Palestinian Coalition protest: Thousands march through central London to support Palestinians and demand action from British Government

The protest organised under the Palestine Coalition, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Stop The War, gathered at 1pm in Piccadilly near Green Park station before marching to Whitehall for a rally in the sunshine.

A smaller counter-protest, organised by the group Stop The Hate, waited in Coventry Street, near Piccadilly Circus.

The groups were separated by barriers and a marked area protected by police as they passed.

Pro-Palestine protesters marched holding signs and banners that read “stop arming Israel” and “open your eyes Keir, see what Israel is doing”.

The Met Police had imposed conditions under the Public Order Act on both protests meaning participants of the pro-Palestine demonstration could not assemble before 12pm and the procession had to remain on the set route.

In a statement, the Coalition for Palestine said: “The reasons for our protest are as urgent as ever. Right now, Israel is refusing to abide by the ceasefire agreement and is instead imposing collective punishment on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

“Last week, Israel reimposed a total blockade and has now cut off electricity to Gaza’s only operating water desalination plant – using the threat of starvation and water shortages to achieve its genocidal goals.

“Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza through drone strikes and sniper fire, including 2 Palestinians killed in the Shujaiya neighbourhood on Friday, while it escalates its violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“Our best response to this continuing attempt to suppress our movement by the police and pro-Israel groups is to refuse to be silenced and assemble in huge numbers. “

Ben Jamal, PSC Director, said: “The genocide in Gaza has not ended. It continues by other means – by blocking supplies which are essential to human life. Israel’s desire to ethnically cleanse and colonise Gaza has not disappeared, it remains a clear and present danger, which is now evident in the West Bank also. These are grave crimes in international law – genocide, ethnic cleansing, starvation, occupation – and Israel’s Prime Minister remains a fugitive from justice as he evades the warrant for arrest issued by the International Criminal Court.

In these circumstances we might expect that a democratic government that adheres to the rule of law would refuse to be complicit with these crimes and indeed to take active steps to end their commission. But shamefully the UK Government continues to believe it can be a key ally of Israel, providing military, diplomatic and financial support, whilst also pretending to abide by international law. This charade fools no one and MPs in Parliament that have called for a full scale inquiry into this country’s complicity in one of the greatest crimes of our time are right to do so.”