29 October 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands of people once again held a massive pro-Palestine rally in the British capital on Saturday amid intensifying attacks on Gaza.
Chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, people gathered in Embankment and later held a march towards Parliament Square with Palestinian flags.
As the Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified, the protesters called for an immediate cease-fire, criticizing the British government for its support to Israel.
A huge Palestinian flag was carried by the protesters during the march.
Last Saturday, around 100,000 people marched through central London in a show of support for Palestinians.
Speaking to Anadolu, a protester named Patrick said he took part in the demonstration to support the people in Gaza.
The 73-year-old Irish protester said: “As an Irish person, I express solidarity with Palestinians because what’s happening in Gaza and Israel is similar to what happened in Ireland.”
Patrick went on to say that Oct 7 attacks in Israel don’t justify the bombardment of Gaza.
The main organizer of the rally, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said that half a million people attended today’s massive rally in the capital.
A huge crowd held a sit-in protest inside the central Waterloo Station while the rally continued.
Various groups, including Fossil Free London, Black Lives Matter, and British Jewish organizations like Na’amood, took part in the demonstration.
Waving Palestinian flags in solidarity with the people of Gaza, they chanted slogans, including “We are with you Palestine”, “We are with you Gaza,” and “We will not be moved.”
READ: London mayor calls for cease-fire amid ‘deteriorating situation’ in Gaza
Various pro-Palestinian demonstrations also took place across Scotland with the attendance of large crowds.
Gaza has been under relentless Israeli airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The Palestinian group had initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood — a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
Israel responded with an uninterrupted campaign of air raids, which intensified Friday night along with ground activities amid a complete blackout of telecommunications and internet networks.
At least 7,703 Palestinians, including 3,595 children, have been killed in the Israeli attacks, while the death toll in Israel stands at more than 1,400.
Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are also grappling with shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s blockade of the enclave. Only a few aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the opening of the Rafah crossing point last weekend.
The UN General Assembly late Friday approved a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce, but Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called it “despicable” and rejected it.
