Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered in central London on Saturday, demanding an end to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. This demonstration was held to commemorate the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, and the protesters marched towards the British Parliament holding placards such as "End Genocide" and "Free Palestine."
Message from the Protesters
Imi Shalan, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said at the gathering: "We are here today to remind everyone of three years of ongoing genocide in Gaza." She also added that Western sanctions led by Britain against colonial violence are insufficient and called for "comprehensive sanctions against Israel."
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While a ceasefire began a year ago and Israel has reduced the level of its attacks, the country continues to carry out airstrikes on Gaza. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, approximately 1,450 Palestinians have lost their lives since the ceasefire.
Confronting Violence and Its Consequences
London police reported that "several arrests" were made during the demonstration, including a man and a woman holding placards in support of the banned organization "Palestinian Operations." One participant, Hebo Hassan, a 23-year-old graduate, stated: "Although these events are happening in the Middle East, they now affect us as well. This situation is very discouraging, and we should all be afraid of it."
Another protester, a 32-year-old immigrant from Kosovo who identified himself as Kabi, said that his experience of war brought him here to "stand up today and prevent history from repeating itself."
This demonstration, organized under the title "National March for Palestine" by a coalition of Palestinians, took place three days after the third anniversary of the October 7 attack. This attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people, is considered one of the deadliest attacks in Israel's history, and in response, Israel launched extensive military operations in Gaza that, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, have killed over 74,200 people.
In contrast, a smaller demonstration was organized by the group "Stop the Hate," which is a pro-Israel group. Prior to this gathering, the Metropolitan Police of London announced that they would use their legal powers to request anyone covering their face to reveal it and would take a strong stance against hate crimes.
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