Red ribbons adorn Oxford Circus in solidarity with detained Gaza doctor
Solidarity actions in support of Palestinian detainees continued across London on Saturday, 20 December, amid mounting calls to hold the Israeli occupation authorities accountable for serious abuses reported inside detention facilities, particularly against medical and humanitarian workers from Gaza.
Oxford Circus became the site of a symbolic vigil demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, foremost among them Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian physician arrested from his workplace inside a Gaza hospital.
Protest at the heart of London
Dozens of activists gathered outside the entrances to Oxford Circus station, waving Palestinian flags and holding placards and photographs calling for the immediate release of Dr Abu Safiya and other detainees. Participants accused Israeli authorities of subjecting prisoners to torture, starvation, and the systematic denial of basic rights, describing detention conditions as harsh and inhumane, with little effective international oversight.
Protesters said the arrest and continued detention of Dr Abu Safiya since last year was emblematic of a broader policy targeting Palestinian professionals and intellectuals—particularly doctors, healthcare workers, and university students—either for carrying out humanitarian work or on the basis of national identity alone.
Red ribbons as a silent message
In a striking visual gesture, demonstrators tied red ribbons around station entrances and stairways, symbolising the scale of Palestinian imprisonment. Photographs of the detained doctor were displayed throughout the area, accompanied by calls for urgent intervention to protect detainees, including children and women, who campaigners say face multiple forms of abuse within the Israeli detention system.
Calls for British accountability
Participants urged the UK government to meet its legal and moral obligations, arguing that sustained international silence exposes a double standard undermining Western claims to uphold human rights and democratic values. They called for immediate pressure to secure detainees’ release and to halt ongoing abuses inside Israeli jails.
The protest attracted the attention of local and international media. Speakers warned that continued inaction risks emboldening Israel to pursue repressive policies without accountability.
Voices from the protest
Those taking part included Samer, a London-based Palestinian activist; Adnan Hamidan, vice-president of the Palestinian Forum; Manaha, a British activist supporting Palestinian prisoners; Liz, an Australian solidarity activist; Zainab Kamal, a Palestinian languages lecturer; and Mayar Sabah, a British medical student of Palestinian origin.
Al-Arab in UK (AUK) views the continued detention of Palestinian doctors and humanitarian workers—most notably Dr Abu Safiya—as a clear violation of international humanitarian law. AUK says this reflects a dangerous level of international complicity in the practices of the Israeli occupation. It warns that silence in the face of such abuses not only endangers Palestinians, but also erodes the legal and moral framework Western states claim to defend, calling for urgent British and international action that moves beyond expressions of concern to concrete measures.
Read More
ShortURL ⬇
