Thousands rally in London in solidarity with Palestinians

London, United Kingdom — AFP

Thousands of people rallied Saturday in central London for a pro-Palestinian protest despite police warnings that anyone showing support for Hamas could face arrest.

Attendees, who gathered near BBC News’ headquarters through the morning, began a march through the British capital ahead of an afternoon rally near parliament and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street office and residence.

Some displayed Palestinian flags and placards — bearing slogans including “freedom for Palestine”, “end the massacre” and “sanctions for Israel”.

“I think all just people around the world, not just in Britain, must stand up and call for this madness (to end),” Ismail Patel, chairman of the Friends of Al-Aqsa campaign, told journalists at the demonstration.

“Otherwise, in the next few days, (we) might see a catastrophe unfolding.”

Ahead of the London protest, the city’s Metropolitan Police Service said it would deploy more than 1,000 officers, as the events thousands of miles away reverberate in Britain and elsewhere.

The UK government has shown unilateral support for Israel and has warned protesting citizens against showing any solidarity with Hamas.

– ‘Message’ –

Officers in Sussex, southeast England, arrested a 22-year-old woman suspected of having made a speech backing Hamas.

Members or supporters of Hamas can be jailed for up to 14 years under UK law as the Palestinian resistance group is banned in Britain.

The Met said this week that general expressions of support for Palestinians, including flying the Palestinian flag, were not criminal offences but reiterated that supporting Hamas is a “crime.”

Ferouza Namaz, 34, a student from Uzbekistan, joined the London protest, arguing that civilians in Gaza are “absolutely innocent”.

“Just being Palestinian does not give the rights to kill them. These appalling atrocities have been taking place for so many years,” he added.

Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Britain, says that Israel’s response to Hamas’s attack was “dehumanising Palestinians” and unfairly blaming civilians for terrorism.

He attended the rally to send “a message of solidarity to the Palestinian people, and particularly today to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who are under bombardment, who are under siege with the cutting off of all food”.

Jamal noted that those present were also conveying a message to UK political leaders, who he accused of “giving permission for Israel to commit acts of war crime”.