At least a 1/4 million people took part in a demonstration against Israel’s war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine
When I took the tube from Oxford Street to Marble Arch we were told to get out at Bond Street because Marble Arch was too crowded. So was Bond Street as the crowds inched forward to the demonstration.
Despite the unanimity of the Lying Press and BBC that 100,000 took part in the Palestine solidarity demonstration in London today it is clear that far larger numbers marched than last week.
I have been on more demonstrations than most people have had hot dinners and my own feeling was that between a quarter and half a million took part. Palestine Solidarity Campaign claimed 300,000 and that seems a reasonable estimate.
Despite the pressure from Britain’s racist Home Secretary Cruella Braverman for people who chanted ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free’ there was no attempt by the surly police from the Met to intervene.
Even the Police, thick as they are, would have difficulty construing a slogan in favour of a free Palestine as meaning the genocide of Jews as Braverman claims.
The march was not in support of Hamas or any other faction of the Palestinian resistance but in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israel’s genocidal bombing campaign that this government of war criminals and of course the pathetic Kid Starver supports.
Of course most people support resistance against Israel’s 17 year long siege of Gaza and the Apartheid State. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been declared ‘terrorists’ by this government despite the government’s support for the terrorist Israeli state.
It is clear that the Terrorism Act 2000, which was brought in to combat actual terrorism on the streets of Britain, is now being used to silence political debate. It is a total abuse of the legislation but Starmer, the ‘human rights lawyer’ is happy with that.
The demonstration would have been even bigger if some of Britain’s trade unions had told their members of the demonstration and campaigned for it. In particular the racist pro-imperialist General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, refused to publicise the demonstration.
My own branch and also the London & Eastern Region of Unite wrote to Graham protesting at her pro-Zionist, pro-imperialist attitude, see Skwawbox Exclusive: Unite members tell Graham ‘Follow union policy and start opposing murder of Palestinians’, Exclusive: Unite London/Eastern slams Graham’s silence and union’s inaction over Israeli war crimes and Video: huge crowd marches for justice for Palestinians
Below are some photographs and video which I took
Tony Greenstein
