Protesters marched from London’s Bank Junction to Parliament Square on Saturday, carrying signs reading “Ceasefire now,” “End genocide,” and the well-known Palestinian slogan: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Many voiced criticism toward the UK for abstaining from a UN Security Council resolution seeking an immediate Gaza ceasefire, a resolution vetoed by the United States.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN charter, a seldom-used measure, stating, “The people of Gaza are looking into the abyss.” This article permits the Secretary-General to alert the Security Council about matters that might threaten global peace and security.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 17,800 Palestinians, with more than 70 percent being women and children.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, and Friends of Al Aqsa were among the groups joining the London rally, attended by 100,000 according to organizers, while London Metropolitan Police estimated 40,000 attendees, as per local media reports.
The march proceeded without major incidents, adhering to strict police-set conditions that included an exclusion zone around the Israeli embassy to prevent assembly.
In a statement, the police reported 13 arrests, mostly for offensive placards. One woman was arrested for an alleged offense during a prior protest, identified through the police's Voyager CCTV monitoring team.
Another man, carrying a placard drawing parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany, was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense, according to the police.
Protests and solidarity marches have been ongoing in London and various cities globally since the Israeli war on Gaza began two months ago.