A flare is lit as pro-Palestine protesters take part in a march in London on Saturday as Israeli prepared to launch a ground assault on the Gaza strip in retaliation for an unprecedented and deadly attack by the militant group Hamas. Photo by Neil Hall/EPA-EFE
Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Protests backing Palestinians were held in London and other British cities Saturday as impassioned supporters took to the streets to denounce Israel's retaliation to the attack by Hamas.
People supporting Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank marched in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Canada and the United States on Friday in a "Day of Rage" as Israel carried out a massive bombardment of Gaza Strip following the unprecedented and deadly attack by Hamas last week.
More protests took place on Saturday, including in central London, where thousands of demonstrators marched and flew the Palestinian flag even as Israel appeared poised to launch a ground assault into the northern Gaza Strip, which has triggered a mass exodus from the region and prompted warnings of a grave humanitarian crisis.
Crowds chanting "Free, free Palestine" and shooting flares made their way through the center of the British capital toward the Downing Street residence of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
London's Metropolitan Police said it was enforcing a law known as Section 60AA, which requires people to remove items which conceal their identity, while local prosecutors added staff over the weekend to charge any arrests made.
Former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the protests to denounce Israel's assault on Gaza.
"As we wave the Palestinian flag, let's hear it for the people of the West Bank, for the people of Gaza, for the people of the refugee camps, and say very bluntly to our political leaders in this country: 'Do not condone war crimes, do not condone the starvation and the denial of medicine to desperate people in Gaza or anywhere else,'" he said.
Protesters also threw red paint at the London headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corp.
The pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the stunt, saying the action "was taken by us to highlight BBC's biased reporting which is manufacturing consent to massacre Palestinians."
There were similar scenes in Glasgow, Scotland, where around 3,000 pro-Palestine protesters gathered in the city outside Buchanan Galleries.
Taking part in that protest were Shaaista Bhutta and Muzaffar Yousaf, the parents of Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, The (Scottish) Herald reported.
Pro-Palestinian rallies were also held in Edinburgh, Manchester and other cities in Britain.
