Thousands march in London in support of Gaza, one year after October 7

Thousands of people gathered in London this Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to violence in the Gaza Strip. This demonstration brought together Londoners as well as important political figures, in a movement of solidarity with the Palestinians and the Lebanese affected by the conflict. “Stop the bombings”, “Free, free Palestine” and “Stop bombing hospitals” were among the most popular slogans chanted by the demonstrators who marched peacefully.

Political figures at the head of the procession

The procession, which marched through the streets of the center of the British capital to pay tribute to those killed on October 7, included among its ranks prominent political figures, such as Jérémy Corbyn, former leader of the Labor Party today independent, as well as Humza Yousaf, former Scottish Prime Minister. They joined demonstrators waving Palestinian and Lebanese flags, demanding an end to bombings and a cessation of hostilities in the region.

Sophia Thomson, a 27-year-old protester, expressed the urgency of a ceasefire, emphasizing the scale of the human losses: “How many innocent Palestinians or Lebanese must still die?” She also questioned the British government’s position, saying the massive presence of protesters showed the government was not acting according to the will of the people.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was also the target of slogans, with some accusing him of complicity in the violent events in Gaza, with placards proclaiming “Starmer has blood on his hands”.

A year of violence and tensions

Since the Hamas attack, which cost the lives of 1,205 people in Israel, a brutal war has broken out in the Gaza Strip. In response, the Israeli army launched an offensive that left at least 41,825 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to data provided by the Hamas Ministry of Health. The situation has also worsened in Lebanon, where Israel has intensified its military operations in the south of the country, a stronghold of Hezbollah, a Shiite movement supported by Iran.

London was not the only capital to host such a mobilization: Dublin, Ireland, also saw a pro-Gaza demonstration take place this Saturday. In London, the authorities announced on Friday the establishment of a reinforced police force to supervise the various demonstrations, in particular that in memory of the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, scheduled for this Sunday.

These demonstrations reflect growing discontent with the violence and a pressing demand for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which remains, for the moment, uncertain.