Around 200,000 people once again filled the streets of London on Saturday, September 6, for the 30th national demonstration for Palestine. Additional mobilizations targeted the ban on direct action group Palestine Action, with further actions planned this week as Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrives for an official visit with Keir Starmer’s government.
As in previous weeks, public sentiment stood in stark contrast to the government’s stance. Officials have tried to deflect anger over their support for the genocide in Gaza with vague promises of conditional recognition of Palestinian statehood, yet their policies remain firmly aligned with the interests of the Israeli occupation.
“As we stand here, the bombs are still dropping over the heads of the children in Gaza,” surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta told the central rally. “In response to that continuous beastly crime of genocide, the war criminal in-chief in Downing Street decides to welcome the president of the genocidal state of Israel […] Even now as the final solution is taking place in Gaza, he reasserts his undying support for this genocidal machine. Keir Starmer is wedded to this genocide as much as Netanyahu and Ben Gvir are wedded to this genocide.”
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Reports of Britain’s material backing for Israel’s war machine have intensified once again in recent weeks. Last week’s Gaza Tribunal, launched by independent MP Jeremy Corbyn after his call for a formal inquiry was rejected, laid bare both the extent of the destruction in Gaza and the UK’s role in sustaining it through continued relations with Israel.
Rather than respecting demands from hundreds of thousands to end support for Israel, Starmer’s government persists in what Corbyn described as genocide denial. Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, formerly foreign secretary, wrote: “As per the Genocide Convention, the crime of genocide occurs only where there is specific ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.’ The Government has not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent.”
The government’s refusal to shift course is also reflected in its ongoing proscription of Palestine Action. In London alone, approximately 1,500 people protested the ban over the weekend as part of a wider campaign to overturn it. Since July, the group Defend Our Juries has organized sit-ins where participants hold signs reading: “I Oppose Genocide. I Support Palestine Action.”
On Saturday, more than 800 people were arrested on counterterrorism charges for joining the sit-in and now face legal action. A delegation from the national march joined the protest in solidarity, reasserting the defense of the right to dissent. Defend Our Juries announced that sit-ins challenging the ban will continue until the proscription is lifted.
