Pro-Palestine activists launched their first major demonstration of the new year, staging a sit-in at Westminster Bridge that drew hundreds of protesters and temporarily disrupted traffic in the heart of London.
Organised by the Free Palestine Coalition, the demonstration kicked off with a march from St James’s Park on Saturday, culminating in protesters blocking off Westminster Bridge and surrounding roads. The gathering, a vocal call for peace and justice, renewed demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged the UK to halt arms sales to Israel while advocating for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The event, marked by a palpable sense of solidarity, began at 10.00 when protesters gathered at a designated meeting point – a drinking fountain in St James’s Park. Metropolitan Police officers made several initial arrests as the demonstration gained momentum, with protesters marching through Westminster until they were halted by officers next to the iconic Big Ben.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated and clashes ensued between protesters and Metropolitan Police officers. The incident unfolded when hundreds of people convened at a drinking fountain in St James’s Park at noon.
Metropolitan Police officers intervened in an attempt to disperse the march, leading to a series of scuffles. The situation intensified as officers appeared to advance on the protest leader, an NHS doctor, shortly after he delivered a speech using a loudspeaker.
Following the march, a significant number of demonstrators engaged in a peaceful sit-in, enclosed on three sides by a police cordon. The protesters, passionate about their cause, emphasised the urgency of addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and sought to bring attention to the broader issues surrounding the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Notably, some protesters donned face masks featuring the likenesses of prominent politicians, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. Additionally, participants held up hands covered in red paint, symbolising the human toll of the conflict.
