Jeremy Corbyn led protesters in London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza today – with 20,000 joining the march despite organisers claiming ‘hundreds of thousands’ would be demonstrating.
The former Labour Party leader was seen at the front of the protest surrounded by signs calling for peace before he made a speech imploring Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire.
Mr Corbyn said: ‘We march because we believe; we march because the Palestinian people want and need our support.
‘If we don’t get a ceasefire here, the war goes on…we are the voice for peace.’
Meanwhile, protesters brought a large effigy of the current Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, with the words ‘Starmer for genocide’ written on its forehead.
Sir Keir was previously called a ‘genocide enabler’ and accused of having blood on his hands after he and other politicians refused to back calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) led protesters in London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza today
The former Labour Party leader was seen at the front of the march surrounded by signs calling for a ceasefire
Mr Corbyn marched through the crowds before giving a speech imploring Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire in Gaza
Protesters made their feelings known about Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer by creating an effigy of him
The effigy of Sir Keir had the words ‘Starmer for genocide’ written on its forehead
Mr Corbyn gave a speech to the crowds imploring Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire
Today’s London march was the first since the International Court of Justice scolded Israel for its strikes on areas of Gaza heavily populated by civilians, following a claim by South Africa that Israel is perpetrating genocide – an accusation it denies.
Organisers from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) had predicted ‘hundreds of thousands’ of people to attend the march, which set off at noon from Portland Place in Marylebone.
The Met says it made a number of arrests after one marcher was accused of setting off a suspected smoke bomb or flare, while another was handcuffed for allegedly chanting slogans that could incite racial hatred.
Scotland Yard has dispatched hundreds of additional officers to the streets for the protests, and said on Saturday: ‘The vast majority of those joining protests have done so in a lawful and peaceful way but a minority have broken the law and arrests have been made.’
It says ‘anyone crossing the line today should expect to be dealt with swiftly…(including) anyone who carries placards and banners, or makes statements, that may be a religious or racially aggravated offence’.
In a video message the senior officer running the operation vowed the force would not tolerate hate or inexcusable behaviour.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward said in a clip posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I know that these protests can be incredibly disruptive to businesses, to residents, to people trying to travel through central London.
Mr Corbyn said: ‘We march because we believe; we march because the Palestinian people want and need our support’
Keir Starmer attends the Memorial Service for former Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd at St Margaret’s Church last month
Protesters have gathered in Whitehall outside Downing Street to hear speeches from the likes of Jeremy Corbyn on Gaza
The protesters gathered on Portland Place before marching down Regent Street towards Westminster
This is the eighth national ‘day of action’ calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
Protesters with their faces painted in the colours of the Palestinian flag listen to speeches on Whitehall
A man wearing a Rishi Sunak mask and a prisoner’s uniform during the march in London
Protesters are marching through London in the first major pro-Palestine action since the International Court of Justice called on Israel to minimise civilian casualties
Protesters march down Regent Street heading for Westminster as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza
A woman with a megaphone rallies pro-Palestine activists as they march through London
Pro-Palestine protesters continue to claim that Israel is perpetrating genocide – a claim the country has strongly rebuked
Pro-Palestine protesters gathered in London’s Portland Place ahead of the march to Whitehall
The parade is winding its way through central London and will end on Whitehall, where speeches will be made
‘But I want to reassure you that the majority of protesters will be peaceful and we’ve got an extensive operation with hundreds of officers working to make sure that anybody who tries to cause any difficulties is dealt with swiftly and effectively.’
While the PSC had said ‘hundreds of thousands (were) expected in London’, the Met estimated around 20,000 people were taking part, according to a post the force made on X.
Protesters carried banners reading ‘Freedom for Palestine’ and ‘End the Occupation’ as they marched down Regent Street, where police stood at the side of the roads outside shops.
Some carried signs in the shape of watermelons – in deference to the fruit’s use as a symbol of Palestinian resistance to the early years of Israeli occupation, when the displaying of Palestinian flags was banned.
The procession took in Oxford Circus – which was closed to traffic for around 30 minutes as the march began – Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Cockspur Street and Trafalgar Square before advancing down Whitehall.
The road outside Downing Street was initially off-limits to protesters after the Met refused to allow the march to proceed down the road while negotiating with organisers – but the force later capitulated and allowed the full route to go ahead.
Officers were seen guarding the Cenotaph, which was surrounded by waist-high metal fences.
Speakers including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and RMT general secretary Mick Lynch are making speeches to the crowd imploring Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to call for a ceasefire.
The Metropolitan Police has said the ‘majority of protesters will be peaceful’ – but vowed to crack down on any disruptive actors ‘swiftly and effectively’
Protestors march down Regent Street during the ‘Ceasefire Now Stop The Genocide In Gaza’ national UK demonstration on Saturday
Around 10,000 people are belived to be taking part in today’s march, according to the Met
A woman with a face mask holds a ‘watermelon’ sign calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – the fruit is sometimes used as a symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s occupation of the territories
Protestors hold signs reading ‘rom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ – a controversial slogan among some who feel it calls for the displacement of Israel
Pro-Palestinian protesters hold up banners, flags and placards during a demonstration in London on Saturday February 3
Piers Corbyn is pictured during a pro-Palestine march in central London today, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Pro-Palestinian protesters hold up banners, flags and placards during a demonstration in London on Saturday
A man holds a sign reading ‘Over 9000 children killed. Stop genocide. End apartheid’ during a protest in London today
Union boss Mr Lynch told the crowds: ‘You have come out time and again to put your arms around the Palestinian people, to show your love and solidarity.
‘History will judge us. Where were you in this period? Who did you support?
‘We will keep going until we have peace in Palestine, peace in the region.’
The Met has ordered speeches to end by 5pm and for the crowds to disperse within half an hour following that time.
It has been handing leaflets to protesters advising them to ‘keep on the right side of the law’, with guidance on how to ‘avoid ending up in our cells’ through the displaying of offensive signs or those that advocate for ‘acts of terrorism’.
DAC Ward has also authorised a Section 60AA order that permits officers to ask for face coverings to be removed if they suspect they are being used in order to conceal an individual’s identity.
But the force has rubbished a claim from the Stop the War Coalition that it serves as a ‘ban’ on face coverings; the use of such orders does not extend to religious face coverings such as burqas, or to those wearing masks for medical reasons.
It said on X: ‘This legislation is not a ban. It only applies if officers believe a face covering is being worn to conceal identity. It does not apply to religious face coverings and we will always be conscious of the medically vulnerable.’
Stop the War had said: ‘Apart from the fact that this has not been raised at any of our meetings (with police), this is a gross violation of civil liberties.’
As with previous marches, protesters are banned from entering the area of Kensington Palace Gardens and Kensington Road outside the Israeli Embassy.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, accused Israel of committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza with its near-ceaseless shelling of the occupied territory since Hamas terrorists brutally killed 1,200 Israelis on October 7.
He said of today’s protest: ‘We have been marching and protesting in our hundreds of thousands for more than three months warning … (that) Israel’s actions demonstrate a genocidal intent.
‘Israel has so far killed more than 27,000 Palestinian men, women and children. How long will our political leaders continue to aid and provide cover for genocide?
‘We will march to Whitehall to bring our message home to Downing Street – the UK must end its complicity in Israel’s genocide and demand a ceasefire now.’
Protests also took place in Cardiff, Edinburgh and in Newcastle, where protesters gathered outside the factory of weapons firm Rafael, which is headquartered in Israel.
South Wales Police said of the Cardiff procession: ‘We are aware of the protest in central Cardiff today.
‘We have a visible police presence in the city as officers work to ensure that visitors can go about their business safely. We are engaging with those involved and assisting in facilitating lawful, peaceful protest.’
Protesters march towards the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh during a simultaneous march in the Scottish capital
Activists gathered outside Holyrood to echo calls for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas
Thousands attended the Edinburgh demo, which took in Princes Street and the Royal Mile before advancing onto parliament
Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Rafael weapons factory in Newcastle on Saturday as part of the national ‘day of action’
Activists held a banner with the faces of Sir Keir Starmer, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak outside the arms manufacturer
Activists stand with Palestinian flags outside the Newcastle factory of Israeli weapons firm Rafael
This is the eighth Day of Action for Palestine since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, organised by a coalition of organisations including Stop the War, Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ‘destroy’ Hamas in response to the October 7 attacks. Israel has carried out strikes and deployed troops throughout the Gaza Strip almost endlessly since October, save for mediated breaks in the conflict to allow for the exchange of hostages.
Last week, the International Court of Justice demanded that Israel do all it can to reduce civilian casualties after South Africa lodged a case alleging genocide.
It has also told the state to avoid taking any actions that could fall under the UN’s definition of genocide, which defines the act as killing, seriously harming or deliberately seeking to bring about the end of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, including by preventing births.
In a ruling that covered most of what the African country had asked for, the 17-judge panel also called for Israel to facilitate the ongoing delivery of aid to the 1.4million Gazans that had been displaced by the war.
But Mr Netanyahu fired back, calling the fact that the court was willing to discuss the genocide charges a ‘mark of shame that will not be erased for generations’ as he vowed to press ahead with the war.
He said: ‘Like every country, Israel has the basic right to defend itself. The court in the Hague rightfully rejected the outrageous request to take that away from us.’
‘We will continue to do what is necessary to defend our country and defend our people.’
Despite this, the Associated Press reports that Hamas-sanctioned police officers are started to appear on the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza City again, suggesting the terror enclave is far from defeated.
Civil servants are also believed to be resuming duties in makeshift offices, as the group’s bureaucratic arm attempts to resume public services that it has been operating since taking power in 2007.
Hamas is also studying a proposed ceasefire deal that would see fighting halt in Gaza so further prisoner exchanges can be made with Israel.
But a call by the group’s top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, for the IDF’s military operations to ‘completely end’ in Gaza and for troops to withdraw has already been rejected by Israel.
The UN estimates that more than 69,000 buildings in Gaza – nearly one third of all structures in the territory – had been destroyed or moderately damaged in the months since the war began.
Earlier this week, Britain said future funding for a UN relief agency that helps Palestinians hinges on the outcome of inquiries into allegations that staff took part in the October 7 attack.
Smoke rises from an explosion in northern Gaza after an Israeli missile strike on January 31
A Palestinian girl stands in a doorway in Rafah on February 3 after a building was hit by an Israeli shell
A woman cries as she sifts through rubble of a destroyed house in Rafah following Israeli bombardment
Hamas terrorists burst into Israel on October 7 and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians
Satellite photographs from 2019 (left) and now (right) show the devastation caused in Gaza by months of Israeli shelling following Hamas’ terror attack on October 7
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ‘destroy’ Hamas, maintaining that Israel has a right to defend itself
The International Court of Justice has called on Israel to do all it can to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza (pictured making its ruling last week)
Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is ‘critical’ to delivering humanitarian aid into Gaza and the region, but added the UK is ‘appalled’ by the allegations of agency staff being involved in the atrocities.
The UK joined the US, Australia, Italy and other countries in pausing funding for UNRWA after it sacked a number of staff accused of taking part in the October attack.
The funding pause has sparked concerns about the impact the decision will have on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the Israeli bombardment continues.
The row over funding for UNRWA comes amid rising tension in the Middle East after a drone attack on Sunday killed three US troops and injured dozens more in north-eastern Jordan, near the Syrian border.
Several opposition MPs have pressed the UK Government to suspend arms sales to Israel following an interim ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza in a genocide case filed by South Africa, but it demanded that Israel tries to contain death and damage in its military offensive.