People holding placards and flags of Palestine take part in a 'March For Palestine', part of a pro-Palestinian national demonstration, in London on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)
London: Thousands of people rallied Saturday in central London for a pro-Palestinian protest following police warnings that anyone showing support for Hamas could face arrest.
Attendees, who gathered near BBC News' headquarters through the morning, began a march through the British capital ahead of an afternoon rally near parliament and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office and residence.
Some displayed Palestinian flags and placards -- bearing slogans including "freedom for Palestine", "end the massacre" and "sanctions for Israel" -- as they made their way towards the end-point for a series of planned speeches.
"I think all just people around the world, not just in Britain, must stand up and call for this madness (to end)," Ismail Patel, chairman of the Friends of Al-Aqsa campaign, told AFP at the demonstration.
"Otherwise, in the next few days, (we) might see a catastrophe unfolding."
The rally comes as Israel intensifies its war to destroy Hamas' capability, relentlessly pounding the Gaza Strip and deploying tens of thousands of soldiers nearby ahead of an expected ground offensive in the enclave.europ
