Tens of thousands of people gathered for pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the United Kingdom (UK), on Saturday, amid growing international concern over the situation in Israel and Gaza.
Marchers filled the streets of central London as thousands also gathered in Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and other parts of the UK.
Demonstrators carried flags and flares and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans as marchers heard calls for world leaders to condemn Israel’s actions.
It comes as thousands of Palestinians attempted a mass exodus from northern Gaza after Israel’s military told them to evacuate before an expected ground invasion.
The UN, human rights groups, and others have been among those expressing deep concern about the impact of Israeli action on civilians as the death toll continues to rise amid airstrikes and a siege on the territory.
The renewed violence came after an attack last week by Palestinian militant group Hamas left hundreds of Israeli civilians and soldiers dead.
More than 1,000 officers were deployed by the Metropolitan Police before Saturday’s demonstration in the capital, with police saying in advance that anyone showing support for Hamas may face arrest.
Certain areas of London were covered by a Section 60AA power, which requires a person to remove items that might be used to conceal their identity, such as masks, until the early evening.
As marchers arrived in the thoroughfare and made their way to a stage outside the prime minister’s Downing Street office, chants of “Rishi Sunak, shame on you” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” rang out among the crowd.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman earlier this week urged police chiefs to consider whether that pro-Palestine slogan could amount to an offence, while also suggesting that waving Palestinian flags could in some contexts be seen as illegitimate.
The Met confirmed that as of 5:30 pm, seven people at the demonstration had been arrested for a number of alleged offences including one person on suspicion of causing criminal damage.
“There have been small pockets of disorder; flares, bottles and fireworks have been thrown at police,” the force said in a post on social media.
Before the demonstration, the BBC’s headquarters in London was daubed in red paint as pro-Palestinian group of Palestine Action accused the broadcaster of having “blood on its hands” over its coverage.
The BBC has also faced criticism in recent days from senior ministers for maintaining its editorial stance not to describe Hamas militants as terrorists.
In Edinburgh, thousands of people staged an impromptu march to the Scottish Parliament, marching from The Mound, where the protest was held, and down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile before taking the knee in solidarity with Palestinians caught up in the conflict.
The UK government has been steadfast in its support of Israel, with ministers calling on police to use the “full force of the law” against shows of support for Hamas or bids to intimidate the UK’s Jewish community.
Amid concerns about the scale of the Israeli response, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that the country has “every right to defend itself” from Hamas attacks but stressed that civilian safety must be “paramount in our minds.”
But 12 aid agencies, including Oxfam, Action Against Hunger, and Action Aid, called on Sunak and Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, to use the UK’s influence to help bring an end to the violence.
