On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered in central London to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), was the 10th pro-Palestinian march in the capital since Israel began its campaign in Gaza in October. Singer Charlotte Church led the front of the march, stating that she had joined to “show solidarity” with Palestinians “for all that they are suffering through”. Former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was also in attendance.
The march took place from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy in Nine Elms. However, the Metropolitan Police Service had requested that the demonstration end by 17:00 GMT, and there was a large police presence at the scene. This comes after a week of controversy surrounding London’s recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The government’s counter-extremism commissioner declared the capital a “no-go zone for Jews” at weekends during the protests. Likewise, Mark Gardner, who leads the Community Security Trust, revealed that some Jewish people are opting to avoid central London altogether.
March organiser, Ben Jamal, calls this “disgraceful” and noted that protesters were “from all walks of life from many backgrounds”. The no-go zone comments further prompted legitimacy concerns for the protests. However, Jamal argues that the demonstrations have been overwhelmingly peaceful and that attendees have a right to voice their opinions. Meanwhile, the conflict in Gaza has claimed over 30,800 lives, with the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry claiming that at least 576,000 people now face catastrophic levels of food insecurity. The UN has warned that famine in Gaza is “almost inevitable
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