‘Free, Free Palestine! Palestine will be free from the river to the sea!’ shouted demonstrators at a 400-strong picket and vigil opposite Downing Street on Saturday evening.
A number of the demonstrators joined Reclaim the Right to Protest protesters directly outside the gates of Downing Street and were met by a heavy police presence.
Earlier, Reclaim the Right to Protest activists had carried out sit-downs in Whitehall, blocking traffic.
There was a large police presence with riot vans parked in Whitehall and side-streets.
A number of very heavy-handed arrests were made, and peace protester Brian Haw was dragged off by the police.
News Line witnessed one man being dragged out of the line of protesters in front of the Downing Street gates by three or four police.
Then two or three others jumped on him, holding him face down in the road before dragging him upright and marching him off to a police van.
Meanwhile, across the road demonstrators carried on with their peaceful protest and chanting, holding placards saying ‘End Gaza Siege’, ‘End the Occupation’, and ‘Free Palestine’.
News Line interviewed several of the participants.
Palestinian Khaled Mubasaat, now a UK citizen, said: ‘I’m surprised that for a peaceful demonstration the police acted in that way.
‘I’m here to support the lifting of the siege on Gaza and the Palestinians in general.
‘Bush’s talk of peace was for local consumption to please the Arab leaders.
‘The Zionists have tortured and killed Palestinians because they want them to leave Palestine.
‘They want a Palestine without people so they can bring illegal immigrants from all over the world to take the Palestinians’ place.
‘I would urge the British people to support the Palestinian people, especially as the British government opened the door to the Zionist occupation of Palestine without giving the Palestinian people the right to live even in a small piece of Palestine.
‘They want the Palestinians to have no control of the the borders, security, economy – nothing.
‘The only thing they want is for the Palestinian National Authority to finish the freedom fighters.’
Leila Jamaa added: ‘I’m half Palestinian, living in Kent. I’m here to protest and to try to free Palestine.
‘The Israelis are stopping a lot of medical aid to Palestine, especially to Gaza.
‘They are turning off the electricity power whenever they feel like it. This is causing severe poverty in Gaza.
‘The trade unions in Britain should take action, they should try and do something.
‘Palestinians need to get their land back. They have to continue the Intifada.
‘Palestinians will win, we hope.’
Student Tahira Kassamali said: ‘I’m here to demonstrate to end the Israeli occupation.
‘It’s disgusting what is happening with the Israeli air strikes and the siege on Gaza.
‘The occupation has to be put on embargo and the sanctions on Gaza lifted.
‘Blair and Brown are Bush’s poodles. America is behind the brutality; it supplies Israel with weapons and money.
‘The British and American workers should boycott Israel, stop buying Zionist goods.’
As the protest turned into a candlelight vigil, a delegation handed in a letter to 10, Downing Street.
One of the delegation, Ziad Aloul of the Palestine Forum in Britain, told News Line afterwards: ‘We are asking the British government to end the siege on Gaza.
‘Since June, 1.8 million people living in Gaza have been under siege – not allowed to travel, not to go to work.
‘There is no movement – of goods, water, fuel, medical supplies.
‘There is a shortage of all the basic needs for a human being.’
Chair of the Palestine Forum, Dr Hafez Al Karmi, added: ‘This demonstration is to say to the British public and the UK prime minister that they should do something to end the siege on Gaza and support the Palestinian people.’
Office worker Georgina Reeves was present with her young son.
She said: ‘I’m here because I believe in a world that is for everyone.
‘I used to live in Palestine and I understand very well what the Gazans are suffering and the level of oppression they have to bear.
‘I support a trade union boycott of Israel because that’s what the Palestinians want.’
Brenda Heard, director of Friends of Lebanon, told News Line: ‘We support the Palestinians and their right to a homeland.
‘The present situation is deplorable.
‘If the general public were aware of the conditions which Gazans are living under, the public would denounce the Israeli siege of Gaza.
‘They did the same to Lebanon, and that’s why the Lebanese people support the Palestinians so strongly.
‘Bush is preparing another Middle East war. That’s unacceptable and it’s up to working people to stop them.’
Ruth Penne said: ‘I was born in Israel. I’m against the Zionist state and there are many of us here in London who are against the occupation of Palestine.
‘I’m a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians. We are against the politics of Israel.
‘I’m also a member of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods.
‘There should be a trade union boycott of Israeli goods.
‘If the unions do something, that will be a much wider movement, which is what we need.
‘It will help impact on government policy.’
Hajer Nacer, an Algerian student living in the UK, said: ‘I’m here to add my voice to everyone else’s, to end the siege on Gaza.
‘It’s my duty, being Arab and for humanity.
‘People in Gaza don’t even have food to eat any more or medication.
‘Workers and youth in Britain should add their voice to ours to talk to the people in control to make a difference.
‘The Palestinians have to continue the resistance.’
