Protesters gather in central London for Nakba Day rally
'Unite the Kingdom' march attracts thousands of people
Thousands of people have descended on central London for two separate rallies amid a heavy security presence.
One of the demonstrations is the Nakba Day rally, which is an annual protest organized by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups, dw.com reports.
“Nakba” means “catastrophe” in Arabic and marks the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians in 1948 during the Arab-Israeli war which led to the establishment of the state of Israel. The war destroyed hundreds of Palestinian villages and forcibly displaced Palestinian communities.
The day continues to shape Palestinian identity and has taken on renewed urgency against the background of the two-year Gaza war.
London’s Metropolitan Police said in an update in the afternoon that it has arrested 11 people for a “variety of offenses” so far, but did not specify how many arrests were linked to the pro-Palestine march.
There is also a parallel rally taking place in London with a very different purpose. Organized by far-right leader Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, the “Unite the Kingdom” march has also attracted thousands of people.
Robinson founded the nationalist and anti-Islam English Defense League and is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain.
