Having overnighted in Bedford on that beautifully tree lined boulevard by the Great Ouse, I’m in Muswell Hill on Saturday just after eight for breakfast, coffee, then 134 to Mornington Crescent. From there it’s a stroll past Euston then down Tottenham Court and Charing Cross Roads to the Strand. As I cross that last, the beat of a hundred drums eclipses the din of London Town.
Embankment Tube is in sight, Villiers Street jammed wall to wall.
Nova Media, trustworthy on these matters, says I’m one in half a million. Near the river a deeply clever dude under a plane tree eyes up my L-series 70:200 and assures me I brought the wrong lens. I need a wide angle, he insists.
His is a common error.
The route’s the same as ever, shown on this May 19 snap.
But now it’s October 11, and here’s my record of yet another Saturday march for Gaza.
Today, two days on, Caitlin responds to that “peace plan”:
Israel’s top officials are openly declaring that they intend to terminate the Gaza ceasefire after they get their hostages back.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has posted a tweet in Hebrew which machine translates as follows:
Israel’s great challenge after the phase of returning the hostages will be the destruction of all of Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza, directly by the IDF and through the international mechanism to be established under the leadership and supervision of the United States. This is the primary significance of implementing the agreed-upon principle of demilitarizing Gaza and neutralizing Hamas of its weapons. I have instructed the IDF to prepare for carrying out the mission.
Hamas has not agreed to any demilitarization or destruction of its tunnels. There is no way to demilitarize Gaza and neutralize Hamas of its weapons against their will without continued warfare, something Israel has demonstrated it cannot do without killing shocking numbers of civilians.
At the Houses of Parliament we turn sharp left onto Westminster Bridge. At the downward tilt of its far side, just before we take a left into York Road for Waterloo, stand six Orthodoxers in full Judaist rig, two of them juveniles. On a wall above the passing crowds they cut a splendid sight as they lead the call-and-answer Free Palestine chant …
“… five, six, seven, eight, Israel is a …”
“… terrorist state!”
We recross via Waterloo Bridge to head for the Strand. At its junction with Wellington Street a small but colourfully vociferous arrogance of Zionists gathers, as on all the other Gaza marches through Central London, in counter protest.
We’re useful idiots, one of their posters assures us, without saying to whom. With Soviet Union long gone they haven’t the fallback accusation of that other set of apartheid apologists, feeling the same heat of global opprobrium half a century ago.
*
I break my journey home at a tiny car park by the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal. Sunday morning sees thick mist on the water.
It stays with me for much of the drive north, but is burnt away by the time I reach a country park near Chesterfield to rendezvous with Jackie and the stepgirls for dog walk then lunch in Barlow.
On this sumptuously autumnal day you’d think all was right with the world, wouldn’t you? Just tickety-boo.
* * *
Terrific photos Phil.
M
Thanks Marion. It’s so good to be at these events and if my pictures convey a fraction of that, I’m one happily scribbling shutterbug…
Yes, Phil, another set of really powerful and moving pix. Esp valuable as I wasn’t aware of any media coverage – mainstream, anyway, of either this event or the recent Sheffield one you photographed. It was also helpful to see the variety of slogans and get the sense that, even after 2 years, the momentum of protest is still building- despite all the real.or threatened government restrictions.X
Hi Ros. My sense from this, the fifth London march I’ve covered (plus several in Sheffield) is as you say: two years in, there’s no sign of diminishing support for a free Palestine.
Great pics, Phil. Very encouraging to see so many on the right (left) side.
Soon be time for Blair to be up for another charge of aiding genocide. How many can one person need? Maybe South Africa will lead the charge again, as not many others seem able.
Very encouraging indeed, Jams.
I’m pretty good with words but on Blair they fail me.
Great photos as usual, Phil. I was one of the 500,000 people too, but didn’t get much further than the embankment between Westminster and Waterloo bridges due to a dodgy hip.
It was an amazing atmosphere, with so many and such a variety of people represented, including children and several lovely dogs!
Channel 4 confirmed the 500,000 number.
Btw, did you mean Novara media?
Yes, I meant Novara Media and, yes, amazing atmosphere.
Great you were able to be there at all!