HUNDREDS of thousands of people attended the national march for Palestine demanding that Britain breaks all ties with Israel in central London on Saturday.

An estimated 300,000 people marched following renewed international condemnation of Israel after its cabinet announced plans to escalate the genocide and occupy Gaza City. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer criticised the move but was slammed for failing to back this up with action.

Israel ally Germany, meanwhile, announced it was stopping military exports that could be used in Gaza.

The march coincided with mass arrests of a Defend Our Juries-organised demonstration at Parliament Square, where hundreds held signs protesting the proscription of activist group Palestine Action under terror laws.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal told the marchers: “Our government devotes its most meaningful action to trying to repress solidarity for showing its illegitimate proscription of Palestine Action — arresting behind me right now, hundreds of people protesting that proscription, protesting genocide.

“We condemn those arrests, and we stand in solidarity with each and every one of those protesters.

“The government is trying to draw attention away from its shame, it is trying to silence us — it will not work, our movement is growing its strength and it is the government that is becoming increasingly isolated.

“Even the Daily Express is calling out their inaction, even the German government is now moving to ban the sale of weapons to Israel. 

“This is not a moment to stop, this is a moment to escalate: we need to continue with all of our protests.”

Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German told the rally: “We are bitterly opposed to the proscription of Palestine Action. It is not terrorism to support the Palestinians.

“There is something deeply, deeply wrong about a society that allows Israel to carry out a genocide but cannot allow protests on the streets of London.” 

An artist who helped successfully mobilise for the recent cancellation by the Royal Opera House of Tosca in Israel, Danni Perry, said: “We are at a critical point of transition where cultural institutions are yielding to our demands.”

Actor Denise Gough, who starred in the Star Wars series Andor, also addressed the crowds, ending her speech by reading out a poem written by Gazan, Nour Abdel Latif, called If I Must Starve.