London, MINA – Despite heavy rain, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Westminster on Saturday, waving flags, chanting slogans, and carrying signs referencing Palestine Action, an activist group recently designated by the UK government as a terror organization.
Addressing the crowd, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Dr. Husam Zomlot, declared:
“We will rise again, yes, wounded but never broken. Our spirits fly higher than the F-35s. To the people of Gaza: look at the millions of the world standing for you, fighting for you. We will remain on our land. We will rebuild Gaza,” Anadolu Agency reported.
He added “Israel has made Gaza a test lab for genocide. What are we without shared humanity? What have they become? Those enablers of genocide, they still sell arms. Shame on you.”
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Labour MP Richard Burgon also spoke at the rally, criticizing restrictions on protests:
“We are going anywhere until justice is done. They are clamping down on the right to protest. History, justice, and international law is on our side. We will secure free Palestine.”
Police said they arrested 55 people in central London under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act, which prohibits support for banned organizations. Officers moved in shortly after the demonstration began, detaining individuals carrying placards and banners supporting Palestine Action. Some were led away in handcuffs.
One protester was also arrested for using language likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress, according to the Metropolitan Police. The arrest occurred as the march reached Whitehall.
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Saturday’s demonstration marked the third consecutive weekend of pro-Palestinian protests in London. Authorities reported 70 arrests during earlier rallies near Parliament Square.
The protests come after the UK government’s decision on July 5 to formally outlaw Palestine Action, a group known for its direct actions against arms companies supplying Israel.
The group drew headlines last month when activists entered RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted a military aircraft.
Co-founder Huda Ammori filed a legal challenge against the ban, but the High Court rejected the request for a judicial review.
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Human rights organizations have warned that the government’s move could criminalize peaceful protest and legitimate criticism of Israeli policies.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military attacks on Gaza have killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
As the genocide continues into its second year, Gaza faces unprecedented devastation, mass displacement, famine, and disease outbreaks. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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