ARRIVING for a rally in Whitehall outside Downing Street, the marchers were told that this was the 37th National Demonstration for Palestine since the launch of the genocide.
A speaker from the Muslim Association of Britain said: ‘We are beyond the two-state solution. We will only accept complete liberation. We demand that Palestine, Congo and Sudan are free.’
John McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington MP, told the rally: ‘We want to see Israel totally economically and politically isolated.
‘We are also campaigning to secure the release of the the prisoners jailed for supporting Palestine and the de-proscription of Palestine Action.’
Lindsey German, from the Stop the War Coalition, said: ‘If we are right, as Miliband says, then drop the charges against Palestine Action supporters and stop arming Israel.
‘We have record rearmament programmes underway and they want us to pay for their wars.
‘On 20th November there is an international demonstration against conscription and I’m asking everyone to be on it.’
Coventry South MP Zara Sultana said: ‘After three years of genocide over 74,000 have been killed. You can’t claim you oppose genocide while supporting military relations with Israel.
‘The Israeli Embassy must be shut and the ambassador expelled.
‘In this country those demanding action against genocide are arrested as terrorists.
‘Let me be clear, Zionism is racism. Our movement fights all racism, including anti-Semitism.’
Dr Ismael Patel, Director of Friends of Al-Aqsa, said: ‘Gaza will not be erased. Whole neighbourhoods have been erased. We have not yet freed Palestine.
‘Although more countries all over the world have recognised Palestine, the killing continues.
‘We will boycott, we will march, we will organise, we will free Palestine.’
Yasmeen Alam, from the Muslim Association of Britain, said: ‘After three years of slaughter a ceasefire is supposed to mean the killing has stopped.
‘But every day more people are killed. This is the largest anti-genocide movement in history. We march because we cannot give up.
‘When we fight for Gaza we fight genocide in every country.’
Young Palestinian Hala Hamima spoke wearing a beautiful embroidered white dress, saying: ‘This dress was made for my wedding which was just days before the genocide began. I haven’t worn this dress since that time.
‘I wear it today for the doctors and nurses, the families and the children in their tens of thousands who have been killed and injured.
‘We existed before Israel. Zionism is the campaign to erase us. The root cause of our suffering is Zionism. Racism is the least way to describe the horrors we have suffered.
‘They say now is not the right time to say that Zionism is racism. We will keep marching and keep campaigning.’
Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, said: ‘Israel is at war with ,,100,000 targets in neighbouring countries. This is a rogue state of the first order.
‘Ed Miliband admitted that we were right. He also said he believed in international law – if so, accept genocide is taking place, stop relations with Israel, stop arresting opponents of genocide.
‘We are standing with the victims of genocide. After all the killing, we are more determined than ever. This is a global movement and we are never going away.’
Sukaina Rajwani, the mother of Fatema Zainab, one of the Filton 25, said: ‘The Filton 25 are individuals who are on trial for seeking to stop the flow of arms to the Israeli genocide.
‘Sniper drones are designed to shoot babies in the heads as they breastfeed.
‘Their Israeli operators see them as video games. Pro-Palestine protesters are criminalised.’
Robert Andrews of the Global Alliance for Palestine, said: ‘We are honoured to be here on the side of truth and humanity.
‘The hundreds of thousands in London here today are alongside the millions on the streets in other cities around the world.
‘Let’s keep fighting for a free, free Palestine.’
Dora Fidler, from the Jewish bloc, said: ‘The Nakba never ended. Now sea-view apartments in occupied Palestine are being offered on property websites in Britain.
‘All the properties being sold, whether from 1948, from 1967 or from 2026, it’s stolen land.
‘We in the Jewish Bloc know only too well what happens when people look away from genocide.
‘We have to demand stop arming Israel. Full sanctions now! Free Palestine!’
Khalid Abdalla, actor and Equity member, said: ‘When Ed Miliband stood on a stage and told us we were right, after the deaths of 74,000, but we all know the figure is higher, the question for us today is, how to look at the world.
‘Being told you are right is only important as a presage to change. The reason we are here is to stop the killing. Stop trying to continue as if nothing has happened.
‘To honour the holocaust means building a world of equal rights for everyone. The movement for a free Palestine is changing the world.’
Zainab Kamal, of the Red Ribbons Campaign, said: ‘Ours is a campaign that refuses to forget the 9,400 Palestinian hostages in Israeli prisons.
‘Thousands are held without charge or trial, including hundreds of children and dozens of women.
‘Behind these prison walls degradations are being inflicted on them which no hostage should be made to endure.
‘We are so deeply alarmed by Israel’s new death penalty. We demand immediate regular access. We are tired of British inaction.
‘We demand that the UK applies meaningful pressure. Release those arbitrarily detained. No Parliament should be complicit.’
Chris Nineham, from Stop the War, said: ‘Today they arrested people for simply wearing a face covering. They are arresting us because they know we are winning.
‘Look at the reports spreading across Europe. The movement is making progress. We have to demand anti-protest laws are reversed and the charges against Palestine Action supporters and against the Palestine Solidarity Campaign are dropped.’
Sophie Bolt, from CND, said: ‘For three years we have stood firm and we have been vindicated. We will keep protesting.
‘This winter 1.4 million in Gaza are facing death by hunger. Trump is threatening another war of bombing in Iran.
‘We welcome the removal of the bombers from the UK. Remove all US personnel too. Close RAF Mildenhall and RAF Akrotiri. Close them down!’
Dr Omar Abdel-Mannan said: ‘Many doctors, nurses and paramedics have been targeted and killed in the Gaza genocide, 300 are languishing in Israeli jails. We are not scared. We will not be silenced and we are not going anywhere.
‘Here in the UK there is a movement against the Israeli-run Palantir. Palantir holds our patients’ most intimate details. Object to your data being processed by Palantir. Palantir out of our NHS! Free the Palestinian medics! Free Palestine!’
Andrea Egan, Unison general secretary, said: ‘After Miliband’s announcement, the government must go much further. They must recognise the genocide.
‘There must be a full suspension of arms, trade and military relations with Israel.
‘Unison will lead from the front on Palestine. Unison members know what is happening in Palestine. Their fellow nurses in Palestine are targeted. That’s why it’s a trade union matter.’
Yasmin Ahasan, from the Palestinian Youth Movement, said: ‘Zionism is a threat to humanity and that is not up for debate.
‘It burns and destroys homes, schools and hospitals and we will put a stop to it.
‘They think we will go away but we won’t. We are fighting and we are going to win.
‘Zionism is racism and it’s going to be defeated.’
Aimee Shalan, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: ‘Instead of fighting to end the genocide our government continues to seek to shield Israel from being held to account for it.
‘They have tried to make support for Palestine a hate crime, but we refused to be intimidated.
‘We demand full sanctions on Israel now and an end to British complicity.’