• After already costing the Met more than £20 million, protests show no signs of stopping
• Once again, one of the largest protests held in the streets of London and in 120 cities globally
Over 1500 police from across the UK arrived on the streets of central London on Saturday to aid in the control and watch of the ninth pro-Palestinian protest since October 7th. Estimates put the pro-Palestinian protest at numbers between 200,000 and 250,000, making it one of the top 3 largest protests since October 7th and once again one of the largest protests in UK history. Police were mobilised from different parts of the UK to take part in the control and smoothness of the protest while once again draining the police forces of resources and money. It was reported in early December that pro-Palestinian protests have cost the Met £20 million while already causing it to become severely overstretched. It’s even possible that the recent inability of the Met to find and apprehend Abdul Ezedi, a wanted criminal who has been responsible for an acid attack in Clapham Junction, could be linked to the exhaustion of the Met’s resources in invigilating the Palestinian protests. Although this is unconfirmed, if it is true, this huge embarrassment by both the Met’s and UK governments lack of order will only have added pressure in calling for or at least thinking about the concept of a ceasefire.
On Saturday, the pro-Palestinian protest started in central London, where initially 30,000 people had gathered. This number soon increased with the march going through Park Lane, Knightsbridge, and ending in Kensington Court near the Israeli embassy. Speakers addressed protesters near the Israeli embassy before the demonstration ended at around 6 p.m. Protesters were kept more than 100 metres away from the embassy grounds, behind barriers controlled by officers. Notable figures were seen in this protest, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn among the protesters.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was seen amongst the protest on Saturday.
This protest in London was not an isolated protest; rather, 120 cities across the world protested on Saturday. In Spain, thousands of protesters had called for a ceasefire, with six ministers from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s cabinet also taking part. Transport minister Oscar Puente, who was seen among the protesters, stated during the protest, “We need an immediate ceasefire, an end to the killing and attacks against innocents, we must achieve the release of all hostages.” When politicians and ministers join protests, it not only legitimises the Palestinian plight but also gives the power players a feel of the same kind of resentment the people feel against Israel and the immense sympathy they have for the Palestinian people. This undoubtedly would influence the decisions made at the table of decisions that these ministers are a part of.
The growing resentment that the people feel for the Palestinian people has been felt in Scotland too, with the Scottish Labour Party only claiming on Saturday that they too will be calling for a ceasefire, only later forcing the hand of the genocide complicit, Kier Starmer, to call for one too one day later. The protests are just one of many strategies that are used to show solidarity for the Palestinian people, not just the population but also the people in charge who have allowed this genocide to continue for the past 5 months.
The shocking Home Office report that shows the dramatic ripple effect of protests on politicians
It may seem ludicrous to think that in this century, in a western country that claims to be the beacon of freedom and acts like the knight of shining armour when enforcing its ideologies on others, the idea of a free and open protest could become something of the past. Yet Lord Walney from the House of Lords was asked to investigate political violence and disruption and submitted his report to the home office a couple of months ago, before Christmas. In it, he said, ‘When groups run so many mass protests, the authorities should consider whether organisers should be asked to contribute to policing costs’. This is a grotesque justification to bar the freedoms of a protest, preventing the gradual stopping of a mass genocide. According to recent polling, 7 in 10 people want an immediate permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. A protest is only a reflection of the dire anger and frustration the people feel. If the Home Office decides to charge organisations that organise the act to protest, it’s likely it will trigger mass debate and speculation on what will happen next. From organised protests suffering enforced limitations in number to a ban on protests altogether, the trajectory of repression will only transition into oppression. All in all, the very concept of banning protests floating in the minds of officials in the Home Office is another sign of the immense pressure the UK government is feeling as a result.
Protests are one of the main elements of pressure against the genocide-backed government
There have never been as many large marches and demonstrations held against the British government in this century in the space of five months as there have been now. Never before has an assistant commissioner appeared in front of MPs to discuss the issue of too many protests until now. Never before has the mayor of London demanded £240 million for the met police because of too many peaceful protests in London until now. The pressure for Rishi Sunak to call for a permanent ceasefire does not only come from the international community but from within his domestic community too. With general elections coming up and the majority of Brits wanting a ceasefire, with the nation’s largest protests taking place on Saturday to support a protest and economic and social pressures causing a ripple effect, it may only be a matter of time before prime minister Rishi Sunak bends a knee to try and limit the damage on election day expected this year. History will remember the Palestinian protests, and it will demonstrate to historians the legacy of the UK and the western world in their pro-genocidal dictatorships like foreign policy.
