‘Occupation no more’: Another huge pro-Palestine rally takes place in London
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather for a rally to show solidarity with Palestinians in London, United Kingdom on December 09, 2023 [Aysu Biçer – Anadolu Agency]
Another massive pro-Palestine demonstration took place in London, with tens of thousands of people calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, Anadolu Agency reports.
The march commenced at midday from Bank Junction and aims to culminate at Parliament Square.
The organizers of the rally are the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
An exclusion zone has been established to restrict protesters from assembling around the Israeli Embassy.
Prior to the march, the Metropolitan Police issued a cautionary statement, saying: “Conditions in place under Sec 12 of the Public Order Act require protesters to stick to the agreed route as shown in the map below.
“Further conditions are in place that mean speeches must end by 4 p.m. and the assembly at the end of the protest must end by 5 p.m. We will keep the need for further powers and conditions under review.”
This mobilization follows the recent decision by the UK to abstain from a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.
The resolution faced a veto from the US further intensifying the discourse surrounding the ongoing conflict.
Campaigners have criticized British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for his perceived failure to advocate for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, despite the growing death toll.
Protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and carried Palestinian flags and signs, some of which read “Occupation no more”; “Shame on you Rishi Sunak”; “From river to sea Palestine will be free”; “Freedom for Palestine”; “End Genocide” and “Ceasefire now.”
‘Viability of two-state solution rapidly decreasing’
“The problem is that the Israelis have talked about the state solution for decades, but they continue stealing Palestinian land and evicting Palestinians from their homes,” a protestor told Anadolu.
“The viability of the two-state solution is rapidly decreasing, and Israelis know that and the more honest Israelis will say they don’t want a two-state solution,” he added.
Another demonstrator said solidarity with Palestine should not be considered as “an attack” on any particular group, “but a call for a fair resolution that enables peace for all people in the region.”
“We reject the perpetuation of stereotypes and misinformation that undermine the Palestinian struggle for justice, and we stand here to amplify their voices in the face of adversity,” she added.
Previous weekends also witnessed the convergence of thousands of protesters and counter-protesters in the capital.
The issues at the core of the conflict have ignited passionate responses from various groups within the UK, contributing to the diverse range of perspectives on the matter.
SOURCE: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231209-occupation-no-more-another-huge-pro-palestine-rally-takes-place-in-london/