London: More than 100,000 march for peace in Holy Land

Christian bloc in Mouth Street Gardens

More than 100,000 people took part in last Saturday's National March for Palestine in London.

The Christian Bloc gathered in Mount Street Gardens next to Farm Street Church for ecumenical prayers, Taize chants and intercessions written by Palestinian Christians, before setting out to Park Lane to join the march through London to Parliament.

The group included Catholic, Anglican and Methodist clergy and religious, members of the London Catholic Worker, Pax Christi, Christian CND and Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace.

Weaving their way through the heart of London towards parliament, the Christians marched alongside the Muslim and Jewish bloc, calling for: Ceasefire now; End to the occupation; End to the Apartheid; End to arms sales to Israel; Boycott, divestment and sanctions and Support the ICJ rulings.

A small counter-protest known as 'Enough is Enough' took place at Piccadilly Circus, with protesters waving Israeli flags and holding placards of Israeli hostages.

A group of Holocaust survivors sat at the side of the protest with placards in support of the Palestinian protesters reading: "Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide."

At the end of the march, various speakers, including former Labour and now Independent MP Apsana Begum and the chair of Young Labour, Jess Barnard, addressed the crowds from a stage outside Parliament.

Ms Begum said: "For ourselves, for each other, for our diverse communities across the UK and for the men, women and children of Gaza and all those facing oppression all around the world, solidarity."

Ms Barnard said: "Starmer we don't want excuses, we don't want delay, we don't want you to say you're different from the Tories, we want you to smash the Tory legacy of complicity in Israeli war crimes. We want action. No more delay, no more excuses."

Four arrests were made during the march. The Metropolitan Police said one arrest was made for directing a Nazi salute towards a counter-protester. A second was made for a placard suspected of supporting a proscribed organisation. Two further arrests were made for having an offensive placard.

John Sloboda, from Christians for Palestine told ICN: "It was really noticeable how peaceful the march and rally was, with lots of song and comradeship. The 'confrontation' with a small group of Israeli flag-wavers was marked simply by people singing even louder.

"It was also noticeable how low-key the policing was, and how the marchers were enabled to mingle with tourists and passers by. The police know that these marches are exactly what they claim to be: demonstrations of peaceful solidarity with the Palestinian people, attended by people representing the full diversity of our society in age, ethnicity, and religion."

For more information about Christians For Palestine, see: https://christiansforpalestine.com/
Check ICN's Listings page for details of future events.