Around 5,000 people rallied outside the Israeli embassy in London on Saturday. Disgust and rage at the Labour government’s complicity in the terror state’s renewed slaughter in Gaza defined the protest.
“I have no words,” protester Sarah told Socialist Worker. “I would not call Keir Starmer my prime minister—and I didn’t, and never would, vote for Labour because of their stance on Palestine.”
Protester Nussrat told Socialist Worker, “I’m appalled at the system—I wouldn’t vote for Starmer. From the outset of the latest war he supported shutting down electricity.”
Another protester, Paul, said, “We’re seeing the lengths our government will go to defend Israel. Keir starmer said Israel is still not committing war crimes, and foreign secretary David Lammy told the truth and then rolled back.”
He added that Israel’s slaughter of hundreds of people in Gaza since last Tuesday “is simply the most recent barbaric instalment” of Zionism.
“For the movement to get liberation for Palestine, we simply have to escalated and start targeting everything that facilities this genocide,” he told Socialist Worker.
Some activists at the London rally were taking local action. Des from Wisbech told Socialist Worker, “We’ve been doing action into Peterborough with banners on the main road and banners drops.
“We do what we can to get people involved. Our government might pretend to give a shit but there will never be any substance to it. If it changed its position now it would reveal they’ve been complicit all along.”
Margery was at the protest with a Slough Trade Union Council banner. She told Socialist Worker, “I find the position of the government atrocious. I feel ashamed of the government and the BBC and the mainstream media.
“I saw the film that was taken down. Seeing the destruction in Gaza from the point of view of four children was heartbreaking—but still they took it down.”
As the rally grew, Zainab Kamal from the Palestinian Forum of Britain said, “We came here today, each of us carrying a fire within. Ignited by the tears and cries of parents over their children, ignited by a new ages of genocide.
“We rally today to make it clear that we will not be silent, we will not be complacent, we will not be complicit.
“We will not rest until this Israeli terrorist aggression ends and justice is revived. Until Palestine is free from the river to the sea we will not back down, we will not surrender, we will not bow.”
Lindsey German of Stop The War told that rally that Starmer is “surely the worst Labour leader ever in this country”.
“Even David Lammy could say Israel was breaking international law—the next day, Lammy was rebuked by Downing Street,” she said.
“We have Starmer, the biggest war monger in Europe now, cutting benefits for the disabled and the poorest people in the county. At the same time, he is spending more and more on weapons of war.”
Amira Nimerawi from the Health Workers for Palestine group said, “There are no words left—only action.
“Just because Israel has shown it has no red lines, it doesn’t mean we have none.
“As a movement today we are powerful—but as a movement that organises to do greater work, we are unbreakable.”
There is an urgent need to deepen the Palestine solidarity movement—and escalate action to stop all arms sales to Israel.
