In photos: Thousands gather in London in show of solidarity with Palestine
"We will keep marching," Ben Jamal, one of the organisers of the rally, says, adding attendees wanted "a permanent ceasefire" and more aid to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza.
A large number of people gathered in the British capital on Saturday to protest Israeli attacks and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. / Photo: AA
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have rallied in London, in the latest demonstration in the British capital demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and more aid for the territory under Israeli attacks.
The event on Saturday, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, began at Russell Square in the city centre before attendees marched to Trafalgar Square for a mid-afternoon rally.
A smaller number of demonstrators also turned out for a counter-protest in support of Israel, with lines of police separating the two gatherings.
Carrying Palestinian flags, the protesters called for an immediate ceasefire while harshly criticizing the British government's stance on Israel.
London has seen numerous large-scale pro-Palestinian protests since Israel waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza after an October 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.
The peaceful protests are a sign of solidarity with Palestine as Israeli attacks have killed more than 32,700 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, in addition to causing mass destruction, displacement and famine conditions.
However, some ruling Conservative lawmakers have branded the London rallies as "hate marches" that fuel a hostile environment towards Jewish people.
"Rishi Sunak, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide," was one of many slogans chanted by pro-Palestine protesters during the march that ended at the landmark Trafalgar Square.
'We will keep marching'
Organisers insist they are exercising their democratic rights and that law-breakers are a tiny minority of the sometimes tens of thousands of people who turned out.
Sally Worgan, 65, a retired social worker, had travelled from Gloucestershire in western England to attend.
"I think it's important for the Palestinian people to know that people do support them, that they're not just on their own," she told AFP news agency.
More than 32,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed by Israel in Gaza, in addition to mass destruction, displacement and famine conditions.
"We will keep marching," Ben Jamal, one of the organisers, told Sky News on Saturday, adding attendees wanted "a permanent ceasefire" and more aid to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza.
"We already know that 70 percent of the British public according to opinion polls support the demands that we're making."
Protesters from various anti-Israel Jewish groups were among the participants in the rally.
By mid-afternoon, London's Metropolitan Police said officers had arrested one man "on suspicion of a terrorism-related offence in relation to inviting support for a proscribed organisation".
The force had said in the build-up to Saturday that it had "a robust policing plan in place", including requiring marchers keep to a pre-approved route and disperse by 5:00 pm (1700 GMT).
"Anyone who fails to comply with the conditions will be dealt with by officers," the force had added on social media.
Thousands of protesters gathered in central Russell Square for the 11th national march in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 33,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since Oct.
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