Thousands join pro-Palestine protest in London, huge crowd ‘storms the Cenotaph’ | Viral Videos

The social media is flooded with videos reportedly showing a huge crowed participating in the “National March for Palestine” in the central London on Saturday. The march was organised after a two-minutes’ silence was observed at The Cenotaph war memorial to remember Britain’s war dead on Armistice Day.

According to AFP, huge crowds of protesters waved black, red, white and green Palestinian flags and held aloft placards proclaiming “Stop Bombing Gaza”. As the march set off, protesters shouted “free Palestine” and “ceasefire now”.

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The march on Saturday generated concern because it coincided with Armistice Day. This day commemorates the end of fighting in World War I in 1918 — and political criticisms about the policing operation.

Several social media users posted videos showing hundreds of people “literally storming the Cenotaph on Armistice Day”. Many held UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman responsible for the incident and called for her resignation.

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A user shared one such video on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said, “Yes these are far right nationalist thugs literally storming the Cenotaph on Armistice Day. Suella Braverman whipped up this frenzy. I call on her to resign, immediately.”

SkyNews even reported that a scuffle broke out “people shouting ‘England, till I die’ attempted to reach the Cenotaph”.

According to AFP, minor scuffles had erupted near the memorial as counter-protesters — many dressed in black with their faces covered, and some waving England’s St George’s flag and the Union Jack — tried to break through police lines.

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Meanwhile, the Guardian reported late Saturday evening that clashes broke out in central London as rightwing protesters attempted to reach the Cenotaph war memorial. “Protesters could be heard chanting ‘You’re not English any more’ at the police as they pushed against metal barriers in Whitehall,” the report said.

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Some user on X claimed that “the wreaths on the Cenotaph” were thrown to the floor and Palestinian flags (were) put in their place.” In a purported video, a man could be seen re-placing the wreaths.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had made a late plea for calm late on Friday, calling for protesters to do so “respectfully and peacefully”.

The political row

Many people accused UK’s Metropolitan Police of being “very selective” while taking action against a group and even held UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman responsible for “fuelling” the march.

Rishi Sunak was recently under pressure to sack one of his most senior ministers, Suella Braverman, after she published an inflammatory article attacking the police’s handling of a planned pro-Palestinian march. She accused police of being more sympathetic to so-called left-wing protests than others.

In an opinion piece published ahead of a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday, Braverman – the home secretary responsible for policing and national security – accused the police of exhibiting a “double standard” in the way they treat protests, notably pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Braverman also criticised tens of thousands of protesters who have gathered in London since the Hamas attack on Israel last month. The home secretary called the protests “hate marches”, despite the fact they have not led to overt violence.

She is seen as a possible candidate to be the next leader of the governing Conservative Party.

A social media user, Aamer Anwar, tweeted, “Here’s your ‘Hate March’ @SuellaBraverman fuelled by you, with St George flags shouting “England till I die” marching to ‘defend’ the Cenotaph, rioting, attacking the police, disrupting the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month #RemembanceDay 🇵🇸🕊️

Another hit out at the police and said, “On route to London. I want to see for myself what is happening in the capital on #ArmisticeDay. I could watch the news but like the @metpoliceuk MSM is very selective on what they do. #Cenotaph.”