Over 300,000 march in London to demand justice for Gaza

From Russell Square to Whitehall, streets were transformed into a sea of flags, placards, and chants calling for a permanent ceasefire, an end to Israel’s siege, and accountability for war crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

The sheer scale of the protest, stretching as far as the eye could see, reflected a profound sense of urgency and anger at the ongoing devastation in Gaza, where entire residential towers have been obliterated, leaving families homeless, traumatized and grieving. Demonstrators held vigils, carried the names of the dead, and stood in moments of silence that echoed louder than words. Others painted the streets with art and color, refusing to allow the suffering of Gaza to be erased from global memory.

Ben Gamal of Palestine Solidarity Campaign remarked at the start of the march, “We’re here at Russell Square. We’re getting ready to march for the 30th time since Israel unleashed its genocide upon the Palestinian people. We march at a moment where the global solidarity movement, the movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions, has made Israel more isolated than at any time in its history. Yet still, our government remains committed not just to be complicit in this genocide, but an active participant.”

Lindsey German of Stop the War Coalition added, “What is it that this government doesn’t get about this genocide? Why is it that this government thinks it’s ok for Israeli President Isaac Herzog to be meeting ministers on Thursday? He should be arrested but instead people are being arrested in Parliament Sq today for protesting genocide.”

Faris Amer, speaking on behalf of the PFB, delivered a powerful speech in front of the crowds. He touched on the situation in Gaza and the deafening silence in the international community, “Today and yesterday, we witnessed the Israeli terrorist army wiping out entire neighborhoods in Gaza, flattening Gaza’s towers and residential blocks, only because the people of Gaza refuse to give up on life, so Israel wants to steal its mere necessities from them, leaving Gazans without food, water, homes, or even memories to live on.”

Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta, being an eyewitness and a survivor of the genocide, also delivered a moving speech, he stated, “As we stand here, the bombs are still dropping over the heads of the children of Gaza. The food is still piled up at the border being stopped by the Israelis. In response to that continuous beastly crime of genocide, the war criminal in chief in Downing Street decides to welcome the President of the genocidal State of Israel. As if all the blood of the Palestinians that has flowed is not enough for him to declare his support for the Zionist death cult. He wants to insist that even now, as the final solution is taking place in Gaza, he reasserts his undying support for this genocidal machine. Kier Starmer is wedded to this genocide as much as Netanyahu and Ben Givir are wedded to this genocide.”

The march drew together voices from every corner of society. Partner organizations were represented, as well as parliamentarians Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana and Apsana Begum, alongside trade union leaders Jo Grady and Sarah Kilpatrick, President of the National Education Union. From the medical frontlines came the testimony of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta, while Mary Mason, Taj Ali, Nick Maynard, Ibrahim Khadra, Husam Zomlot, Emily Stevenson and Dr Anas al-Tikriti stood as powerful reminders of the breadth of solidarity that spans generations, faiths, and communities.

The protest was part of a global mobilization that swept across continents, from Paris to Johannesburg, from New York to Kuala Lumpur, where millions took to the streets united by one demand: stop the genocide, end the siege, and deliver justice for Palestine. Organizers said today was not simply a march but a declaration of intent, a refusal to be silent in the face of oppression. As one speaker reminded the crowd, silence is complicity, and history will remember where the world stood as Gaza burned.

The Global Alliance for Palestine has called for sustained and coordinated international action to maintain pressure on governments and institutions enabling the occupation. The movement’s organizers stressed that the fight does not end here. What happened on the streets of London today was a glimpse of a rising tide of conscience, an awakening of people who refuse to accept genocide as the price of politics.

The sight of more than 300,000 people marching through London sent a clear and unambiguous message: the people of Britain stand with Gaza, they stand with Palestine, and they will not relent until freedom and justice are realized.