Eyewitness Report
This was the largest ever demonstration for Palestine, ever held in London. The organisers have claimed more than 100,000 some time around noon, but many thousands have joined after the start of the rally, so I cannot even imagine how many people were there – it was huge, colourful, angry and very, very cold. After the many speeches by leading artists, politicians and other public figures, the whole huge crowd started to cross the park towards Lancaster Gate and Queensway. The crowd was so immense, that this short walk took hours to complete in the freezing cold. Moslems, Jews Christians and even humle atheists such as myself have all rubbed shoulders, shared water bottles, and tried to exchange sentences in the enormous din of this great public display of anger over the murderous actions of the Israeli regime and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Gaza.
Amazing sung poem by Lowkey, Long Live Palestine, at Hyde Park on Jan 10, 2009
use this link to hear it, and forward to your lists!
By the time the head of this huge snaking wide avenue of marchers have made the front gates of the reviled Israeli embassy, the whole thing came to a halt and anger has risen to new heights, with thousands of shoes being hurled at the gates of Palace Green, in front of the embassy of the occupation regime. Wave after wave of protesters was tried to move the police barriers, and some were indeed moved to allow them to get closer to the hated building. The police was quick to act and with brutal force. In the scuffles, some 15 protesters were injured, and a similar number were arrested. Three police officers were also hurt. Despite this climax, the protest was typically peaceful, respectful of the new Nakba instigated in Palestine, and despite the great crowd ina small area in front of the embassy, goaded by the police into a corralled small enclave, people have kept their cool.
All in all, this was a most moving event, bringing home to the corrupt and immoral HM government. shamefully collaborating with the murderers by doing nothing whatsoever to stop it, and continuing to supply arms to the occupation regime, how angry their citizens were about their callous behaviour. Let us hope someone up there, though it certainly cannot be Mr. Brown, the great supporter of Zionism and its continued crimes. It also cannot be Mr. Milliband, whose dead father must be turning in his grave, over his son’s behaviour and cynicism in the face of genocidal murder. Who is left? Probably the doorman.
Gaza Protest – clashes with riot police outside Israeli embassy London 10 January 2009
Gaza Protest – Battle of Kensington – Violent Clashes with Riot Police in London
Below you can see a small selction of the photographs I took during the demonstration