A professional-Palestinian demonstration is marching by way of central London, with protesters calling for an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza and an finish to the escalating battle within the Center East.
The group – regarded as a number of thousand sturdy – is marching from Russell Sq. to Whitehall, the place speeches will probably be given.
The occasion has been organised by teams together with the Palestine Solidarity Marketing campaign, with folks travelling from throughout the UK to participate.
It comes as a policing operation is in place throughout the capital, one yr after the 7 October assaults in Israel.
The Metropolitan Police mentioned it was arduous to precisely estimate turnout however the protest “seems to be better than different current protests”.
Folks might be seen carrying Palestinian flags and placards with message “ceasefire now” and “fingers off Lebanon”, and chanting “cease the bombing now”.
A counter-protest additionally passed off forcing police to kind a cordon between the 2 marches.
However a small group broke away from the pro-Palestinian protest and had been stopped attempting to method the counter-protest at Aldwych. Three folks had been arrested after officers intervened.
Situations had been imposed to maneuver the counter-protest group again to Trafalgar Sq. because it received “too near the primary march and effectively away from the agreed space”, police mentioned.
Two folks have additionally been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency employee.
Individually, pro-Palestinian supporters are strolling by way of the centre of Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon, a memorial occasion will happen in Hyde Park organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Management Council and different teams.
The struggle started when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October final yr, killing about 1,200 folks and taking 251 others as hostages.
Israel responded with a army marketing campaign in Gaza that has now killed at the least 41,825 folks, in line with the Hamas-run well being ministry.
