Thousands rally in London to halt UK arms sales to Israel (Video)

Demonstrators also called for a boycott of Israeli goods, describing Israel’s actions against Palestinians over the past three years as genocide.

Thousands of people took to the streets of London on Saturday, calling on the UK government to stop supplying arms to Israel and boycott trade with the country over its actions in Gaza, which protesters say amount to three years of genocide against Palestinians.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza three years ago in response to the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage. The United Nations estimates that around 1.98 million people, or 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced by the operations since then, while much of the enclave’s water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Video footage from central London shows crowds of demonstrators gathering along the Victoria Embankment, with many wearing keffiyehs, carrying Palestinian flags, and holding placards reading ‘End the genocide’, ‘Free Palestine’, ‘Disarm Israel, save lives’, and ‘Make empathy great again’ as they marched towards Parliament. A bride and groom also appeared to be among those taking part.

The protesters urged the British authorities to step up efforts “make much more strident efforts” to force Israel to comply with international law, journalist and political commentator Syed Mohsin Abbas, who was at the scene, told RT. The Deep Dive Perspective podcast host stressed that demonstrators were calling for more concrete steps against Israel wherever possible.

“The realistic demands are really that the arms to Israel should be stopped altogether, trade with Israel should be boycotted,” Abbas added.

There are already some UK restrictions on arms exports to Israel, including the suspension of licenses for equipment that could be used by Israeli forces in Gaza. Britain has also taken steps to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories. London has said it will refuse export license applications for goods that could materially contribute to the occupation, while other trade restrictions target settlement-linked activity.

Protesters view those measures as limited steps that fall short of bringing about meaningful change for Palestinians. Ismail Patel, head of the UK-based campaign group Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA), criticized the restrictions for targeting trade linked to Israeli settlements rather than taking broader action on arms exports and commerce with Israel, accusing the British government of adopting a “performative” stance instead of meaningful action to protect Palestinian rights.