Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine campaigners took to the streets of London on Saturday in what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. According to reports, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) was joined by five other groups, gathered in Whitehall at Saturday noon before marching towards the US embassy in Nine Elms Lane, where speeches were delivered.
The protest, closely monitored by police, resulted in eight arrests for charges including criminal damage, support for a proscribed organization, and breaching protest conditions. Among those detained was a 79-year-old man accused of performing a Nazi salute at counter-protesters.
The demonstration followed a controversial proposal by former US President Donald Trump earlier this month, in which he suggested that the United States consider taking control of the Gaza Strip, envisioning its transformation into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Protesters carried banners reading, “Hands off Gaza,” “Stand up to Trump,” and “Mr Trump, Canada is not your 51st state. Gaza is not your 52nd.”
Outside the US embassy, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed the crowd, urging global resistance to Trump’s proposal. “The whole world” must reject the plan, he said.
A counter-protest by the group Stop The Hate took place along the march route at Grosvenor Road and Vauxhall Bridge. Authorities set up barriers and designated areas to prevent direct confrontation between the two sides.
This march marked the 24th major pro-Palestine demonstration in the UK since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, an assault that resulted in around 1,200 deaths, primarily civilians, and saw approximately 250 people taken hostage. On the same day as the London protest, Hamas released three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as part of a fragile ceasefire deal.
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