The march set off at 1pm and was led by the banners of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Palestine Forum in Britain, the Stop the War Coalition and Friends of Al-Aqsa.
The loud and lively delegation behind the Workers Revolutionary Party and Young Socialists banner kept up constant chants of ‘General Strike for Palestine!’ ‘Stop arming Israel, stop bombing Gaza!’ and ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free!’
The march arrived at Downing Street, where the chairman told the rally that it was a Day of Global Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners: ‘2,000 Palestinians are held indefinitely in administrative detention in Israeli prisons, including over 200 children.’
The first speaker was Apsana Begum, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, who was one of seven MPs suspended from the Labour Party for six months last week for voting against Keir Starmer’s breaking of the pledge to abolish the Tory two-child benefit cap. ‘The past week’s development marks the risk of dangerous escalation. We call for the recognition of the state of Palestine. Unlike the Tories we continue to see diversity as a strength our struggle for freedom our strengthening struggles everywhere.’
Independent Workers Party and French Assembly member, Gerard Lagaf told the rally: ‘President Macron continues to send arms to Israel. We must stop providing arms to Israel. As a member of the French Parliament and as a trade unionist I say we must stop supporting Israel. We must stop the genocide.’
Lejane Abdullah from the Palestine Forum of Britain said: ‘I promise you to always fight for the truth. We are the revolution. Our resistance is our existence. Outside Downing Street our message to the prime minister is, stop arming Israel!’
Alex Kenny chair of the Stop or the War Coalition, said: ‘70% of homes are destroyed in Gaza, 90% of schools are destroyed, 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, destroyed by arms from our government. This week Netanyahu brought the war to Lebanon. Violence in Britain this week is the physical manifestation of the Islamic Islamophobia which emanates from the media and the state. It must and will be defeated by us. We have to defeat it.’
Zeynab Hassan, one of the artists from the White Kite Collective who performed and read poetry throughout the afternoon, said: ‘The battlefront for the freedom of Palestine is not just in Palestine, it’s here and all round the world. The cultural front is vital. We are shifting the cultural landscape, ending the siege of Gaza. We defy the threats to blacklist us. We have to push on because we believe that art unifies the world’s working class.’
Mustafa De Burgh, of the Muslim Association of Britain said: ‘300 days of genocide and 40,000 Palestinians have been killed. This is not a conflict it’s a massacre, a genocide. For months we were told that Israel had the right to defend itself and to cut off food and fuel. Our government has now started to shift its position. It must comply with the international law and impose a complete arms embargo on Israel.’
Kate Hudson from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said: ‘On Thursday, the 300th day of the Gaza genocide, British foreign secretary Lammy demanded the release of the Israeli hostages. Polio and cholera are spreading throughout Gaza. People are suffering terrible insect bites. We demand a ceasefire and above all stop sending arms to Israel.’
Dr Ismail Patel from the Friends of Al-Aqsa, said: ‘Israel is bombing hospitals and refugee camps. It has broken every principle. The continuing assassination of Palestinian leadership will not benefit Israel. Assassinations will not work for them. Every time Israel assassinates a Palestinian leader 20 or 100 take their place. However, the UK still backs Israel. Keir Starmer has reneged on promises to end arms to Israel and to recognise the Palestinian state. We demand recognise Palestine now and end arms to Israel now. Racism and genocide is not acceptable, Israel is incredibly isolated. Palestine is going to be free, my friends.’
Julia Bird from the Jewish Socialists Group and the Jewish Bloc for Palestine, said: ‘This inhumanity is not being carried out in our name. We are anti-fascists and anti-racists. We are human beings who challenge Israel’s persecution of Palestine. We are internationalists not nationalists. We are a challenge to fascists and Zionism. Stop arming Israel. We will go on marching until Palestine is free.’
Martin Kavanagh, PCS President, said: ‘Our demand for a total permanent ceasefire is more important than ever. In Palestine we’ve seen over 15,000 children killed and we must commit to make our government support a free and independent Palestine. Providing arms for Israel is supporting genocide which is illegal. We will back our members who refuse to break the law.’
Liz Wheatley, chair of the international committee of Unison, said: ‘We tell the politicians we won’t stop our support for Palestine. We demand a ceasefire now. Stop the sale of arms to Israel and recognise the Palestinian state now. We support boycott and divestment. We welcome the fantastic student encampments movement. I look out here across Whitehall today and I see thousands of Palestinian flags. This is the London we want to see, a sea of Palestinian flags.’
Maryan Al Samya, Al Jazeera journalist, said: ‘I apologise that it is so late that an NUJ member has spoken to one of these London marches. The Zionists are not so slow. The fake stories of beheaded babies were out in days. We question why and how the British government is being used to support the targeting and assassination of the journalists in Gaza. We shouldn’t be helping the Israeli murderers. Starmer promised to recognise Palestine. Great Britain should do it now. You need to change the British policy now. 160 of our colleagues have been killed. Netanyahu, you beheaded my friend Ismail al-Ghoul this week. But you will never defeat us.’
Jess Barnard, Labour National Executive Committee member, said: ‘We will stand for Palestine and we will win. You turn a blind eye to the crimes of Israel and call us extremists! End arm sales to Israel now! This week, under the new Starmer government, the head of the British Army met with the IDF and pledged greater joint operations. I say to the Labour front bench, when will you end your complicity with genocide? Starmer, your excuses have run out. Recognise Palestine now! Stop arming Israel now!’
Ben Jamal, the Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign was the final speaker. He said: ‘On Thursday, when we passed 300 days of the genocide, Foreign Secretary Lammy tweeted “release the hostages”.
‘He did not mention 40,000 dead, he did not mention the mosques, the churches and the hospitals Israel has destroyed and the unknown thousands dead under the rubble, or the over 10,000 detained.
‘He did not mention torture endured by prisoners in Israeli jails as reported by the United Nations this week. If you grant Israel impunity they will kill, kill, and kill. The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh this week was a deliberate undermining of attempts to achieve a ceasefire.
‘We pledge ongoing resistance and international solidarity. Our public bodies will not stop supporting Israel until we force them to.
‘It has not been confirmed but I have heard today that the British government has instructed civil servants not to process any licences with Israel. We are making progress. Islington, King’s Cross and Waltham Forest have announced they are divesting from Israel. We have to expand the fight.
‘We will announce a date for the next national march shortly. It will be taking place in early September. Please bring people and make sure you come yourself, thank you.’