Pro-Palestinian march in London draws disputed crowd estimates

A large pro-Palestinian march took place in central London on October 10, with demonstrators calling for an end to Israeli attacks in Gaza and for the UK to stop selling arms to Israel. Organised by the Palestine Coalition, the march proceeded from the Embankment towards Parliament and Westminster as part of demonstrations held in other cities, including Berlin. The size of the London crowd was disputed. Organisers estimated that about 250,000 people attended, while other coverage described several thousand or tens of thousands. The accounts do not provide a common independent crowd-counting method, so no single attendance figure is established. Marchers carried Palestinian flags and placards reading “Free Palestine” and “End the genocide.” A two-minute silence was held for Palestinians killed in Gaza. Aimee Shalan, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said the march marked three years of what she described as an ongoing genocide. That characterization was her stated position. The demonstrators also called for an end to UK arms supplies to Israel. Organisers and speakers urged the government to take further action, including imposing an arms embargo.