Saturday, January 13th. National March For Palestine, London, UK.
As always it was incredibly diverse. In relation to some of the negative reactions to the marches, I thought it would be interesting to capture some of the voices of people there, so took a recorder and asked people one question; what made you come today. 10 people spoke, from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences. I didn't ask anyone about how they identify, but 2 people said straight away they were Jewish. Some talked about prejudices they had faced in life and the need to stand against a decline in global ethics. The march was peaceful and attended by people from all over the UK.
The first 6 minutes are people speaking, followed by roughly 10 minutes of soundscape from the demo. The march finished at Trafalgar Square, a short walk from Downing Street. The final couple of minutes are the bells of Westminster Abbey, as we walked away at the end of the day, passing through statues and buildings constructed at the heart of the British Empire, one can't help be be reminded of that empire's lasting legacy.
The first national march was held on 15th October. At the time, the UK Home Secretary branded the marches as 'hate marches' as did parts of the UK press.
As of December 30, 2023 Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated Gaza Strip civilian deaths at 27,681.
On 30 October, Save the Children reported more children had died in three weeks in Gaza than in the entire sum of conflicts around the world in the past four years.
https://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel