Yesterday's London march
Posted: 19th January 2025
Yesterday over one hundred thousand of us assembled on Whitehall to commemorate the over 46,000 Palestinians killed in over 15 months of genocide and to demand that the ceasefire is just the beginning of justice for the Palestinian people.
We refused to assemble in Russell Square, where the police wanted us to be, and instead took our message directly to Keir Starmer outside Downing Street.
However, due to the police’s outrageous restrictions we were unable to march and unable to collect any funds to pay for the cost of the demonstration, meaning we have a £30,000 bill to pay. Can you help us cover these costs?
For the past 15 months you have supported us as we have marched in unprecedented numbers calling for a ceasefire and an end to Britain’s complicity in Israel’s crimes. We have faced down those who tried to falsely demonise our marches to build one of the largest and most sustained protest movements since the struggle for women’s suffrage.
You and everyone else who stood up for Palestine should be immensely proud that we appear to have now, finally, secured a ceasefire.
However, scenes of jubilation were cut short for many in Gaza as Israel ramped up its genocidal war machine before the ceasefire could come into effect. Over 100 Palestinians have been killed since the deal was announced.
In the Al-Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City a video emerged of a man talking to his infant sister. “Get up, the war is over” he says as he shakes her lifeless body, mangled and covered in rubble from an Israeli air strike.
This past week has reminded us that this genocide is not over, and a ceasefire is not enough. Palestinians in Gaza are still facing displacement, starvation and disease. Entire cities have been ethnically cleansed and the health system has been destroyed by Israel.
Will you continue to support the people of Gaza by supporting PSC?
Beyond the immediate ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we must also use the support built up over the past 15 months and on display yesterday in Whitehall to demand more for the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian people deserve more than just an end to this genocide. They deserve an end to Israeli apartheid. They deserve an end to occupation. They deserve their full menu of rights. They deserve the right to return. They deserve to be able to live full, free and happy lives.
We must continue our campaigns to build support for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions to weaken Israeli apartheid by weakening British state, institutional and corporate complicity. We need to build solidarity with Palestine in our communities, trade unions, political parties and university campuses.
That is why yesterday’s demonstration was so important. At Whitehall we sent the message that we will not rest until Palestine is free – from the river to the sea. But demonstrations like yesterday cost us £30,000 each and we need to raise more money to expand our campaigns even further.
Can you help us to keep our campaigns going?
These unprecedented demonstrations we’ve coordinated for more than a year have been sustained by many thousands of people like you, chipping in what they can.
So if you’re in a position to contribute today, a few quid or something more, we’d be so grateful for your support as we continue to take to the streets en masse, against Israel’s genocide and ongoing apartheid.
Thank you so much for all you do.
Simon Foster
Deputy Director, PSC