London: Many thousands march for peace in the Holy Land

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters once again walked peacefully through central London to the British Parliament on Saturday, calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and the ethnic cleansing West Bank and for the British government to halt arms exports to Israel.

Christians of all denominations - among them Catholics, Anglicans, Quakers and Methodists - gathered in Bloomsbury Square Gardens for peace prayers, led by Pax Christi, before joining the march. We sang the Taize chant 'Oh Lord Hear Our Prayer' before setting out, alongside the huge Jewish bloc - which included members of Na'amod, Jews for Justice for Palestine, the International Anti-Zionist Network and many others.

As we blended in with the main march we were soon walking alongside Muslim groups, trade unionists, sports teams: 'Spurs Fans Against Apartheid' , Celtic Fans for the Liberation of Palestine', 'Gardeners for Peace' , actors, families with children, people in wheelchairs, the young and old. Two young men from Kilkenny proudly carried a long pole waving an Irish and Palestinian flag.

Many carried placards with pictures and names of children who have been killed, the words: 'Israel wake up. Rejoin humanity!' - 'Only Justice can bring Peace in Israel and Palestine', 'Stop the Genocide', 'Peace in the Holy Land', 'Two mothers are killed every hour, and a child every 15 minutes.'

We walked along the Embankment and eventually reached Whitehall - which was completely packed with demonstrators from Westminster to Trafalgar Square. A series of speakers and performers there included Michael Rosen, US Amazon organiser Chris Smalls, George the Poet, Juliet Stephenson, TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust, CWU General Secretary Dave Ward, and Palestine ambassador Husam Zomlot.

Actress Juliet Stevenson said: "I'm just here because the situation is so desperate, for everybody in the region but for the people of Gaza suffering beyond the realms of what anybody could imagine, with injury death, disease, starvation. We're watching an entire people being tortured and I can't sit at home. I abhor the events that took place on 7 October but what's happened since is catastrophic and barbaric and I think for everybody living in the region the whole thing is a disaster. Including for the Israelis. It will not serve them for this terrible war to go on. They'll be living in fear for generations. The hatred and the anger will go on for generations Its just catastrophic. I think this war is being waged by a few people in power whose interests it would seem to serve but not for ordinary people. And its just heartbreaking. My husband is Jewish and I profoundly respect and understand the needs of the Jewish community to feel safe but this march today is not about anti-Semitism. It's about anti war. Its about pro-life. Anti-violence."

Pax Christi member Ann Farr said: "There is a shameful lack of humanity in those who could have stopped this months ago, and who could stop it now, but prefer to continue selling the arms that make these deaths possible, and to support the genocide and ethnic cleansing."

Elsewhere - around the UK and around the world in this weekend - in towns and cities, colleges and universities - many thousands more once again took part in other demonstrations, all crying out for a ceasefire, an end to the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

For information about further peace events, vigils and marches - see the ICN Justice & Peace and Listings pages.