Pro-Palestine protesters goal Sir Keir Starmer’s workplace as 100 occasions happen throughout UK
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered exterior Sir Keir Starmer’s workplace in Camden, north London, as a part of 100 occasions going down throughout the UK calling for a direct ceasefire.
Crowds may very well be heard chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Keir Starmer’s a wasteman” as they blocked the street in Camden which led to his constituency workplace.
This comes after 56 Labour MPs defied their chief’s place of advocating for pauses in combating so they may help a ceasefire in a Commons vote.
Protesters in Parnell Square, Dublin, throughout a pro-Palestine rally, demanding a ceasefire within the Israel-Hamas battle
(Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
The march on Sir Keir’s workplace shaped a part of a day of nationwide motion on Saturday, with greater than 100 rallies going down throughout the UK as an alternative of a giant march in central London.
In Glasgow, politicians from the SNP, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens addressed a crowd of 18,000 individuals, with a lot of these attending writing their names on their arms as a logo of solidarity with the residents of Gaza.
Thousands additionally marched by the streets of Dublin in solidarity with the Palestinian individuals, with the protest starting on the Garden of Remembrance and marching throughout the River Liffey earlier than a sit-in on the Department of Foreign Affairs constructing, Iveagh House.
Meanwhile, protesters held sit-in protests at main UK prepare stations prompting elevated policing throughout railway networks, with 5 arrested at London Waterloo.
People participate in a Palestine Day of Action demonstration, exterior the workplace of Harrow East MP Bob Blackman
(Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
British Transport Police (BTP) deployed enhanced officer patrols in England, Scotland and Wales on Saturday, however footage shared on social media confirmed a small crowd sat on the ground in Manchester Victoria Station, whereas the drive confirmed one other group of round 25 had performed the identical at Leeds station shortly after 2pm.
Around 200 protestors gathered at London Bridge and had been dispersed by police, whereas round 100 had been faraway from Waterloo, with no prepare companies affected in both station.
A gaggle of protesters who had been faraway from the station then made their solution to Westminster Bridge the place they sat within the street earlier than shifting to Parliament Square, the Metropolitan Police stated.
Police officers take away pro-Palestinian protesters that took half in a sit-in demonstration at London’s Waterloo Station
(Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
The drive stated on X, previously Twitter: “We believe the group in Parliament Square is a mix of pro-Palestinian protesters and Just Stop Oil activists.
“We have arrested a prominent Just Stop Oil activist from within the group. We have a significant number of officers ready to respond if there is further disruption in the road.”
Over the course of the afternoon, 10 rallies occurred throughout the capital together with in Islington, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets. As a consequence, the Metropolitan Police stated {that a} “significant” policing operation was deliberate for the capital this weekend.
They stated they’d goal deployments in areas “with significant Jewish or Muslim communities”, which they stated “continue to experience increased uncertainty and fear in light of events in the Middle East and their impact here in London”.
People participate in a march and demonstration in Glasgow
(Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Previous weekends have seen hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters converging on the capital.
A spokeswoman for organisers Stop The War Coalition stated that Saturday’s day of motion comes forward of a nationwide demonstration deliberate for the next Saturday.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, stated the rallies had been organised to indicate that “ordinary people” help a ceasefire.
On Wednesday night, MPs voted 293 to 125, majority 168, to reject the SNP’s King’s Speech modification calling for “all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire”.
In a press release following the vote, Sir Keir stated he regretted that social gathering colleagues had not backed his place earlier than saying he was extra targeted on the plight of individuals in Gaza than managing the splits inside Labour.
Mr Starmer has known as for humanitarian pauses. He has argued {that a} ceasefire would enable Hamas to regroup and launch additional terror assaults on Israel.
Jess Phillips, the shadow minister for home violence and safeguarding, was amongst 10 frontbenchers who rebelled in opposition to his order.
