Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters have staged a fresh march against the Israeli regime in the British capital city of London, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
The demonstration, which was organized by UK-based advocacy and Palestine action groups on Saturday, was one of the biggest pro-Palestinian marches held in London. The procession followed the main roads in central London to reach the Israeli embassy.
The protests were in response to the call for a second Global Action Day for Gaza, demanding world leaders take immediate action to stop the killings of civilians and allow the unconditional entrance of aid.
Demonstrators held placards reading, “Ceasefire Now”, “Free Palestine”, and “Stop the Genocide”, as per order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was also spotted at the pro-Palestinian march in London.
Around 1,500 police officers have been patrolling the area and are said to be keeping marchers away from the Israeli embassy, nearby to the route.
The British law enforcement agency said a demonstrator who was seen in the crowd with a placard was arrested for inciting racial hatred. Officers then made 10 further arrests during an incident at Hyde Park Corner, bringing the total number of detentions to 11.
The Met police said “there will be some who ask why” a decision to allow the protest so close to the embassy was allowed but that it is a “common misconception” that forces can allow or refuse permission for a protest to take place.
There must be “a real risk of serious disorder” sufficient for police to request that the Home Secretary ban the protest, which the Met said was not expected on Saturday.
A number of further restrictions are being implemented by police during the protest. Protesters will be kept more than 100m away from the embassy grounds, behind barriers controlled by officers, and face arrest if they do not do so.
Meanwhile, similar marches were also held in other major cities across Europe calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement released by the coalition of organizers of the pro-Palestine protests, they condemned the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on the Palestinians trapped in the besieged enclave.
“Over 1.7 million Gazans have been forcibly displaced from their homes, more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 100,000 injured, in what the ICJ has accepted as a plausible case of genocide.”
“Despite the ICJ calling on Israel to stop genocidal acts, the Israeli Government has made clear it intends to proceed with a full-scale military assault on Rafah,” it added, referring to Israeli plans to launch a large-scale invasion of the southern Gaza town of Rafah where the majority of displaced Gazans are gathered.
