Several arrested at pro-Palestinian march in central London

Several thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, near the British Parliament.

They called for an end to Israeli strikes on Gaza and carried signs including “Free Palestine.”

The march came three days after the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which sparked the war in Gaza.

A ceasefire ended the war a year ago, but Israel has continued strikes against people it says are Hamas operatives planning attacks or rebuilding the group’s capabilities.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says those strikes have killed 1,450 people, without distinguishing civilians from combatants; Israel rejects allegations that it is committing genocide and says it tries to avoid harming civilians.

London police said they made several arrests, including a man and a woman with placards supporting Palestine Action, which is banned in the UK.

A small pro-Israel counterprotest also took place, and the march organizers called for full sanctions on Israel.