Hundreds of thousands expected to converge in London to demand the new Government ends UK complicity with Israel’s genocide in Gaza
- 16th major London March for Palestine since October comes directly after General Election
- New Government will be pushed to call for immediate ceasefire, halt arms sales to Israel and restore funding to UNRWA
- Speakers at the rally include Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leanne Mohamad, Mick Whelan (Gen Sec ASLEF), Kamila Shamsie, Steve North (Unison President), Apsana Begum MP, Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta
Two days after the UK General Election and as the new Government begins work, hundreds of thousands of supporters of the Palestinian cause will march through the streets of London and rally at Parliament. Their demands have not changed with the governing party – they seek an end to the UK’s political, diplomatic, legal and military support for Israel whilst it carries out what the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognises to be a plausible case of genocide.
More than 38 000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, including approximately 16 000 children. 90% of the population has been displaced several times and two million people are struggling to survive with inadequate food, water, shelter and health services. Despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, the UK continues to allow arms exports to Israel and continues to withhold funding to UNRWA, the humanitarian agency working on the ground in Gaza to alleviate suffering.
The march comes after an election campaign in which, as even Peter Mandelson admitted, Palestine has been placed firmly on the ballot. The Labour Party, which came under severe criticism for comments made by Keir Starmer supporting Israel’s “right” to cut off food and water in violation of International law, has lost swathes of votes to Independents. 5 Independent candidates who stood on clear platforms of calling for an end to UK complicity in Israel’s genocide have been elected. The Green Party – over 300 of whose candidates signed up to all of the PSC candidate demands – achieved its best ever result with 4 MPs elected, all of whom supported all of the demands.
Ben Jamal, PSC Director, said :
“Palestine has definitely been on the ballot in this election. Many of the results indicated that millions of voters cannot accept the UK takes a complicit role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. It is a shot across the bows of the incoming Labour Government. It needs to sit up and take notice. It needs to demand an immediate ceasefire, halt arms exports to Israel and restore funding to UNRWA.
The campaign for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and a free Palestine will continue with urgency and renewed determination in the new Parliament. We cannot sit back and expect our political leaders to suddenly decide to act in line with international law and the principles of human rights – we will have to push them to do so. That is why on Saturday, immediately after the general election, we will march on Westminster in our hundreds of thousands. We will campaign throughout this Parliament for the UK to support the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as repeatedly affirmed by the UN General Assembly and Security Council. We will also ramp up our work calling for the boycott of complicit companies and divestment by public bodies including universities and local authorities from those companies, with a high profile Divestment Conference planned in London for August 10th. We will not stop until Palestine is free.”