LONDON: In a powerful display of solidarity with Palestine, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in London on Saturday, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The demonstration, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Stop the War Coalition, marks the latest in a series of large pro-Palestinian gatherings in the UK since October 7.
Protesters, carrying pro-Palestinian banners and chanting slogans, marched through central London, culminating their demonstration at the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. One demonstrator, Alaa Hassan, a 24-year-old wellbeing practitioner, emphasized the need for a comprehensive ceasefire, stating, “The Israeli occupation needs to end. We need a full ceasefire and not a temporary four-day ceasefire.”
Police Deployment in London During Pro-Palestinian Protest
A significant police presence, including 1,500 officers, was deployed for the protest, with 500 officers brought in from forces outside London. Despite the large-scale gathering, there were no immediate reports of violence.
The Israeli bombardments in Gaza have caused a huge loss of life, with over 14,858 Palestinians have been killed so far.
The demonstration in London echoes global concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and protesters voiced their support for the Palestinian cause. Meanwhile, London police have made several arrests for alleged hate crimes since October 7, as showing support for Hamas is considered an offense in Britain.
Tears for Gaza
Meanwhile, Gaza sympathizers and supporters gathered in the crowded Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan on Saturday to honor the lost lives of around 15000 Palestinians – many of them children and babies, killed by the Israeli military occupation.
Arab News cited one of the gathering organizers as saying, “Our tears continue as we honor them all,”.
Participants painted red tear drops on a box carpet on the ground, others chanted slogans against the “Israeli apartheid government and genocide war to exterminate the people of Palestine.”
Chants of “Palestine will be free from the River to the sea”, “Free Palestine”, “Boycott Israel” and “Israeli terrorists” echoed around the square in Tokyo.
Speakers included non-Japanese and Japanese who applauded the determination of the people of Gaza to resist the occupation and “Israeli genocide”.
