AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Thousands of pro-Palestine activists from across the UK have marched on Downing Street to mark the International Quds Day.
On Sunday, they joined millions of other demonstrators engaging in similar action all across the globe with the aim of empowering the Palestinian cause and condemning Zionism as the political ideology which is endeavoring to forcefully evict Palestinians from their historic homeland.
Initiated by the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the International Quds Day is an annual event held on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan. However, in recent years, this day has come under attack from critics, including European lawmakers who wish to see the event banned.
Pro-Israel activists say the march is anti-semitic, an accusation dismissed by organizers and attendees, including anti-Zionist religious Jews.
According to reports, German authorities have banned the rally for the third consecutive year, which was due to be held in Berlin on April 15.
Efforts to ban the procession here in London have so far proved fruitless. Many attendees believe the march is the last true free speech platform to criticize Israel and the ideology behind it. Something, which is rarely done elsewhere.
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