London kicks off Quds Day marches around world

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets of central London Sunday to express solidarity with the Palestinian people in the first of a series of annual al-Quds Day rallies held around the world.
People waved Palestine flags, Hizbullah flags and Hamas flags, and carried placards calling for a Free Palestine, end of Zionist Israel’s military occupation and an end to the siege of Gaza.

‘We are all Hizbullah, we are all Hamas,’ some of the slogans said in the midst of the latest Israeli killings and atrocities in Gaza.

The last Friday of Ramadan was designated as Quds Day by the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini in 1980 but this year’s commemoration in London is being held early due to next week’s Bank Holiday weekend.

The march from near the BBC Radio headquarters in Portland Place to a rally in Trafalgar Square was supported by 20 organisations, including several Jewish groups such as Jews Against Zionism, Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods and Neturei Karta UK.

Among others are Stop the War Coalition, Islamic Human Rights Commission, Islamic Forum of Europe, Muslim Council of Britain, Islamic Students Association, Muslim Association of Britain, UK Islamic Mission, Innovative Minds, Islamic Centre of England and London BDS.

There were also the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in England, Scotland and Ireland, Palestine Return Centre, Palestine Legal Aid Fund, Friends of Al Aqsa, Friends of Lebanon, Lebanese Community UK and Aloha Palestine.

‘This rally is crucial in giving a voice to the destitute people of Palestine who have been under occupation for over 63 years,’ said the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign.