Thousands of protesters came together in central London on Saturday to demand a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas had been in place for two days, as of the march. It was the first such rally since Armistice Day, when more than 100 counter-protesters were taken into custody. Several arrests followed the Saturday event, many of them connected with alleged attempts to incite racial hatred, and the use of phrases that might be interpreted as promoting a prohibited organization.
The Metropolitan Police had announced its intention to print leaflets advising participants to avoid language and images that could be what is considered illegal. Recently, the department has been criticized for its handling of regular demonstrations, with politicians urging officers to take a stronger stance against alleged antisemitism. Around 1,500 police were reportedly deployed during the Saturday protest, with significant resources directed towards protecting war memorials, which have been the subject of recent incidents.
Participants marched through Whitehall, from Park Lane to Whitehall, carrying banners calling for a permanent ceasefire and pledging support for Palestine. The number of people who took part remains disputed, with the organizers saying around 100,000 turned up, and the police not giving an estimate.
The conflict continues, despite the ceasefire. The trigger for hostilities was Hamas’s unprecedented cross-border attack in Israel that resulted in the killing of 1,200 people. Hamas announced that it will delay the release of additional Israeli hostages, claiming that the aid deliveries for northern Gaza have breached the truce arrangement. This claim has been denied by Israeli sources
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