London: Largest-ever march for Gaza ceasefire

Christians gathered at St Peter's, Eaton Square

An estimated half a million people of all faiths and none, marched through London on Saturday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the violence in the West Bank - in the name of common humanity. Campaigners condemned government rhetoric which linked such protests to 'extremism' and denounced several Western governments' complicity with Israel's war crimes and collective punishment of the Palestinians.

The Christian bloc, with members from Pax Christi, Westminster Justice and Peace, and many Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and other denominations, priests, religious and lay parishioners, gathered at St Peter's Church in Eaton Square for prayers, before joining the main march from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in Nine Elms.

Revd Sam Fletcher from Christians for Palestine - UK, said: "As Christians, we cannot be silent in the face of an ongoing genocide in Gaza. We call on the UK Government and our church leaders use every means at their disposal to bring about an immediate ceasefire, an end to apartheid and occupation, and full freedom and equality for all people in the Holy Land."

Singer Charlotte Church was one of the all-female platform of speakers highlighting the suffering of women in Gaza on the day after International Women's Day. She said: "I am here today to call for an immediate ceasefire, to ask our government and governments all over the world to send as strong a message as we possibly can. But a strong, a peaceful, a loving message, that's what every single march that I've been on for Palestine has been about."

"There's been singing, there's been drumming, yes, there's been emotion but, in the majority, that emotion has been love, has been compassion, because that's why we're all here. We're all here because we cannot bear what we're witnessing. We cannot bear to see civilians, children, women slaughtered. We're also showing that we are absolutely not going to tolerate our government being a part of propping up an apartheid regime."

Ms Church closed the demonstration with a beautiful song of lamentation, honour and memorial in which she directed the crowd to sing the Welsh phrase Yma o Hyd ('still here') and the Arabic word sumud ('endurance, resilience' - a term used to describe Palestinian nonviolent everyday resistance against Israel's occupation).

Speaking to reporters at the march, Jeremy Corbyn said: "It's all very well for Joe Biden to say they're going to build a port to deliver aid. It would be far better if they stopped delivering arms to Israel and made sure there was a ceasefire."

Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: "71 per cent (of the UK public) support a ceasefire. From all parts of the community. Shame on the fearmongers. Shame on the right-wing conspiracies and Islamophobia. Children are starving to death. There is no anaesthesia. And our government is still selling weapons to the Israeli military."

Claudia Webbe, independent MP for Leicester East, said: "Israel is using starvation as a weapon for war. None of us are free until Palestine is free."

The veteran human rights campaigner and politician Peter Tatchell brought a banner which read: 'We are not extremist, a violent mob, anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas. We just want a ceasefire by Israel and Hamas to save ALL civilian lives, Palestinian and Israel.'

One group of demonstrators walked along with a huge scroll of painted birds and the names of children and infants who had been killed in Gaza - part of the Birds of Gaza memorial project.

Flags from around the world highlighted international solidarity. One man, dressed as a helmeted journalist in a flak jacket, waved a banner in homage to all the slain journalists: "the truth tellers of Palestine."

This was the first national demonstration since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed there had been "a shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality" since 7 October, in comments seen as a thinly veiled attack on pro-Palestine demonstrations.

Stop the War Coalition (STWC) convenor Lindsey German caught the mood of the crowd when she declared: "If an extremist is someone who cares about children dying, who cares about genocide, who wants a more equal world, who's fed up with the money spent on weapons of war, then I am proud to be an extremist!"

Sunak's comments were condemned by demonstrators. Sundari Anitha, 50, told The Guardian: "I am here to support Palestine, to call for an end to the genocide and to call out the double standards of our government. They are widening the concept of extremism to attack the right of people to protest. I'm here both to defend the rights of Palestinian people and also my freedom to criticise my government. We are just standing by and letting a whole population starve."

Nick Laws, 47, was equally critical of Sunak. He told The Guardian: "Who is he to tell me that I'm not allowed to be disgusted with innocent people being murdered. Keir Starmer is cut from the same cloth. He might make different noises but his reluctance to call murder 'murder' shows me everything about him I need to know."

He noted the different tone the government uses when discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He said: "The lack of empathy for the Gazan people compared to how the government reacted over Russia's invasion in Ukraine is just an absolute disgrace. To me, there is no choice but to come out and show our genuine disgust about how the government is dealing with this, which is not at all."

Gillian Mosley, marching with the Jewish Bloc for Palestine, said claims the capitol is a 'no-go' area are 'absurd'. "Obviously I'm surrounded by Jews," she said. "I also live in central London and have lots of Jewish neighbours, and none of us are scared."

David, another protester with the Jewish Bloc wore a banner around his neck that read: "Jews against Gaza genocide." He said: "There are thousands of Jews marching here today, and it is pretty safe for them and countless others who are marching against the genocide." He added: "Figures like him [Sunak] will always try to divide people. He did it with refugees and will probably do it against other vulnerable groups."

This was the tenth national demonstration for Palestine organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.