Europe

Tens of thousands attend largest pro-Palestine march in British history

23/05/2021

Organisers say the demonstration in London was attended by 180,000 people, as Gaza ceasefire holds for second day

By Areeb Ullah
22 May 2021

Holding Palestinian flags and placards in the pouring rain, tens of thousands of people on Saturday descended on the streets of central London to protest against Israeli attacks in Gaza and the rest of historic Palestine.

Gathering on London’s Embankment, protesters marched past the Parliament buildings and through Oxford Street as they chanted “Free Palestine” and demanded an end to Israel’s occupation.

Some protesters lit flares showing the colours of the Palestinian flag as they gathered in the capital’s iconic Trafalgar Square, chanting “Palestine will be free”.

Organisers, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Friends of Al-Aqsa, estimated that at least 180,000 people attended the London demonstration, making it the largest pro-Palestine protest in British history.

Protests also took place in other UK cities, including Birmingham and Liverpool, as calls mounted for Britain to impose sanctions on Israel for its actions.

Ceasefire holds

The protests came after Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on a Friday that saw an end to Israel’s daily bombardment of Gaza that killed at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, since the 10 May.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday after prayers ended in the afternoon, when hundreds of Palestinians had gathered to celebrate the ceasefire.

Israeli forces continue to bar Palestinian protesters from entering the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of Jerusalem, where residents face possible expulsion from their homes.

However, pro-Israeli protesters continue to be let into the Sheikh Jarrah area, according to human rights observers.