Hands Off Gaza: Free Palestine
Open the Gaza Border - Egyptian Embassy
London New Years Day Parade
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Israeli attacks on Gaza which have resulted in the killing of many innocent civilians as well as a few Hamas miilitants have led to many protests around the world, and as well as the national demonstration in London there were also other protests in towns and cities across the UK as well as internationally. The police estimate of 10,000 demonstrators, repeated by the BBC seemed ludicrous as Trafalgar Square now holds perhaps twice that figure after the pedestrianisation of the north area, and it was fairly packed, with a large crowd still in Whitehall and others leaving before the speeches at the rally.
So between 20 and 25,000 came to protest in London at short notice and many stayed to listen to speakers including Alexei Sayle, Annie Lennox, Ken Livingstone, George Galloway and many more.
Towards the end of the rally the organisers announced we would be marching on to the Israeli embassy for a further demonstration. Rather than wait for the march I caught a bus there, though it diverted half a miile short. Police apparently made various efforts to stop the march and attacked some of the marchers, especially in the underpasses at Hyde Park corner but I missed all of that.
Opposite the embassy there were hundreds of police, and as more demonstrators arrived they put on their helmets and riot shields. From behind the police lines I didn't have much of a view, but there did seem to be a number of minor charges by police towards the demonstrators behind the barriers, and then the protesters, who had already pushed the barriers forward some distance, pushed down some of the barriers and things became a little chaotic.
A number of shoes and bags of flour were thrown by the protesters, some narrowly missing the press; placards were also thrown, but these fell shorter among the police. When police moved the press completely away from the action I felt it was time to go home.
In the chaos I had hear my trousers rip, and looked down to see a tear in
one leg. What I hadn't realised is that it had also ripped the stitching of
the 'secure' zipped pocket which I've long used to keep filled CF cards from
my camera. On my way home (I had to walk three-quarters of a mile to find
the diverted bus route) I found that I had lost the 8Gb card with most of
my pictures from the day, so there are rather fewer than usual here - just
some from the start of the march and the last few minutes of the embassy protest.
more pictures

Demonstrations have taken place every day opposite the Israeli Embassy in Kensington since Israel started their attacks on Gaza last Saturday. On Friday around 500 Palestinian supporters demonstrated outside the Egyptian Embassy in Mayfair, calling for greater support for the Palestinians in Gaza and in particular the opening of the border crossing from Gaza to Egypt they control.
The crowd, mainly of Palestinians but with a good sprinkling of other supporters, were united in pressing for urgent action from Egypt as well as an immediate stop to the Israeli killing in Gaza and an end to the siege, although there were a few minor arguments and I saw stewards call police to deal with one trouble-maker who was quickly escorted away.
There was an effective barrier on the opposite side of South Street between the crowd and the embassy with a fairly strong police presence on the roadway in front of the building, as well as a number well behind the crowd, but other than preventing any access by demonstrators or press to the front of the Embassy the police simply stood and watched for the hour and a quarter I was there.
After some prolonged chanting and various addresses to the crowd, a small
group of young men burnt some crudely drawn Israeli flags decorated with swastikas,
and then set fire to a photograph of the Camp David meeting with a text reading
"TREATY OF CAMP DAVID." A few small tomatoes - past their best -
were also thrown towards the embassy.
more pictures

I was suprised to see there are still Butlins redcoats, and also in red were
the formidable ladies of the California-based Red Hat Society for
women over 50. A couple of groups made more serious political points, with
a small group calling for an end to kidnapping in Colombia, and a marching
band, dancers and more from Falun Dafu, persecuted in China.
more pictures
All pictures on this section of the site are Copyright © Peter Marshall 2009; to buy prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or to comment on this site, or for any other questions, contact me.
All pictures on this section of the site
are © Peter Marshall
2008;
contact me to buy
prints or for permission to reproduce pictures or any other questions and
comments.