Tens of thousands march for Palestine in London

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

London, UK – November 4, 2024 – On Saturday, 2 November, over 100,000 protesters took to the streets of London to demand an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Middle East. The massive crowd marched from central London to the US Embassy, calling on the UK government to immediately halt arms sales to Israel.

The demonstration was the 21st national protest for Palestine held in the UK capital. Protesters condemned the escalating violence and what they described as the “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza. Speakers decried Israel’s recent military incursions into northern Gaza, which have effectively blockaded the last remaining access points to the Jabalia refugee camp and led to intense airstrikes and shelling.

“We are here to make our voices heard and demand an end to this senseless violence,” said Rajonuddin Jalal, a member of the “Bengalis for Palestine” group that participated in the march. “The UK government must stop enabling Israel’s aggression by halting all arms sales immediately.”

Other Bengali community leaders, including Nooruddin Ahmed, Javed Akhtar, Ala Miah Azad, Lukman Uddin, Shofiq Ahmed, Jamala Ahmed Khan, Sheikh Noor, Ahmed Fokor Kamal, Nafis Ikbal Jamil, Nadira Huda, Farida Hassan, Sadia Osmani and Mofassel Ahmed Chowdhury amongst others joined the demonstration to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans condemning the occupation and calling for justice.

The massive turnout underscores the growing public pressure on the UK government to take a stronger stance against the conflict in the Middle East. Organisers vowed to continue organising demonstrations until a peaceful resolution is reached.