Hundreds of protesters in London have staged a sit-in on Westminster Bridge, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in the first big demonstration of the year.
Elsewhere on Saturday, there were protests in Belfast and Dublin.
The London protesters blocked off the bridge and the surrounding roads after a march from St James’s Park in the centre of the city.
The demonstration, organised by the Free Palestine Coalition, renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It also called for the UK to stop arms sales to Israel and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The group announced a meeting location – a drinking fountain in St James’s Park – at 10am on Saturday and protesters began to gather around midday.
The Metropolitan police made several arrests at the park, before protesters marched through Westminster and were then stopped by officers in Parliament Square, next to Big Ben.
Hundreds of the protesters joined a sit-in on the bridge, with some staging a die-in, laying down and refusing to leave. Protesters chanted: “One, two, three, four, occupation no more,” while clapping and shouting “free Palestine” and holding up flags and placards demanding the British government support Palestine.
.....continues...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/06/hundreds-block-off-westminster-bridge-in-call-for-gaza-ceasefire
Responses