UK pro-Gaza march to go ahead despite ceasefire deal

The leading British pro-Palestinian group, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), has confirmed that its upcoming protest against the Gaza war will proceed on Saturday, despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, due to take effect soon. 

In a Friday statement shared on social media platform X, the PSC reiterated its intention to protest across London, following the initial acknowledgement of the ceasefire deal’s progress.  

On Thursday, the organisation expressed its “immense relief” at the long anticipated agreement, which came after months of failed attempts and was mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US. 

The deal is set to introduce a six-week initial ceasefire agreement, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a hostage exchange plan, which will see the release of both Israeli captives and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.  

It also promises to enable a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been utterly devastated by t15 months of horrific Israeli war, leaving its population facing severe hunger, illness, and cold. 

In Thursday’s statement, the PSC called for an end to Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, emphasising that such a shift can only be achieved through sustained international pressure.  

The group stated, “For more than 15 months, alongside millions around the world, we have demanded a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.  

“We must now redouble our efforts to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle by isolating and weakening the apartheid regime through ending the British state and corporate complicity that upholds and enables it.”

The latest protest, planned for Saturday, will take place in London and is supported by other groups such as the Stop the War Coalition, Friends of al-Aqsa, and the Muslim Association of Britain. 

Israeli attacks on Gaza continue

Despite the finalisation of the ceasefire deal, Israeli attacks on Gaza have continued and intensified, with Palestinian sources reporting over 100 fatalities on the day following the announcement of the truce. 

The PSC has accused London’s Metropolitan Police of reportedly imposing “repressive restrictions,” preventing the group from protesting outside the BBC headquarters as initially planned. 

The group stated, “We have resisted police attempts to force us to assemble at Russell Square. We call for the police to lift the restrictions on us marching,” and warned that, should these restrictions remain, they would protest on Whitehall instead. 

The group had previously announced that they planned to gather outside the BBC to protest what they describe as the broadcaster’s “pro-Israel bias,” a claim they say the BBC has yet to respond to. 

The police, however, have justified their refusal to allow the march outside the BBC by citing potential disruption to a nearby synagogue, while rejecting the assertion that it was a blanket ban on protests at the location. 

The PSC claims that the police have “explicitly conceded” that such a restriction would not apply to pro-Israel demonstrations.  

The New Arab has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October last year, UK police have arrested many pro-Palestine activists and protesters, while Conservative politicians and right-wing media have launched a negative campaign against the protests, branding them “hate marches”.