“Blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, bombing Lebanon and attacking Iran only underlines that Israel is a pariah state. The very least our government should do is stop arming Israel, impose sanctions and end trade deals until this barbarity stops.”
Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition
By Matt Willgress
Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are set to march to the US embassy on Saturday (2 November), just days before the US election takes place.
An encampment was set up outside the embassy in September in protest of the US’ unwavering support for Israel’s brutal military attacks and will be welcoming the crowds.
For over a year, marchers have been calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to the genocide. The mass protest this weekend will be the 21st national demonstration. Hundreds of thousands are expected to take part and demand that Israel ends the military assault on Lebanon and stop its drive to war with Iran. Demonstrators will also demand the UK and US to halt all arms sales to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which are being used to perpetrate his bloody assault in the Middle East, and end complicity in the war crimes being carried out.
Saturday marks the anniversary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, when the then-foreign secretary Arthur Balfour wrote to Jewish community leader Lord Rothschild expressing support for the establishment of a ‘national home’ for the Jewish people in Palestine.
The demonstration comes after thousands of people across the country took part in a day of action for Palestine and Lebanon, including a huge rally which saw over 30,000 people filling Trafalgar Square. Hundreds of toys and flowers were then laid at the gates of Downing Street to pay tribute to the slaughtered people of Palestine, most of them women and children.
In total, there have been 20 pro-Palestine national demonstrations since October 2023, which have seen hundreds of thousands of people on the streets in cities across the UK. There have also been hundreds of local protests, all kinds of direct action, student encampments, an escalated boycott and divestment campaign, and a series of trade union backed national workplace days of action.
And this national movement continues to win support across the country, with mobilising for this Saturday’s demonstration again of great importance.
Speaking to Labour Outlook, Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition said “Israel’s genocidal behaviour in Gaza is now being joined by its determination to turn the whole Middle East into a battlefield. In all this it is protected by the US and its allies like Keir Starmer. Blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, bombing Lebanon and attacking Iran only underlines that Israel is a pariah state and must be treated like one. The very least our government should do is stop arming Israel, impose sanctions and end trade deals until this barbarity stops.”
Sophie Bolt of CND added, “CND sends solidarity greetings to the hundreds of thousands joining Saturday’s protest. We call on the British government to end its military and political support of nuclear-armed Israel. Such support is sustaining Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon. Further attacks on Iran will increase the risk of an all-out war – and will likely push Iran towards developing nuclear weapons. We repeat our calls for an immediate arms embargo, and genuine efforts to secure a ceasefire.”
Urging trade unionists to join the demonstration, GFTU General Secretary Gawain Little said “Our movement is built on a foundation of solidarity. That solidarity doesn’t end at the gates of a single workplace or the borders of a single country. We have an absolute duty to stand with workers in Palestine, their families, and their communities against the genocide being committed by the Israeli state.”
- The National Demonstration ‘End the Genocide in Gaza – Hands off Lebanon – Don’t Attack Iran‘ takes place from 12PM Saturday, 2 November. Marching from Whitehall to the US Embassy. The organisations behind the national demos are the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Friends of Al Aqsa.
