London protesters at pro-Palestinian march demand permanent Gaza ceasefire

Central London was packed with tens of thousands of people who turned out to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The National March for Palestine on Saturday took place on the second day of a truce between Israel and Hamas, which has seen the release of hostages held by the Palestinian group since October 7 and Palestinians jailed in Israel.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign estimated a turnout of 300,000 people calling for “an end to the siege of Gaza”.

Protests and solidarity marches have been held in London and cities across the world since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict seven weeks back.

The Metropolitan Police said at least five people were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, including for distributing “literature featuring a swastika inside a Star of David”.

The force said 1,500 officers were deployed to police the march.

Officers also handed out leaflets at the march “to provide clarity on offences and behaviour that won’t be tolerated”, police said.

The peaceful protesters carried banners that read, “Ceasefire Now!” and “Stop the War on Gaza”.

This month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters. She also made unauthorised comments about the country’s pro-Palestine demonstrations, which she called “hate marches”.