Over 10,000 anti-Israel protesters marched through central London on Saturday in a demonstration that featured “intifada” chants, support for Yemeni pirates and placards displaying antisemitic conspiracy theories.
One banner declared “the BBC is an arm of the Zionist propaganda machine”, while another stated: “Our media, TV, radio and government are controlled by Zionists.”
Between 10,000 and 20,000 marched through London’s West End to Whitehall, where speeches were delivered.
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Some demonstrators called for an immediate ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, outside the gates of Downing Street and near The Cenotaph, calls for intifada as the “only solution” could be heard and leaflets featuring Iranian leader Ali Khamenei were distributed.
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The Metropolitan Police said officers arrested a woman on suspicion of setting off a smoke bomb or flare, while another was arrested for chanting slogans “that may incite racial hatred.”
Posters equated Zionism with Nazism and depicted UK and American leaders as Adolf Hitler. Other posters portrayed Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely as demonic.
Support for Yemen’s Houthis, who have been attacking international shipping in recent weeks, was present throughout the march.
A placard accused the “ruthless, brutal, and heartless” Zionists of controlling the media and government, while another said the UK government “does not govern for UK citizens, it governs for Zionists”.
One cardboard poster read “keep the world clean” alongside an illustration of an Israeli flag on a bin.
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Organisers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said it was the “eight national march held for the Palestinian people” since the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped some 240, of which half still remain in captivity.
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Hundreds of police officers with additional dispersal powers were deployed. In the lead up to Saturday’s demonstration the Metropolitan Police said they would deal with anyone who “crossed the line”.
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Earlier this week the Met also denied a request from organisers to have a second stage, saying the rights of protesters must be balanced with the rights of others, and the “scale and frequency of marchers is causing serious disruption to many Londoners.”
Two Labour MPs, Apsana Begum and Zarah Sultana, spoke at the protest and a number of trade unions including the NEU, RMT and UCU were represented.
