March in support of Palestinians in central London today. Wildly different estimates as to the number of demonstrators, as is usual. Organisers claiming 500,000 or more while it is said police estimate thirty to forty thousand. Would think that likely to be low and the Met do have some history of minimising crowd size in political demonstrations (footnotes available on request). Though of course organisers have reason to wish to inflate numbers. We arrive early, having skipped the march proper and headed for the finish spot on Whitehall near 10 Downing Street where the speeches are meant to be.
Speeches should begin at two and at first the main body of the demo has not yet arrived and there is a relaxed almost country fair feeling, with music, and Palestinian food and clothing and pins on sale and people staking out seating on convenient curbs. By two-thirty the marchers begin arriving - and arriving and arriving. The crowd is dense but harmonious. The audio system pretty unclear but the people friendly and co-operative. Not quite cheerful. Everyone well aware that while there is a peace agreement to be celebrated there have been cease fires before. And there are many thousands of dead Palestinian children. And families and homes destroyed. And more bodies waiting beneath the rubble. There have been civilians killed by the IDF since the ceasefire. Not bombed but targeted. There is hope here but not joy. And there is a profound need to make clear that ordinary people will not accept a resumption of the genocide.
By three the speeches are over. Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana and others. It’s actually so tightly packed that it’s difficult to leave but we start to thread our way slowly toward Trafalgar Square.
But more music with drums and tambourines - and we suddenly realise that not only is it not over but marchers are still steadily arriving. And they keep coming until four o’clock.
And they’re from everywhere. Banners proclaiming their identities, their boroughs and villages and universities. Their trade unions and professions, their nationality. One man is wearing a kilt. There are families and there are dogs. And there is no possibility that the prime minister - who is almost certainly not home - or politicians here or abroad -
will suppose that this is of concern only to Palestinians or only to Muslims. That no one else recognises genocide and no one else cares.
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