In the largest protest of its kind, people from varying backgrounds, including celebrities and politicians, gathered in central London to demand an end to the conflict in Gaza and voiced their support for both Palestinian and Israeli human rights.
Tens of thousands of people participated in a large-scale protest in central London, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. This demonstration, marked as the 10th national event of its kind, attracted the largest number of participants to date. It occurred amid rising tensions and violence in Gaza and followed remarks by Rishi Sunak, which were criticized by protesters as unfairly labeling pro-Palestine demonstrations as extremist. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, pointed out the peaceful nature of the protest, comparing its arrest record favorably to that of average music festivals.
The protest, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw a broad coalition of individuals from various backgrounds, including celebrities like Welsh singer Charlotte Church and political figures such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Labour MP Apsana Begum. Church, who had faced accusations of antisemitism for a chant at a previous event, emphasized the rally’s message of peace and condemned governments’ support for what she referred to as an “apartheid regime.” The demonstration called attention to the human and particularly gendered impacts of the conflict, with echoes of support for both Palestinians and Israelis’ human rights.
Participants, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners, marched from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy, chanting for freedom and voicing their demands for an immediate end to the conflict. The event also served as a platform to highlight concern for the civilians, especially women and children, caught in the ongoing violence in Gaza.
The UK’s counter-extremism tsar had previously warned of the potential for London’s streets to become unwelcoming for Jewish people during pro-Palestine protests. Despite these concerns, leaders and participants in the demonstration emphasized its peaceful nature and the solidarity expressed for the suffering of Palestinian people, advocating for a ceasefire and an end to the violence.
