Thousands march for Palestine

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani

London: On Saturday, 2 November, over 100,000 protesters took to the streets of London to demand an end to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Middle East. The massive crowd marched from central London to the US Embassy, calling on the UK government to immediately halt arms sales to Israel.

The demonstration was the 21st national protest for Palestine held in the UK capital, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing support for the Palestinian cause. Protesters condemned the escalating violence and what they described as the ‘genocide’ of Palestinians in Gaza. Speakers decried Israel’s recent military incursions into northern Gaza, which have effectively blockaded the last remaining access points to the Jabalia refugee camp and led to intense airstrikes and shelling.

“We are here to make our voices heard and demand an end to this senseless violence,” said Rajonuddin Jalal, a member of the “Bengalis for Palestine” group that participated in the march. “The UK government must act now, stop enabling Israel’s aggression by halting all arms sales immediately.” The urgency of their demands was palpable in the air.

Other Bengali community leaders, including Nooruddin Ahmed, Javed Akhtar, Ala Miah Azad, Lukman Uddin, Shofiq Ahmed, Jamala Ahmed Khan, Sheikh Noor, Ahmed Fokor Kamal, Nafis Ikbal Jamil, Nadira Huda, Farida Hassan, Sadia Osmani, and Mofassel Ahmed Chowdhury, among others, joined the demonstration to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The unity of these leaders and their shared commitment to justice was palpable as the protesters carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans condemning the occupation.