Thousands rally in London, New York in solidarity with Palestinians
Agencies Published October 15, 2023
People hold a demonstration in support of Palestinians in New York City.—AFP
LONDON: Thousands of people rallied on Saturday in London and other UK cities for pro-Palestinian protests, amid police warnings that anyone showing support for Hamas could face arrest.
Attendees, who marched through the heart of the British capital as well as Manchester in northern England, Edinburgh in Scotland and other cities, were shadowed by a heavy police presence. Some held Palestinian flags and placards — bearing slogans including “freedom for Palestine”, “end the massacre” and “sanctions for Israel” — as they made their way towards the end-point for planned speeches. Chants of “Rishi Sunak, shame on you” could be heard.
“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, said.
In New York City, thousands rallied to show solidarity with Palestinians and draw attention to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Demonstrations occurred in various city neighbourhoods on Friday, where participants echoed the call for “Free Palestine” and an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories.
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.
Police and the government have noted a spike in UK anti-Semitic crime and incidents while officers in Sussex, southeast England, arrested a 22-year-old woman suspected of having made a speech backing Hamas.
Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023
Agencies
LONDON: Thousands of people rallied on Saturday in London and other UK cities for pro-Palestinian protests, amid police warnings that anyone showing support for Hamas could face arrest.
Attendees, who marched through the heart of the British capital as well as Manchester in northern England, Edinburgh in Scotland and other cities, were shadowed by a heavy police presence. Some held Palestinian flags and placards — bearing slogans including “freedom for Palestine”, “end the massacre” and “sanctions for Israel” — as they made their way towards the end-point for planned speeches. Chants of “Rishi Sunak, shame on you” could be heard.
“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, said.
In New York City, thousands rallied to show solidarity with Palestinians and draw attention to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Demonstrations occurred in various city neighbourhoods on Friday, where participants echoed the call for “Free Palestine” and an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territories.
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.
Police and the government have noted a spike in UK anti-Semitic crime and incidents while officers in Sussex, southeast England, arrested a 22-year-old woman suspected of having made a speech backing Hamas.
Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023
Pro-Palestinian march draws thousands in London with protests across UK
REUTERSThousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets across the UK, including in London and Manchester.
In London more than 1,000 police officers were deployed as crowds marched from the BBC's New Broadcasting House to Downing Street.
The Met Police said 15 people had been arrested for offences including assaults on emergency workers and setting off fireworks in public places.
It comes a week after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel.
Fighters from the Palestinian militant group entered communities near the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,300 people, and took scores of hostages.
More than 2,200 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched retaliatory air strikes and a ground offensive is also expected.
In London at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstration, Palestine flags and supportive placards were waved as people chanted during the march to Downing Street.
The Met Police said as of 19:40 BST on Saturday the area around Trafalgar Square is clear and the main crowd from the march dispersed.
The force previously said there have been "small pockets of disorder" including flares, bottles and fireworks being thrown at police.
Police had earlier warned that anyone showing support for Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation, or deviating from the route, would face arrest.
REUTERS
Police appeared to detain several men in Trafalgar Square. One person allegedly threw an object at a police van at the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, near to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
He was chased by officers and caught whilst jumping into a fountain in the square, which sparked a confrontation between protesters and Met officers - with a semi-circle formed around the man.
After a video of a second man being detained in the Whitehall area began circulating on social media, the force confirmed he had been arrested but said it was "not for anything in connection to carrying the Union Flag".
In updates on arrests, the Metropolitan Police initially said seven people had been arrested during the protest, two for public order offences and one for criminal damage.
Certain areas of central London were covered by a Section 60AA power, which requires a person to remove items such as masks that might be used to conceal their identity, until 22:00 BST. Four of the seven arrests were made under these powers.
The force later said eight more people had been arrested in the evening over offences including assaults on emergency workers and setting off fireworks in a public place.
Protesters on the route to Westminster could also be heard chanting "Rishi Sunak, shame on you" and the slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free".
Earlier this week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman urged police chiefs to consider whether the slogan should be interpreted as an "expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world", possibly making it a "racially aggravated" public order offence in some contexts.
EPARallies took place in a number of UK cities including Liverpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Norwich, Coventry, Edinburgh and Swansea.
In Glasgow, thousands of people marched at an event organised by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Among those addressing the London gathering was former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He said British politicians should not condone Israel's bombing campaign.
Describing the march as a "day of solidarity", the now-independent MP said: "If you believe in international law, if you believe in human rights, then you must condemn what is happening now in Gaza by the Israeli army."
PA MEDIAThe London protest began at the BBC's headquarters in Portland Place, which was vandalised overnight with red paint splattered over the building's entrance.
In a social media post later on Saturday, activist group Palestine Action claimed responsibility for daubing the building in "blood red paint, symbolising their complicity in Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people through biased reporting".
The Metropolitan Police said it was "investigating an incident of criminal damage to a building in Portland Place, W1A".
"We are aware of a video posted online claiming responsibility and this will form part of our investigation," the force said, adding that no arrests had been made and its enquiries are ongoing.
The BBC declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the police.
REUTERSOn Friday Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told a press briefing there had been a "massive increase" in antisemitic incidents in London since the Hamas attacks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the rise "disgusting" and said that intimidating or threatening behaviour would be "met with the full force of the law".
He said Israel had "every right to defend itself" from Hamas attacks, but stressed that civilian safety must be "paramount in our minds".
Orly Goldschmidt, spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy to the UK, said Israel was not targeting civilians but told Times Radio: "There will be innocent people who will pay tragically with their life, but this is a state of war and we have to prevent anyone from harming us again."
"We have no quarrel with the Palestinian people. We are trying to protect ourselves from the Hamas barbaric organisation, which is exactly if not worse than Isis."
Gaza war: Thousands rally in UK cities in solidarity with Palestinians
The New Arab Staff & Agencies
14 October, 2023
Thousands of people across the UK took to the streets to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza, who have been relentlessly bombarded by Israel for a week.
Many across major UK cities protested in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza [Getty]
Thousands of people rallied on Saturday in London and other UK cities for pro-Palestinian demonstrations and solidarity with Gaza, amid police warnings that anyone showing support for Hamas could face arrest.
Demonstrators marching through the heart of the British capital were shadowed by a heavy police presence of more than 1,000 officers.
Similar rallies took place in Manchester in northern England, the Scottish capital Edinburgh and other cities.
In London, demonstrators massed neared BBC News' headquarters before an afternoon rally near Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office and residence.
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Parts of the entrance to the building in central London's Portland Place, where the rally started, were left splattered with red paint thrown by protesters from the Palestine Action group.
Some held Palestinian flags and placards - bearing slogans such as "Freedom for Palestine", "End the massacre" and "Sanctions for Israel". Chants of "Rishi Sunak, shame on you" could be heard.
"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 AFP at the demonstration in the capital.
"Otherwise, in the next few days, (we) might see a catastrophe unfolding."
The rallies come as Israel has been relentlessly pounding the Gaza Strip and deploying tens of thousands of soldiers nearby ahead of an expected ground offensive, while ordering residents of northern Gaza to evacuate southwards.
The order has been met by condemnation from rights group, due to the density of the Strip with hospitals collapsing.
Israel's war on Gaza, which has now entered its eight day, and killed at least 2,200 people, injuring over 8,700. Hundreds of thousands of people are currently displaced, by the entire territory is faced with a complete blockade, completely cutting off water, fuel and food.
'Message'
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.
On Saturday evening, they said in a statement that they had made seven arrests.
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, who is designated by the UK as a terrorist group, was a crime.
Ferouza Namaz, 34, a student from Uzbekistan, joined the London protest, stressing that civilians in Gaza were "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, which called the march, told AFP it was designed to send a message to politicians who, he said, had "given the green light to Israel to commit war crimes".
Israel insists it does not deliberately target civilians in the Gaza Strip or other Palestinian territories, however, over 2,000 have been killed in the besieged enclave along this week. In the West Bank, over 250 Palestinians have been killed this year.
Over 20 have been killed this week in the occupied territory, during Gaza demonstrations.
Jeremy Corbyn, ex-leader of the main opposition Labour party addressed the London rally.
"If you believe in international law, if you believe in human rights, then you must condemn what is happening now in Gaza by the Israeli army," the now-independent lawmaker said.
Scottish First Minister’s Mother-in-law Appeals for Help in Gaza
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf. (dpa)
Gaza: Asharq Al Awsat
10:26-14 October 2023 AD ـ 30 Rabi’ Al-Awwal 1445 AH
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf posted a video online Friday showing his mother-in-law in Gaza tearfully deploring Israel's order for residents in northern Gaza to evacuate their houses.
“This is Elizabeth El-Nakla. She is my mother-in-law... She, like the vast majority of people in Gaza, has nothing to do with Hamas. She has been told to leave Gaza but, like the rest of the population, is trapped with nowhere to go,” Yousaf posted on X platform.
"This will be my last video", al-Nakla said in a video that was published at the beginning of the Hamas-Israel war that started upon an attack by the Palestinian movement and other factions in Israel.
The retired nurse added "One million people -- no food, no water, and still, they are bombing them as they leave. Where are we going to put them? Where's humanity?"
The Israeli military called on Friday morning on all the residents of Gaza to evacuate their houses and head south in order to protect themselves.
The UN condemned this move and “Hamas” rejected it, on the seventh day of the war.
During an emotional interview with Sky News, Yousaf cried when discussing how "powerless and helpless" he felt about the situation.
He also accused the UK government of failing to help, saying he wrote to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and was "angry" and "disappointed" to receive no reply. "He was in Israel and could have picked up the phone for me," said Yousaf.
Since announcing that his wife’s family was besieged in Gaza, no communication was made with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
In a separate interview with the BBC, the Scottish leader said that Israel was "going too far" with its response to the “Hamas” attack.
"Collective punishment cannot be justified," said Yousaf, adding that innocent people were "paying an extraordinary price for those atrocious attacks that they have nothing to do with".
Wales joins Scotland in refusing to fly Israeli flag
The New Arab Staff
13 October, 2023
Wales joins Scotland in refusing to fly the Israeli flag on their parliament building, citing solidarity with suffering Palestinians and emphasising peace as the ultimate solution amid recent conflict
The Welsh parliament first officer said that peace was the only solution for Israel and Palestine [Getty]
Wales has refused to fly the Israeli flag outside the Welsh Parliament, joining Scotland which took the same stance rejecting a show of solidarity with Israel.
The Welsh parliament's presiding officer Elin Jones said the Israeli flag must not be flown when Palestinians were suffering.
Jones said the "brutality inflicted on the people of Israel by Hamas" was "abhorrent" but said peace was the only real solution.
The Welsh Parliament has flown the flag of Ukraine since Russia's invasion of the country in February 2022 and has lit up the building in the flag's colours at night.
Earlier this week, Scotland also said it was rejecting a request to fly the Israeli flag.
"The [Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body] considered the request and approval was not given," an SPCB spokesperson said.
The Conservative Party government which runs the UK has asked government buildings to fly an Israeli flag until Friday if they are able to do so.
However, protesters removed Israeli flags flying above two South Yorkshire town halls this week.
Footage shared on social media showed a man on the roof of Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, removing the banner and replacing it with a Palestinian flag.
The flag outside Rotherham Town Hall was also "forcibly" removed, the council said.
A snap YouGov survey of 2,453 adults across the UK, conducted on 11 October, found that only 11 percent of people "strongly support" flying the Israeli flag on government buildings, while 20 percent said they "somewhat support" it.
On the other end of the scale, four in ten UK adults (39%) opposed flying the Israeli flag on government buildings. One in five (19%) "strongly oppose" the idea, while a similar number (20%) "somewhat oppose" it.
Protesters climb Sheffield town hall to remove Israeli flag
It came after Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel from the besieged Gaza Strip, attacking Israeli settlements and army bases on the border. The attack resulted in the death of over 1,300 Israelis.
In response, Israel has launched a relentless and indiscriminate bombing campaign and imposed a total siege of the strip, killing over 1,750 Palestinians, including at least 500 children, and wounding more than 6,350 people.
The UN has said there was "clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed" by Israel and Hamas.
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