In Glasgow, thousands of individuals attended a rally calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, demanding an end to the ongoing hostilities. The protest took place in the east end of the city at Glasgow Green and was part of a series of demonstrations held across Scottish cities and towns in solidarity with Palestine. The Scottish government is expected to lead a debate on the situation next week, following an inaction on the part of MPs in Westminster to negotiate a ceasefire. The SNP motion for an immediate ceasefire, introduced on Wednesday, was defeated by 125 votes to 294.
First Minister Humza Yousaf, who has been very vocal about his support for a truce, said that MPs who did not back an immediate ceasefire were “on the wrong side of history,” and he was “beyond angry” at their decision. Yousaf had recently been reunited with his in-laws from Palestine after they returned to Scotland after being trapped in Gaza for four weeks. Rabbi Pete Tobias from Scotland believed these gatherings were partisan and could even be characterized as confrontational and dangerous.
The Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee organized the pro-Palestinian event, and the organizers estimated around 18,000 protesters showed up to support them, despite the challenging weather. The protesters were encouraged to write their names on their arms as a symbol of their solidarity with Gaza’s besieged population. Sammy Stein, who chairs Glasgow Friends of Israel, said his group advocates for peace and backs both the Israeli and Palestinian people. On Friday, hundreds of school walkouts were organized by the Stop the War Coalition as part of a campaign for Palestine.
In an interview with CBS news, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was trying to minimize civilian casualties, but had not succeeded due to Hamas. According to Hamas’ health ministry, over 11,500 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7th, 2021. Meanwhile, in a similar move to Glasgow, rallies were held in Aberdeen in the UK and another in Oxford, with similar protests calling for an end to the fighting across the UK
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