Pics from London demo for Gaza 10 Jan 2009

Simon | 11.01.2009 16:20 | Anti-militarism | Palestine

Photos and a short report from yesterday’s march and rally against the massacre in Gaza.

The proud parents

Tony Bliar

Bikes not bombs

I believe these people are called Theatre of War

Freedom for Palestine – Boycott Israel

Marchers as far as the eye can see…

… in both directions

End the siege on Gaza

Gaza has the right to live free from Israeli terrorism

End the massacre of babies and children

Youth against the war

We will not forget you Gaza

Auschwitz Iraq Dachau Palestine

In costume

Jews against the barbarous state of Israel

Brits for Palestine / Free Palestine

You take my water…

That’s terrorism!

Why!!!!

Holocaust again

Depending on whether you believe Stop the War Coalition or the metropolitan police press office, yesterday’s demo in the bitter cold was attended by twelve thousand or two hundred thousand people. I didn’t try to count them all but it certainly looked like the largest demo I’ve seen since 2003.

Protestors assembled in Hyde Park for an hour of speeches before taking to the streets in a march past the Israeli embassy to a second rally in the street a short way past the embassy. A serious bottleneck had formed at the embassy, caused by a combination of the road being narrowed by metal barriers on both sides and a number of protestors who wanted to hold their protest at the embassy. For this reason a large number of marchers were unable to make it to the second rally, which I estimate was attended by maybe a couple of thousand people. Of the group who I caught the train up from Swindon with, I believe I was the only one who made it to the second rally, the others having given up and turned back to escape the crush.

Other reports on the newswire indicate that the situation at the embassy later turned ugly, and while I had seen some riot police lining up nearby, I had left the area by this time so am unable to provide a first-hand report.

Simon