Over 100, 000 people of all backgrounds marched through London May 15 in solidarity and sorrow against the Israeli state’s carnage in Gaza but most compelling and hopeful were the thousands of young Muslim students who marched from Marble Arch in central London – along the Bayswater road- down to Kensington Church street through London’s richest and most exclusive neighborhoods to reach Kensington high street to protest in solidarity and sorrow at not just yet another Israeli massacre in Gaza – but also the pogroms in Haifa, Lod, and Jaffa, the violent evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and the military attacks on those praying at Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
Many defied the Pandemic distancing rules to express their solidarity while others spilled away from the main demonstration scared of being kettled outside the Israeli Embassy blockaded by police stationed in front of the gated road of embassies. Despite the horror of the bombing across Gaza- the endless lines of British Muslim youth marching gave out so much positivity and love for Palestine that somehow went beyond solidarity- young men climbed onto the roofs of bustops and shouted Allah Akbah. – The state terror of Israeli occupation seemed to be perceived by them as an attack on their Muslim identities – young girls shouted them selves hoarse decrying Israeli terrorism. Black lives Matter were present and it seemed in London today that a movement of Muslim Palestinian solidarity is the future – a bold bright beautiful force moving through the city.
British police blockaded the Embassy, stationing themselves in rows in front of the gated road of embassies.
One participant in the protest noted, “Despite the horror of the bombing across Gaza- the endless lines of British Muslim youth marching gave out so much positivity and love for Palestine that somehow went beyond solidarity- young men climbed onto the roofs of bustops and shouted Allah Akbah. – The state terror of Israeli occupation seemed to be perceived by them as an attack on their Muslim identities – young girls shouted them selves hoarse decrying Israeli terrorism. Black Lives Matter were present and it seemed in London today that a movement of Muslim Palestinian solidarity is the future – a bold bright beautiful force moving through the city.”
The protests in London and in Ireland were just two among the hundreds of protests held around the world on Saturday in support of the Palestinian people and their steadfast determination to remain on their land, despite the ongoing Israeli attempts to steal Palestinian land and resources, and to rid the West Bank and Gaza of their Palestinian populations in order to annex the territories as part of Israel.
📹@signsofrevolt: @Farah_Gazan #FreePalaestine demo right now outside the Israeli Embassy, #London #UK #Palestine #Gaza #WestBank https://t.co/F9fdeGRR6j pic.twitter.com/t1lgwUjBbP
— 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) May 15, 2021
