Protesters in solidarity with the Palestinians in London drag Israeli flag through the streets

A car drags the Israeli flag through the streets of London to cheers from onlookers, May 22, 2021 (Screen grab/Twitter)

Thousands of people attended pro-Palestinian protests in the United Kingdom, France, and other countries on Saturday, condemning Israel's latest clash with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

A car driving past the London demonstration while the passengers waved Palestinian flags and pulled an Israeli flag along the road behind the vehicle, attracting cheers from the crowds, was captured on video and posted on social media.

After 11 days of fighting in which Palestinians in Gaza fired over 4,000 rockets at Israel, which responded with heavy airstrikes on terrorist facilities, the protests took place on the first full day of a truce between Israel and Hamas.

According to organizers from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, over 180,000 people attended a march and rally in London, making it the country's biggest pro-Palestinian protest ever.

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, a lawmaker for the party, were among those who spoke to the crowd.
“Yes, a truce has been signed, and we accept a ceasefire,” McDonnell told the crowd. But, to be sure, our boycott, divestment, and sanction movement against Israel's apartheid state will not be put on hold.”

One protester was seen carrying a banner with a picture of Jesus on the cross and the words "Don't let them do it again today" written on it.

Some demonstrators at a similar demonstration in London last weekend, when the fighting was still going on, carried blatantly antisemitic banners, while organizers asked attendees not to bring signs that equated Israel, Zionism, and the Nazis, according to the Jewish News.

Speaker Tariq Ali, a friend of Corbyn's and an activist, allegedly chastised right-wing Israelis, telling the audience, "They have learned little from what happened to them in Europe." “Not a single thing.”
“They make a lot of noise about those marching for Palestine being antisemitic. According to the paper, Ali said, "Of course, this isn't real." “Antisemitism is created every time they bomb Gaza, every time they strike Jerusalem.”

Following the rally, Corbyn, who was forced to resign as Labor leader and was later briefly suspended from the party over allegations that he mishandled antisemitism, tweeted a photo of himself at the rally with the message: “The truce is welcome, but lasting peace can only be accomplished with a free and independent Palestine.”

More marches in favor of Palestinians were held in other UK cities, according to the Guardian newspaper, including Manchester, Bristol, Peterborough, and Nottingham.

Thousands of people marched in support of Palestinians across the Channel in Paris and other French cities.

The protest in Paris was confined to a rally at the Place de la Republique. Thousands of demonstrators defied a ban on a similar rally by marching in the capital last weekend.

According to the CGT trade union, up to 4,000 people attended the rally in Paris.

“Palestine will live, Palestine will win,” “Israel killer, Macron accomplice,” and “We are all Palestinians” were among the slogans yelled by marchers in the capital.

The truce had not resolved anything, according to Bertrand Heilbronn, president of the France Palestine Solidarity Association, which coordinated the Paris rally and other demonstrations.

“This war affects anyone who believes in the ideals of justice, equality, and the rule of law,” he said.

Protests were also held in other cities throughout France.

According to regional officials, 1,100 people marched in Lyon, France's southeast capital, more than double the number from the previous weekend.

Organizers estimated that 1,000 people attended a rally in Lille, while police estimated that 650 people attended.

Other demonstrations took place in Strasbourg, France's capital, as well as Toulouse and Montpellier in the south.

In Strasbourg, Imad Deaibis said, "Palestinians have a right to live in peace and have a state." “Israel has taken away our freedom and our homes. My family has lost everything, and I am a Palestinian who no longer has the right to go there.”

During the 11-day battle, nicknamed "Guardian of the Walls" in Israel, Hamas and other terror groups fired over 4,300 rockets at Israel, prompting the IDF to respond with hundreds of airstrikes against terror targets in Gaza.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, at least 243 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children and teenagers, and 1,910 others were injured. It makes no distinction between representatives of terror groups and civilians.

A 5-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were among the twelve people killed in Israel, all but one of whom were civilians.

The conflict started on May 10 when Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched long-range rockets at Jerusalem. Palestinian terror groups have linked rocket fire from Gaza to violence in Jerusalem linked to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan prayers on the Temple Mount and the pending eviction of a number of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Publish : 2021-05-23 14:00:00

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