Pro-Palestine campaigners staged protests outside Camden Town tube station and the home of the Israeli ambassador to the UK.
The demonstrations organised by the Stop The War Coalition were among 57 pro-Palestinian events in the UK on Saturday (December 16), including assemblies and candle-lit vigils, amid growing international concern about the Israeli operation in the region.
The offensive, triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, has flattened much of northern Gaza and driven 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.
Outside Camden Town station in north London, people from Jewish Voice For Labour, a Jewish-led organisation standing “for the rights and justice of Jewish people everywhere”, held a large flag that said: “Always with the oppressed. Never with the oppressor”.
Another man carried a placard around his neck that said “Jews against genocide”.
A speaker stood on a bench in front of more than 100 supporters and shouted: “One, two, three, four”, while the group responded “occupation no more”.
He added: “Five, six, seven, eight” and the crowd shouted back: “Israel is a terrorist state”.
Several people shouted “from the river to the sea”, with others calling back: “Palestine will be free”, PA reported. The chant is seen by many as antisemitic.
The crowd then shouted repeatedly “ceasefire now”.
Another man stood up and shouted “teachers not a target, nurses not a target”.
There were cheers when a bus drove past the crowd and beeped its horn.
Police attended to keep the crowd on the pavement.
Meanwhile protestors gathered outside the home of Tzipi Hotovely, who was widely criticised this week for rejecting a two-state solution in an interview with Sky News.
Hundreds gathered outside her house and chanted “de-decolonise” and “ceasefire now”, with passing cars honking their horns in support.
One man with a megaphone said: “Many of you have seen the ambassador of Israel and concluded she is not a very nice person
“So she may not be a very nice person but what we object to is that she is calling for a genocide.”
It was met with chants of “shame on you”.
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