Hundreds of students from schools, colleges, and universities in London marched on Thursday in solidarity with Palestine, expressing their condemnation of both the UK and Israel policies.
Protesters called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Israeli "siege" on Gaza. They also demanded the termination of the university's partnership with Israel, an end to "UK complicity," and an end to the "repression" of pro-Palestinian students.
Footage shows protesters holding placards with messages such as "Freedom to Palestine" and "Free Palestine," while chanting, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" Activists and students delivered speeches expressing their support for Palestinians and condemning the British government.
"The British military base in Cyprus has had flights going daily to Israel from the beginning of this war. It has transported, in all likelihood, weapons but possibly soldiers on those flights," said Lowkey, one of the activists.
"Britain is a participant in this war not just diplomatically, not just politically, but very likely militarily," he added
The protest was supported by social and political organizations and unions, and an array of speakers addressed the crowd from student organizers to political figures like the former leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn.
"I have been asking a number of questions in Parliament this week, for an assurance that there are no British troops involved, for an assurance there are no special forces involved, for an assurance that Britain isn't militarily involved, I am not satisfied with any of the answers that I have received because I do believe we are offering military cooperation with a power that is destroying the tens of thousands of civilians," said Corbyn.
The protest comes after Israel started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
So far, the Israeli genocidal war has claimed the lives of nearly 17,200 people across the coastal sliver., with Israeli leaders vowing to 'wipe out' the Hamas resistance movement.
The Israeli regime claimed that Hamas locations and infrastructure were targeted in the response.
However, United Nations experts warned against "collective punishment" for the people of Gaza, before predicting a "humanitarian crisis" and then claimed that "hell is settling in" for the region.
(Source: AFP and agencies)