London protest planned in support of Gaza and Palestinians’ right of return

A number of Palestine solidarity organisations in Britain are organising a series of popular events and demonstrations in protest at Israel’s killing and wounding of participants in the Great March of return in Gaza last Friday. The demonstrations will also offer full support for the Palestinian refugees’ right of return.

The decision to go ahead with the protests was made at a meeting on Wednesday called by the Palestinian Forum in Britain and the International Coordinating Committee of the Great Return March. Among the organisations taking part in Saturday’s demonstration will be the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa and Stop the War.

“A large demonstration is being organised on Saturday in Westminster,” explained Zaher Birawi, the Committee head, on Thursday. “It will be the first in a series of events from now until the 70th anniversary of the Nakba in mid-May.”

Birawi pointed out that supporting activities will also be held in major cities across Britain, not only in London. Seminars, conferences and exhibitions on the right of return and the Nakba will be arranged, in addition to protests against Israel’s crimes and its racist policies against the Palestinians.

Palestinians in Gaza have been gathering daily over the past week in protest at the violation of their rights and Israel’s refusal to allow them to return to their land from which they were ethnically cleansed in 1948 and 1967. At least 18 people were killed by Israeli snipers last Friday, and the number of those wounded has now risen to more than 1,500, according to figures released by the Palestine Health Ministry.

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