Over a thousand protest against BBC's refusal to describe Hamas as 'terrorists'

An eclectic group of over a thousand people gathered outside the BBC’s headquarters in Oxford Circus on Monday night, protesting the organisation’s coverage of the ongoing war in Israel, and in particular their refusal to describe Hamas as terrorists.

The protest, organised by the National Jewish Assembly (NJA) was described by its chairman Gary Mond as being “a fantastic demonstration of support for Israel", amidst a very different crowd to those seen at the vigils last week in Whitehall.

In contrast to last week’s vigils, tonight’s demonstration seemed far less measured, as speakers were often drowned out by the anger of the crowd, armed with signs displaying the names of those abducted by Hamas, amidst a sea of Israeli flags and anti-BBC signs.

Although the event was officially intended as a protest against the BBC, with chants of “Shame on you” directed at the organisation, the rally featured a broad range of speakers, from former politicians to Iranian activists, protesting against their own government. As well as chants calling for the BBC to be defunded, other people voiced their support for the IDF.