ACTIVISTS on London’s Westminster Bridge unfurled two 80ft banners yesterday, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and upstaging the Palace of Westminster during morning rush hour.
It came as Palestinian lives hung in the balance as a temporary “humanitarian pause” in the fighting was drawing to an end.
Leila Malik, from the Free Palestine Coalition — a network of grassroots groups including Black Lives Matter UK and Sisters Uncut — said: “It could not be clearer that the people are with Palestine.
“Yet shamefully our government refuses to apply pressure on Israel for a permanent ceasefire — let alone stop selling weapons to Israel.
“Britain is profiting from Palestinian blood. How many more children have to die before we say enough is enough?”
Fellow protester John Aldwick added: “Despite hundreds of thousands marching repeatedly in solidarity with Palestinians, our government clearly hasn’t got the message, so we wanted to say it again loud and clear.
“A pause is not enough, we need a full ceasefire and a political solution, which starts with ending Israeli impunity and our complicity in apartheid and genocide by implementing a two-way military embargo now.”
The action, which took place before huge numbers of commuters at 8.30am yesterday, was designed to amplify pressure on the British government to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Palestinian groups including the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement and Palestinian Youth Movement had called for a global day of action on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People yesterday.
Israel has confirmed it will continue its destructive bombing campaign after the end of the “humanitarian pause.”
The Belgian, Spanish and French governments have backed ceasefire calls.
But the British government has refused to make clear calls for a ceasefire, despite YouGov polling showing 76 per cent of the British public back the move.
Almost 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s bombing began seven weeks ago, more than 6,150 of them children.
Thousands more Palestinians are expected to die from starvation and dehydration.
The war began after the deadly attack on October 7 by Hamas, which governs Gaza, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in Israel, and roughly 240 people were taken hostage.
