I got to Whitehall at around 12:30 and there were around 100-200 people outside Downing Street. Then more people continued to come. And continued to come they did. Hundreds became thousands.
We were protesting against the Israel’s state terrorism and cold bloodied murder. Activists were killed on the flotilla, numbers were unknown and nobody knew what had happened to the number of Brits on the flotilla (Kevin Ovenden, Sarah Colborne, Ewa Jasiewicz). The mood was defiant, angry and loud. We chanted on the pavement. The cops pushing us back on the pavement. Then a cop van turned up blocking us on the pavement and pretty much there was a collective agreement of ‘sod this’ and we took over the road.
The pavement was getting cramped and uncomfortable. Speakers included Jeremy Corbyn who gave a passionate and powerful talk arguing for sanctions, divestment and boycott. John Rees spoke about the apartheid nature of Israel and said today was “Israel’s Soweto” (frankly, this isn’t the first Soweto, there have been a number!). We then marched to the israeli Embassy, it kinda took the cops by surprise, I was expecting them to kettle us but they didn’t. As we marched along we blocked cars and buses, again the cops were caught on the hop. We got to the embassy and chanted, ‘Shame on you, Shame on you’… There were so many people squeezing into the road and pavement. I left at 5pm so don’t know what happened. I twittered but unfortunately battery went dead.
I will upload pix later.
Good to hear it went off without police violence. I still recall the baton charge in the underpass near the Ritz (good activist landmark) at the first march after the bombardment of Gaza in late 08/early 09. That seems like yesterday because nothing’s changed…
… except there’s more of us and we’re angrier and better organized and Israel is more isolated than ever!
It makes you weep,the pro israeli propoganda machine is in full flow on the Guardian.
It does make you weep. And totally agree VM!