THERE were 125,000 workers, students and youth on Saturday’s 18th National March for Palestine through London, from Piccadilly to a quarter of a mile east of the Israeli embassy.
There were dozens of trade union banners on the march and other banners and placards along with thousands of Palestinian flags.
‘General strike for Palestine!’ demanded marchers behind the Workers Revolutionary Party and Young Socialists banner, along with ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine will be Free!’ and ‘Free Free Palestine!’
As the march was assembling, Natalie Jaffe, a worker from Brighton, said she would be joining this morning’s lobby of TUC at the Brighton Conference Centre.
She told News Line: ‘I’m joining Monday’s lobby of the TUC. We need a general strike against Israel’s genocide.
‘There should be a complete boycott of Israel – arms and everything no negotiation no compromise. But I don’t believe Starmer will ever do it. He’s got to be booted out.
‘As far as British foreign policy is concerned it is fully behind Israel. Britain is an imperialist country and imperialism must be overthrown.’
BMA member Dr Samia Mahmoud told News Line: ‘The doctors in Gaza are doing a really difficult job. They’ve been persecuted and targeted.
‘There’s been systematic bombing of the hospitals and complete destruction of the healthcare system there and yet they still work on. And now that Zionist state is targeting the West Bank as well and Netanyahu stood in front of a map showing no West Bank.
‘The trade unions have spoken at the end of most of the London marches. Trade union leaders like Mick Lynch and others have spoken out against the genocide.
‘The Zionist state wouldn’t be able to function without the support from the West, specifically America and Britain.
‘A 10% arms ban is not enough – it’s merely an admission of wrongdoing, there must be a complete arms ban and sanctions.’
Maria Shal, a filmmaker and writer from Chelsea, said: ‘I’ve been on all the marches. We must not become desensitised to genocide.
‘We need to stand united and bring in a total ban of arms. The 10% ban sheds light on Britain’s complicity in the genocide and the fact that it has taken so long is an absolute disgrace as thousands of lives have been lost, but there must be a total ban.
‘Strike action is necessary to support Palestine. The government is only interested in profit and power and striking will rock their boat. We are going to see a free and thriving Palestine. We must fight and ensure it happens now.’
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