The scale of attack on the Palestinians in Gaza over the past 15 months has been unprecedented in scale and intensity, carried out by a government widely accused of genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Our London demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Gaza have also been unprecedented in terms of size, diversity and unity. We welcome the ceasefire, which is desperately needed, but recognise that this is only a very small beginning to addressing the injustice done to the Palestinians, in which our government and its allies have been complicit.
From the very beginning the demos have been attacked as ‘hate marches’ and discriminatory towards Jewish people. They are nothing of the sort but peaceful manifestations of solidarity with the people of Gaza. We have faced repeated obstacles from the police and politicians, despite our marches being much more in tune with public opinion than Keir Starmer and David Lammy, who have repeatedly supported Israel and justified many of its actions.
Following in the footsteps of Suella Braverman, the Metropolitan Police, along with Starmer and his government, have tried to curtail our right to protest. The latest attack on this right, from the Metropolitan police, has however been the most serious. We have been banned from marching at the BBC because there is a synagogue in the vicinity (although not on the route of the march and not holding services at the proposed time of the march). We have had an alternative route imposed on us, where it is clear that groups like the Board of Deputies of British Jews, who support what Israel is doing, have been allowed to dictate where we march.
It would appear that the police are allowing those who oppose the Palestinian cause to try to curtail the right of those who want to show solidarity. This is completely unacceptable.
We reject these attacks on our civil liberties, and the imposition of the sorts of conditions we face. Many public figures have supported us in this rejection. Even at this late hour, we urge that our protest be allowed to march. We will be with our coalition partners, who have built such successful marches over the past year, in Whitehall tomorrow at 12 noon, and we ask all those who support the Palestinians to join us there.