‘We gather at the gravest of times’

AT LEAST 150,000 Palestine solidarity protesters took to the streets of central London on Saturday to repeat their call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to arms sales to Israel.

This was the 22nd national protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), CND, the Stop the War Coalition, the Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al Aqsa and the Palestine Forum in Britain.

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas staged an attack on October 7 2023, during which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

Israel’s invasion has now killed over 44,000 people, more than half of them women and children, with aid groups warning that the death toll is likely to be far higher.

The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

Opening the rally outside Downing Street, PSC chair Louise Regan reminded protesters that “we gather at the gravest of times,” as the death toll in Gaza continued to rise with women and children making up the majority of those killed.

“British complicity and its refusal to end all arms sales to the Israelis is a disgrace.”

Palestinian ambassador to Britain Husam Zomlot thanked protesters “for continuing to turn out to these national demonstrations to demand justice for the Palestinians.

“Your voices matter more than they want you to believe.”

Ambassador Zomlot welcomed the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant.

“These war criminals must be arrested. Their place is behind bars. Arrest them!”

The ambassador said that the people who have taken away the homeland, lives and liberty of the Palestinian people “must be held to account,” and Israel’s backers “must also bear responsibility” for what is taking place.

Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson accused the Israelis of deliberately targeting children.

“Enough is enough,” she said, “no more mealy-mouthed words from the government. They must end arms sales to Israel.”

Stop the War Coalition deputy president Andrew Murray called the killings taking place in Gaza “a crime of the ages.”

He said the Israeli prime minister “and his gang of criminals must be held to account for the slaughter.”

Mr Murray accused the Labour government of refusing “to spend money to keep children out of poverty but [being] willing to find money for arms to Israel.”

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn also warned those countries that continued to supply weapons to Israel may find “the long arm of international law will extend to you too.”

Mustapha al-Dabbagh of the Muslim Association of Britain demanded an end to the “genocide” in Gaza and the treatment of “Palestinian lives as disposal.”

Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, a prominent anti-zionist activist speaking on behalf of the demonstration’s Jewish bloc, called what was happening in Gaza a “war of extermination of children and newborn babies,” and called for a boycott of Israeli goods and services.

Renowned actor Juliet Stevenson, a long-time advocate for Palestinians, described the silence of many artists and cultural organisations as “deafening.”

“What is the point of the arts if not to address the great issues of our times? It’s time to speak out! If you have a voice — use it!”

Star of TV mini-series The Crown actor Khalid Abdullah said that over 14 months we have seen “more lifeless babies pulled out from the rubble. More children waking up to a world in which they have been orphaned, recognising no-one. More children running after their bleeding parents, or hugging their graves.

“How can it be that after 14 months, we are still here?”

He added: “The world knows — so this is the world we have to change.”