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Protesters hold placards and wave Palestinian flags as they march in London on October 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
Thousands of people have once again taken to the streets in the British capital London to call for an immediate end to Israel’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip.
Large crowds started to gather in central London on Saturday afternoon, while more rallies are expected in other cities across the United Kingdom, including Manchester and Glasgow.
People in London were holding signs reading, "Free Palestine, end Israeli occupation." They were also chanting, "Stop arming Israel. Stop bombing Gaza."
"We are all Palestinian" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," others were chanting.
Thousands of people have once again taken to the streets in the British capital #London to call for an immediate end to Israel’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip.#gaza #israel #Palestine #FreePalestine #freegaza #uk #starlinkforgaza pic.twitter.com/pAp97HDwZm
— Ansarpress (@ansarpress1) October 28, 2023
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman had previously called on police chiefs to consider interpreting the "river to the sea" chant as an "expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world".
In a letter to chief constables in England and Wales, she had also warned that waving a Palestinian flag or singing a chant advocating freedom for Palestinians may be a "criminal offense".
Thousands of Metropolitan Police officers are on duty to monitor events, as they expect more demonstrators to join the rally during the day.
According to the Metropolitan Police, large crowds are expected to gather around the Embankment, Whitehall, Strand, Westminster, and Waterloo Bridges.
Last weekend, an estimated 100,000 people marched through the capital, demanding an end to Israel’s bombing campaign in the populated Palestinian territory.
Similar numbers of officers were involved in policing demonstrations last weekend and 10 people were arrested on the day.
Demonstrations have been taking place around the world to call for fighting to stop and for aid to be allowed into Gaza.
The Israeli regime launched the war on Gaza on October 7 and blocked water, food, and electricity to one of the most densely populated places in the world.
The airstrikes have so far killed more than 7,700 people in the strip, the Gaza health ministry said Saturday. Virtually 21,400 people have also been wounded since the bombing began three weeks ago.