. While the demonstration remained largely peaceful, the police confirmed that two protesters were arrested for assaulting an emergency worker.
Although exact numbers at the rally were not confirmed, the Metropolitan Police stated that the turnout appeared to be larger than recent protests, indicating growing public momentum around the issue.
Meanwhile, a similar rally took place in Dublin, where protesters also demanded a ceasefire.
