On Saturday 18 January, Britons once again took to the streets to show their support for the people of Palestine. As is unfortunately common in Britain, the peaceful march was beset by what some have described as “fascist” police violence. The Met Police also arrested 77 people, with former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn criticising their excuse for doing so:
This is not an accurate description of events at all.
I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed.
This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through.
When we… https://t.co/6CQe8w9Nmo
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) January 18, 2025
‘Force’ against the force?
Corbyn’s response to the Met Police in full reads:
This is not an accurate description of events at all.
I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed.
This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through.
When we reached Trafalgar Square, we informed police that we would go no further, lay down flowers and disperse.
At that point, the Chief Steward, Chris Nineham was arrested. We then turned back and dispersed.
I urge the police to release all bodycam footage and retract its misleading account of events.
Corbyn’s former shadow chancellor also commented on the situation:
I spoke at demo & was part of a procession of speakers aiming to go to BBC to lay flowers commemorating the death of Palestinian children. We did not force our way thru, the police allowed us to go thru & when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down & dispersed.1/3 https://t.co/iw5XTn7TWP
— John McDonnell (@johnmcdonnellMP) January 18, 2025
According to the National, an internal police investigation is now under way. The outlet also carries the following response from the Met:
We have policed more than 20 national protests organised by the PSC since October 2023.
This is the highest number of arrests we have seen, in response to the most significant escalation in criminality.
We could not have been clearer about the conditions in place. Protesters were to remain in Whitehall with no march towards the BBC.
Our relationship with protest organisers has to be based on trust and good faith. If they say they will act responsibly and lawfully we need to be able to know those are genuine assurances.
That is why it was so deeply disappointing to see a deliberate effort, involving organisers of the demonstration, to breach the conditions and attempt to march out of Whitehall.
Officers responded bravely and decisively, ensuring they got no further than Trafalgar Square and certainly nowhere near their target.
I am quite confident this was a coordinated breach with the intention being to reach the BBC at Portland Place in defiance of the conditions. There is video footage of one of the organisers clearly inciting the crowd to join a march and one of the organisations involved has released a statement this evening confirming as much.
At the same time as the group was attempting to force its way past police lines, camera crews were seen arriving in Portland Place. It is unlikely that the timing was simply a coincidence.
We are in possession of footage from officers’ body worn cameras, from CCTV and from social media. We know who was involved in leading the movement of so many people through police lines. Investigations are now underway and we will make every effort to bring prosecutions against those we identify.
Speaking on the arrested Chris Nineham, Corbyn said:
Chris Nineham has organised anti-war demonstrations for over 25 years.
Today, he was arrested whilst arranging for flowers to be laid in memory of children who had been killed in Gaza.
His arrest is an affront to the democratic rights of us all — he must be released now.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) January 18, 2025
‘Just the beginning’ says Corbyn
Earlier this week, the world received the news that there would be a ceasefire between the invading Israel and the invaded Gaza. Speaking on this at the march, Corbyn said:
A ceasefire is just the beginning. We will not rest until Palestine is free. pic.twitter.com/C3TeEFSXst
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) January 18, 2025
Corbyn also made it clear what more there is to be done:
"We're demonstrating our continued and everlasting support for the people of Palestine. The ceasefire will save some lives, but over 100 have died since it was announced. We're here demanding our govt stop arms to Israel." @jeremycorbyn#StopArmingIsrael pic.twitter.com/FkqOOCmimt
— Stop the War (@STWuk) January 18, 2025
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDC) movement released an article responding to the ceasefire:
(1) From ceasefire to ceasing the genocide
The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the largest coalition in Palestinian society that is leading the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, welcomes the news of a ceasefire agreement with immense relief. A ceasefire, however, is only the most important first step to end the genocide against the 2.3 million Palestinians in the illegally occupied and besieged Gaza Strip. Without massive pressure, it may constitute a continuation of a less visible form of genocide that Israel and the US hope will provoke less regional and global outrage, boycotts and sanctions.
After all, Israel’s genocide, armed, funded and shielded from accountability by the colonial West, intentionally reduced the illegally occupied Gaza Strip into an unlivable territory by destroying life-sustaining conditions designed to cause continued mass loss of Palestinian lives and spread of infectious diseases as well as famine or food insecurity for years to come, while attempting to force as many Palestinians as possible into exile. According to UN human rights experts, this genocide has included “domicide, urbicide, scholasticide, medicide, cultural genocide and, more recently, ecocide.” The devastating effects of all these crimes, as well as the Israeli-induced starvation, will continue to kill thousands more Palestinians due to the immense carnage and Israel’s wilful destruction of life-sustaining conditions across Gaza.
Only massive global pressure, especially in the form of BDS, can truly contribute to ending Israel’s genocide and support the Palestinian struggle to dismantle Israeli apartheid.
The full article presents their plan for continuing to apply pressure to Israel and the Western powers which support them.
Campaign Against the Arms Trade also made a statement about the ceasefire (written before it was fully agreed by both sides). Their statement makes it clear that while this is a positive development, the many decades of oppression that the Palestinians have suffered show us we shouldn’t turn our eyes away now:
We welcome the news of a potential ceasefire in Gaza- anything that could bring an end to the horrors inflicted on Palestinian people is a ray of hope.
However, the promised ceasefire has not yet been agreed, let alone tested, and there is no guarantee that the planned ‘second phase’ of the agreement, leading to a permanent end to the current war, will be sealed. Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, with the full complicity of the US and UK governments. Even in the best case scenario, Palestinian people in Gaza are facing a humanitarian catastrophe and environmental devastation. Homes and infrastructure are in ruins, hospitals and healthcare destroyed and people are facing starvation and disease. The genocide will continue, even without dropping bombs, unless Palestinian people are given full access to aid and the resources to rebuild.
Israel has shown it has utter contempt for international humanitarian law (IHL). Even our government admits that it assesses Israel is not committed to complying with IHL. Even if there is a ceasefire, it is still breaching IHL in its actions in the occupied territories. Even if the bombs stop dropping, Israel will be breaching IHL if it does not allow aid into Gaza.
While a ceasefire would be positive progress, the conflict will not be resolved while Israel and its allies deny the humanity and rights of the Palestinian people. Recognising the state of Palestine is the only path to a just peace, the only path to realising the rights and autonomy of Palestinians.
Now is the time to keep up the pressure. Israel is still committing genocide with the full complicity of our government. We need to keep demanding a full two-way arms embargo. A genuine, long-lasting peace can only be achieved when we stop the flow of arms sales.
Now is the time to make sure our government knows that a ceasefire doesn’t mean it is business as usual for arms dealers. It must not reinstate the few licenses it suspended.
Now is the time to keep standing with the Palestinian people.
Alleged police violence
Footage from the march showed thousands of people coming together to peacefully show support for Palestinians:
💥 100 strong bloc now on the move to join London demo for Gaza & Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/1Ju6kMuD6G
— Brighton PSC (@BrightonPSC) January 18, 2025
Despite the @metpoliceuk’s shameful efforts to thwart our peaceful, democratic national demo for #Palestine in #London today, we have turned out in our masses and show we will always stand with Palestine. 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸 https://t.co/gTbGo31K6t pic.twitter.com/1GdNIC0rEj
— Brent & Harrow PSC (@BrentHarrowPSC) January 18, 2025
Another HUGE demo in London for peace in #Palestine, and we haven’t even got going yet.
Check out the coppers behind the wall filming us all 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/dJRdPLv1QU
— Dr Louise Raw (@LouiseRawAuthor) November 25, 2023
🇵🇸 Palestine march in London stages sit down in face of police repression #freepalestine pic.twitter.com/caJeRR2dCk
— Socialist Worker (@socialistworker) January 18, 2025
However, some footage shows there was violence. It’s alleged that the police instigated this due to a protester filming their actions, which is what the following video appears to show:
several peaceful #Palestine protesters assaulted and arrested by fascist met police for doing nothing but filming #London pic.twitter.com/uqFmr7P7IL
— vmins wedding planner⁷ SEEING HOBI (@vmin4ams) January 18, 2025
If the police officers had a legitimate reason for arresting this person, it’s not made clear in the video. Instead they demand that marchers questioning their actions “go away” and that they’ll be “locked up”.
Networks of violence and oppression
On the same day that the Met arrested 77 marchers, Declassified published the following article:
Senior Metropolitan Police officers, including commissioner Mark Rowley, have spoken at an Israeli think tank linked to its military and intelligence service, Mossad, Declassified has found👇https://t.co/jgM1YE5yvD
— Declassified UK (@declassifiedUK) January 18, 2025
The piece highlights the well-established links between British/American police forces and Israel, and these links shouldn’t come as a surprise. America and its followers support Israel because it suits American interests, and Israel in turn does what it can to support the control that Western governments have over their citizens.
In other words, you shouldn’t be surprised when the British establishment comes down heavy on peaceful protesters who are siding with the victims of a genocide. It’s all the same system; it’s all the same violence; we’re just spared from the worst of it over here.
For now, anyway.
But that won’t hold true forever if the people in charge can get away with increasingly depraved acts of mass violence.
Featured image via Eye on Palestine / Wikimedia (Chatham House)