- Andre Roden-Paul at a protest by Louisa Pilbeam
- bbc news
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered at the start of the Marble Arch protest
Tens of thousands of people took part in a pro-Palestinian march in central London.
A march by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.
Saturday’s march was the first protest to take place near the Israeli embassy in west London since a static rally in October.
About 1,500 police have been deployed to crack down on the protests, which have so far been largely calm and peaceful.
However, in one incident, six people were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, and police announced that five other people had been arrested.
One on suspicion of supporting a banned organization, one on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, and one on suspicion of possessing what police say was an anti-Semitic placard, all with face coverings removed. Two people were arrested on suspicion of refusing to comply.
According to BBC News, tens of thousands of people took part at the start of the march on Marble Arch. Demonstrators said it was one of the most crowded marches they had ever participated in.
The PSC criticized the government and Labor for rejecting calls for an immediate ceasefire. Campaign group Ben Jamal said there was “increasing pressure from world leaders” on Israel.
“The moral imperative is clear: an immediate ceasefire is a simple and absolute necessity,” he said.
Approximately 1,500 police officers have been dispatched to maintain public order.
It was the first demonstration near the Israeli embassy since protests took place two days after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the British government.
Police limited the start time of the march so that events taking place at the synagogue ended before protesters passed in front of the building.
The march set off along Park Lane at around 13:30 GMT and proceeded along Knightsbridge and Kensington Road to near the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, where speeches were being held.
Demonstrators were told by police that the march must stop by 5pm and demonstrators must leave by 6pm.
They were kept behind a police-managed fence more than 100 meters from the embassy premises.
CDR Kyle Gordon appealed to marchers to abide by the law after his force had dealt with a number of offenses during previous protests, including placarding and hate speech.
Protests also occurred in Sydney and Istanbul.
After a wave of Hamas fighters broke through the Israeli border on October 7, killing around 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and taking around 250 people back to Gaza as hostages, Israel launched a military offensive. did.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 28,600 people, mainly women and children, had been killed in the Israeli operation. Israel says its aim is to destroy Hamas and secure the return of the hostages.
Israel has been asked not to send ground troops to Rafah, south of Gaza, or to the Egyptian border. Rafah is home to many Palestinians, with areas close to their hometowns affected by fighting.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a pause in fighting and a “sustainable ceasefire” to secure relief supplies and hostages.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the government supported “moving from a moratorium on accepting aid and rescuing hostages to a sustainable ceasefire that leads to a long-term political solution that includes a Palestinian state.” Ta.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer told BBC News on Saturday that “we all want a ceasefire” in Gaza, but stopped short of calling for an “immediate” ceasefire.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Sir Keir said: “We need to reach a ceasefire. We all want a ceasefire. The question is how to reach a ceasefire. The fighting must stop. The attacks must also stop.” If you get pushback, don’t allow it. ”