Half a million march to Downing Street to urge Starmer to cut ties with Israel

An estimated 600,000 people marched through central London to Downing Street on Saturday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba.

The demonstration began at Embankment before passing Big Ben, crossing the river to Waterloo and ending up outside Downing Street.

It was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Compaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Muslim Association of Britain, Stop the War, the Palestinian Forum in Britain and other pro-Palestine groups. 

Protesters came from around the country, including from Wales and northern England. Stop the War said the demonstration was attended by an estimated 600,000 people, making it the biggest since November 2023.

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The Palestine Solidarity Campaign said the march was intended to "mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba and demand our government take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land".

The Nakba, or catastrophe, refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Zionist militias to make way for the creation of Israel in 1948.

Small counter-protest

A small contingent of pro-Israel protestors stood on the Strand at the north end of Waterloo Bridge, chanting: "Terror supporters off our streets". Indian flags were seen being waved alongside Israeli flags.

Outside Downing Street, the pro-Palestine marchers heard from several speakers, including MP Apsana Begum, Palestinian ambassador Hussam Zumlot and historian William Dalrymple.

Saturday's protest came as Israel continues its blockade on Gaza, now on day 77. Bombings have increased in the past week and the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 53,000 since 7 October 2023.

During the Nakba in 1948, Zionist forces killed thousands of Palestinians, destroyed hundreds of villages and forcibly expelled 80 percent of the Palestinian population from their homeland. 

After more than a year of relentless violence, the newly created State of Israel captured 78 percent of historic Palestine. 

The remaining 22 percent, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, were occupied by Israel 19 years later and remain under Israeli military rule. 

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