350,000 Join London March for Gaza Amid Mounting Civilian Deaths
An estimated 350,000 people marched through central London on Saturday in what organisers described as one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations ever held in the UK. The protest came as reports emerged of a deadly Israeli attack on civilians near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza.
The march began in Russell Square around midday and proceeded to Whitehall, where demonstrators called for an immediate ceasefire and accused the UK government of complicity in what they described as Israel’s “widening war” across the Middle East. Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners reading “Stop the genocide” and “No UK arms for Israel”, while chants rang out demanding justice for Gaza.
The demonstration followed news that more than 200 Palestinians had been killed over the previous 48 hours, many reportedly shot near a US-run aid point in Rafah. Eyewitnesses described the incident as a massacre, with videos circulating online appearing to show Israeli forces opening fire on crowds gathered for food.
Among those addressing the crowd was British-Iraqi surgeon Dr Mohammad Taher, who recently returned from Gaza. Speaking to demonstrators, he described the medical situation there as “apocalyptic”.
“There’s no anaesthetic, no electricity. Surgeries are being done in corridors. Children are dying from treatable injuries simply because there are no resources,” he said.
The protest was supported by a wide coalition of groups, including the Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA), the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), and Stop the War Coalition.
Organisers said the march also aimed to highlight growing concerns about Israel’s recent military strikes on Iran. Several speakers drew parallels between the two conflicts, accusing the Israeli government of expanding its military campaign while Western governments remain silent.
Abdulrahman Tamimi, a speaker affiliated with the Palestinian Forum in Britain, told the crowd that both Gaza and Iran were “targets of the same unchecked aggression”, and criticised what he called “blood-soaked impunity backed by the West”.
Saturday’s protest adds to a wave of public demonstrations across the UK in recent months, as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza enters its ninth month. According to health officials in Gaza, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, with the majority of casualties being women and children.
The UK government has faced growing criticism from rights groups, legal experts and some MPs over arms exports to Israel and its failure to push for an immediate ceasefire. While ministers have condemned the high civilian death toll, the government continues to describe Israel’s actions as “self-defence”.
Despite high temperatures in London on Saturday, turnout remained high throughout the afternoon. Demonstrators dispersed peacefully in the early evening, with organisers promising further mobilisation in the weeks ahead.
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