Thousands gathered in London on Saturday for a march advocating an end to the bombings in Gaza, marking over three years since the onset of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, triggered by an unprecedented terrorist attack by the Palestinian Islamist group on October 7, 2023, according to reports from AFP, Reuters, and DPA.
Aimee Shalan, director of the ‘Palestine Solidarity Campaign’, a co-organizer of the event, stated, “We are here to mark three years of ongoing genocide in Gaza” and urged the UK government to impose “total sanctions” against Israel.
This march took place more than a year after a ceasefire was negotiated between Israel and Hamas, yet promises made at that time remain largely unfulfilled, with bombings in Gaza occurring almost daily.
As the procession unfolded under careful police supervision, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Occupation is a crime”. Some carried signs reading “Sanction Israel Now” and “It is not a crime to act against genocide”.
The Metropolitan Police stated on X that several individuals were arrested during the demonstration, including a man and a woman displaying support for the banned organization Palestine Action, which was designated as a terrorist group by the previous Labour government last year.
In Germany, a similar protest organized by ‘United for Palestine’ attracted around 3,500 participants on the esplanade between the Chancellery and the Bundestag in Berlin.
The event began without disturbances. Many of the placards and banners carried by participants conveyed messages opposing German arms exports to Israel.
Given its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Germany is currently one of Israel’s most significant supporters. According to the German parliament, the government authorized exports to Israel of military material worth approximately 736 million euros in the second quarter of 2026.
A comparable demonstration held in October 2025 drew around 14,000 attendees. That event saw reports of physical violence and the display of anti-Semitic symbols and slogans, leading to the arrest of approximately 30 individuals.
The attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,221 individuals in Israel. Additionally, 251 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation has reportedly led to over 74,200 fatalities in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry under Hamas’s authority.
