2024-08-04 14:43:40
Thousands of people joined a march in support of the Palestinians this afternoon, which went from “Park Lane” to “Downing Street” in the center of London, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, reported PA media and DPA, quoted by BTA.
Four people were detained during the demonstration. One was arrested for giving a Nazi salute to a counter-protester, another for a poster containing alleged support for a banned organization, and two more for an offensive poster.
Among the most popular slogans of the march were: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Free, free Palestine”. The crowd waved numerous Palestinian flags.
A counter-protest took place in Piccadilly Circus Square under the slogan “Enough!”, in which participants waved Israeli flags, held placards with the faces of Israeli hostages, and a large banner reading “Rape is not resistance”.
A group of Holocaust survivors sat on the sidelines of the protest, holding placards in support of Palestinian protesters that read: “Descendants of Holocaust Survivors Against Gaza Genocide.” One of the participants in the protest thanked the group.
At the end of the march, various speakers including former Labor MP and now independent Apsana Begum and Labor Youth Chair Jess Barnard gave speeches from a stage outside Parliament.
“Solidarity for ourselves, solidarity with each other, solidarity for our different communities in the UK, for the men, women and children of Gaza and for all those who are oppressed around the world,” Begum said.
“Starmer, we don’t want excuses, we don’t want a delay, we don’t want you saying you’re different from the Tories, we want you to destroy the Tory legacy of complicity in Israeli war crimes. We want action. No delay, no excuses,” Barnard said in turn. , addressing British Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer.