The 35th March for Palestine was organised under the umbrella of the Together Alliance comprising 300 organisations including communities, trade unions, faith groups and campaigners in solidarity with Palestine and in opposition to racism and the far right. Organisers estimated half a million marchers including people of all ages, ethnicities, all faiths and none.
As always, the ICAHD contingent marched with the Jewish block.
Speakers included a spokesman for Friends of Al-Aqsa who talked eloquently about how racists were ‘weaponizing’ Islam as if the religion itself is dangerous and how anti-Palestinian prejudice paints an entire people as violent. No community should scapegoated for opposing Israeli state violence.
PSC deputy director Peter Leary reminded us that every year we march to commemorate the Nakba of 1948. This year the march is scheduled for May 16th but Tommy Robinson has called his supporters to mobilise a hate march on that day. He stressed that those who believe in justice should turn up on that Saturday to stand together for Palestine.
David Moxham, emeritus professor of respiratory medicine at King’s College London, is present on every march. As usual he was protesting the imprisonment and torture of Dr Hussam Abu Safieh, a prominent Palestinian paediatrician and the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Dr Abu Safieh gained international recognition for his dedication to treating patients under siege conditions during the conflict before being detained by Israeli forces. He remains in Israeli detention without charge or trial, with reports of serious health deterioration due to alleged torture, starvation, and inhumane treatment.
One member of the Jewish contingent expressed frustration to ICAHD that the media represents all those of the Jewish faith as pro-Israel, without ever seeking their actual views. He, like so many, is opposed to everything Israel is doing.
As our Palestinian contingent feeder march joined the main march we were buoyed up by the numbers of people marching for peace, justice and equal rights for all.