LONDON: Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday, with police making 12 arrests for alleged offenses including inciting racial hatred and assaulting emergency workers.
The demonstrators gathered at Park Lane in the center of the British capital holding banners demanding a “ceasefire now” while chanting “free Palestine.”
“People are very, very concerned that there’s going to be a disaster piled upon an already existing disaster in Rafah,” John Rees, from Stop the War Coalition, told AFP.
“What I hope is that we can avert this tragedy being made permanent.”
London’s Metropolitan Police said 12 people had been arrested, including two for displaying anti-Semitic placards.
“A man was seen in the crowd with an anti-Semitic placard. When officers went in to arrest him they were assaulted, resulting in six arrests,” the force posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Two other people were arrested for refusing to remove face coverings when required to do so, while another person was arrested on suspicion of support for a proscribed organization in relation to a placard.
Pro-Palestinian marches have become a regular feature on Saturdays in London ever since Israel mounted its military response to Hamas’ unprecedented attack on October 7.
The attack resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Militants also took about 250 people hostage, 130 of whom are still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 28,858 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Thousands join pro-Palestinian march in London, 12 arrests
https://arab.news/2c9wm
Thousands join pro-Palestinian march in London, 12 arrests
- The demonstrators gathered at Park Lane in the center of the British capital holding banners demanding a “ceasefire now” while chanting “free Palestine”
- London’s Metropolitan Police said 12 people had been arrested, including two for displaying anti-Semitic placards
Three more UK pro-Palestinian activists end hunger strike
- The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws
LONDON: Three detained pro-Palestinian activists awaiting trial in the UK have ended their hunger strike after 73 days, a campaign group said.
The three began “refeeding” on Wednesday, Prisoners for Palestine said in a statement late on Wednesday.
The decision leaves just one person still on hunger strike who started six days ago, it confirmed to AFP. Four others called off their hunger strike earlier.
The detainees are due to stand trial for alleged break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the Palestine Action campaign group before it was banned under anti-terrorism laws.
They deny the charges.
The group, aged 20-31, launched their hunger strike in November in protest at their treatment and called for their release from prison on bail as they await trial.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously said in parliament that all “rules and procedures” were being followed in their cases.
His government outlawed Palestine Action in July after activists, protesting the war in Gaza, broke into a UK air force base and caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) of damage.
Some of those on hunger strike are charged in relation to that incident.
The inmates’ demands included that the government lift its Palestine Action ban and close an Israel-linked defense firm.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori challenged the ban last July, and High Court judges are expected to rule at a later date on whether to uphold the prohibition.
