AhlulBayt News Agency: An estimated 350,000 people flooded the streets of central London on Saturday in one of the largest demonstrations for Palestine to date, demanding an immediate end to Israel’s war on Gaza, justice for Palestinian victims, and a halt to Israel’s wider aggression across the Middle East.
The march began at 12 noon from Russell Square, stretching all the way to Whitehall. It came as horrifying reports emerged that more than 200 Palestinians were killed in the last 48 hours alone, the vast majority gunned down as they approached the US-led aid point in southern Gaza, where the Israeli Occupation Forces opened fire on civilians desperately seeking food. Eyewitnesses describe it as a massacre, adding to a death toll that has already surpassed 55,000.
In a powerful speech on behalf of the Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), Abdulrahman Tamimi addressed the crowd:
“They lied to us about Gaza, and now they dare lie to us about Iran? Same lies, same agenda, same blood-soaked arrogance.
… This is not a war. This is not a conflict. This is a genocide. They are bombing homes, schools, and even aid distribution centers.
… Israel is the spoiled brat of the West, and no one has the guts to stop them.
… Zionism is destruction. It is colonialism. It is apartheid. But do not despair. We will see the borders, the walls, the fences go down. The Israeli flag will go down, and the Palestinian flag will go up.”
The demonstration sent a clear message of outrage not only over the Gaza genocide, but also over Israel’s recent airstrikes against Iran, which have escalated tensions in an already volatile region. Protesters condemned UK complicity and Western silence in the face of what many now describe as a series of Israeli wars across the Middle East.
The list of speakers included Members of Parliament, trade union leaders, medical professionals, and voices from frontline communities. Among them was Dr. Mohammad Taher, a British-Iraqi surgeon who recently returned from Gaza. He described the situation in Gaza’s hospitals as “apocalyptic,” echoing the widely documented fact that the healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, with makeshift surgeries conducted without anaesthetic, and children dying from wounds that could have been treated with basic resources.
The protest was organised by a wide coalition including PFB, PSC, MAB, CND, FOA, and Stop the War Coalition, all united in calling for:
● An immediate ceasefire in Gaza
● An end to the Israeli war against Iran
● An end to arms sales to Israel
● Justice for victims and accountability for war crimes
● An end to UK and US complicity in Israel’s military actions
This march once again affirmed the growing momentum of the Palestine solidarity movement in the UK, a movement refusing to be silent in the face of genocide, occupation, and imperial war-making.
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