Undeterred by the wind and rain of Storm Darragh, over 30,000 people, according to organisers, marched through central London today, protesting against the surge in antisemitism that has been seen across the UK since October 7.
Holding banners, Union Jacks and Israeli flags and amidst chants of “Stop the hate before it’s too late”, the cross-communal turnout, supported by allies primarily from the Hindu, Sikh, Iranian and Christian communities, marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Parliament Square, where several speakers addressed the crowd.
Giving an impassioned speech, Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which organised the march, said that “appeasement [had] become the doctrine of the day”.
The streets of central London were filled with people standing up against antisemitism
He said: “Our country is known around the world for its tolerance and decency. British justice is renowned as the benchmark that other nations aspire to.
“But over the past year, our country has betrayed those values. Extremism has been met not only with passive inaction, but active appeasement. This country once wrestled with appeasement, rejected it and taught the world a vital lesson in standing up for what is right.”
Gideon Falter, head of CAA, which organised the march
“…Look at the bitter fruits of appeasement that we are now reaping. Hundreds of thousands of people coursing through our streets week after week demanding intifada.”
Gideon said the marches had “stifled debate on our campuses, forced Parliament to change its proceedings out of fear for MPs’ safety, scared schoolchildren, forced Jews to hide their identity on public transport, intimidated us in our workplaces and even encroached into our hospitals”.
He said that “two governments have now dragged their feet on antisemitism since October 7th”, and that the fight against antisemitism “puts Jews on the frontlines of the battle for the future of the West. It is a long frontline with many flashpoints, but should any part of it fail, the entire defence fails".
The march received support from communal heads across the board
Also addressing the crowd was Lorin Khizran, a 27-year-old nurse from the Druze village of Yarka in the north of Israel.
On October 7, Khizran found herself working around the clock at Rambam Hospital’s surgical department in Haifa, treating the wounded from both Israel’s southern and northern borders.
Khizran, whose father is a general in the IDF and who, on October 7 “in Druze spirit, went straight to the south to be with his people”, said: “I come from a multicultural society in a state called Israel. I am here to educate students on campus about the real Israel, not the lies they are told.”
Describing herself as “a Zionist” who was “raised in a Zionist home”, Khizran, who is currently working with StandWithUs, said that the war in the Middle East was “not a fight between Jews and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians, but citizens who want to live in peace and those who want to return to the Dark Ages”.
She said that unlike some Jewish people who say they now felt vulnerable living in the UK, “Druze people have never felt like that in Israel. Israel is our home, and we are proud Zionists. Britain has to act against hate before it’s too late.”
Lorin Khizran, a nurse from the Druze village of Yarka in Israel, spoke at the rally
Hayley Ace, who co-founded Christian Action Against Antisemitism, also spoke, saying: “Someone once said: ‘The only history we repeat is history we don’t learn from.’ It seems that some people haven’t learnt from the Holocaust or the pogroms. We have to stand up and reach people who don’t realise that this ideology that’s coming for the Jews is coming to attack everyone…The quicker the government understands the threat, the better.”
Major Andrew Fox, a former Sandhurst academic and currently a research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, who has frequently shown his support for the Jewish community since October 7, warned of “the price of inaction, the cost of looking away”, saying that the resurgence of antisemitism “is not just about these weekly hate marches. It is a sign of something far more dangerous – a tolerance for intolerance.
“Antisemitism is not a problem for the Jewish community to solve alone. It is a stain on all of us – a threat to the freedoms and decency we hold dear. Britain’s tolerance must never mean appeasing the intolerant. This march is our way of saying: ‘Enough.’”
Fox called for stronger action against hate crimes, holding institutions accountable and pushing for education “that ensures the next generation understands the horrors of history and the lessons we must never forget”.
One of the many placards on the march
The final speaker was Mark Birbeck, the founder Our Fight, a campaigning pro-Israel organisation set up by non-Jews, which fights against antisemitism.
He recounted his surprise that on the evening of October 9, when he went along to a vigil held by Jews and Israelis outside the Israeli Embassy, he hadn’t found more non-Jewish supporters.
Birbeck sad: “My main message is that Britain, you need to understand that Israel is your ally. You need to understand that this fight against antisemitism and extremism is our fight. We need to fight against extremism before it’s too late.”
Many non-Jews took part in the march
Leading songs, including a powerful performance of Bring Him Home in tribute to the 101 hostages still in Gaza was cantor Steven Leas, and there was also a surprise appearance from Israeli rock icon Aviv Geffen, who, as well as singing one of his own numbers, also led the Hatikvah.
Israeli singer Aviv Geffen made a surprise appearance
Geffen said: “After the Manchester bombing, I marched with people in the UK to show my support. I hope that they march with us now.”
Following the rally, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Over the past year, antisemitic hate crime has quadrupled, and Jews are now the most targeted faith minority in the country, despite our minuscule numbers. The regular Palestine protests have unleashed a tidal wave of antisemitism that has left no part of our society unaffected. Jewish people feel like we’re drowning.
“The turnout today – in spite of the stormy weather – demonstrates how strongly British Jews feel and, quite frankly, how desperate we are.
“With extremism changing our country before our eyes, people have taken a stand today to uphold our country’s values and demand action to secure the future of Britain’s Jewish community. But time is running out.”
Responding to claims that the government hadn’t done enough to clamp down on antisemitism since October 7, a spokesperson for Number 10 referred to the recent meeting the Prime Minister had held with leaders of the Jewish community, where "[they] discussed the abhorrent rise of antisemitism in the UK, and how the government is working with the community to address these challenges. The Prime Minister committed to continuing engagement across departments."
Falter paid tribute to Jewish organisations across the board, including the Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies, UJIA, StandWithUs JNF and the main synagogue bodies, all of whom had shown their support for the march. He also thanked the police and CST for their support.
