Several thousand Londoners and political figures marched this Saturday October 5 in the British capital during a pro-Gaza rally marking the first anniversary of the bloody conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. At the same time, the situation has seriously deteriorated in Lebanon where the Israeli army continues its bombings and ground operations, targeting the strongholds of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, supported by Iran.
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With our correspondent in London, Sidonie Gaucher
Like every Saturday for the past year, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in support of Gaza. Flags, fundraising and hundreds of signs denouncing the massacre of “ tens of thousands of children “. On his X account, former Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf, who was in the procession, denounces “silence and inaction?” of the government. At the head of the procession in particular, the former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn and the former Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf who denounces on his account silence and inaction » from the government: “ When tens of thousands of children are massacred, how can we justify silence and inaction? “.
“ Stop the bombing “, “ Free, free Palestine » or even « Stop bombing hospitals » were among the most popular slogans chanted by the demonstrators, who marched peacefully.
“ There needs to be a ceasefire, a ceasefire now. How many more innocent Palestinians or Lebanese must die?says Sophia Thomson, 27, who was demonstrating with friends. The fact that there are so many of us shows that the government does not speak on behalf of the people “, she added.
The British Prime Minister Starmer has blood on his hands “, ” Starmer, Starmer you can’t hide, we’re going to charge you with genocide » were also among the slogans of the demonstrators.
“ I am Lebanese and I demonstrated even before the escalation of the war in Lebanon, explains Melissa, 23 years old. We are demonstrating because the attacks are intensifying and they are bombing hospitals. Thousands of people were displaced south. The situation is very serious. Here in London, we are demonstrating to put pressure on the British government which is arming Israel. Because basically, Israel could not bomb us without the money of the UNITED STATES and of United Kingdom. It’s been a year. It’s absurd to think that we’re protesting every week. If they really wanted to end the genocide, they would have done it by now. All international organizations describe these attacks as genocide. I really don’t know what they’re expecting. »
The London police announced in the middle of the afternoon that they had made around fifteen arrests.
According to Hamas, at least 41,825 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died since the start of the war.
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