50,000 demonstrators against anti-Semitism marched in London on November 26 to protest against the rise in hate crimes against Jews, Euractiv reported.
The surge in hatred is linked to an attack by Hamas militants on Israel in October and Israel’s retaliatory bombardments of the Gaza Strip.
Protesters carried placards reading “Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews” and “Zero tolerance for antisemites.” Others showed the faces of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Some people were singing in Hebrew, while others chanted “Bring them home,” referring to the hostages. Avraham El Hay, a student, commented:
“I’m here to support my Jewish community and I think we must stand up for ourselves, otherwise if we won’t stand for ourselves who will, you know?”
London’s Metropolitan Police received reports of 554 anti-Semitic offences between October 1 and November 1, compared to 44 a year earlier. The number of reported Islamophobic offences almost tripled to 220 over the same period.
Kate Worth, a travel agent, stated:
I want this march to achieve for people to understand there is no place for racism in this country. We are all equal. And it’s absolutely unacceptable what is happening right now for Jewish people.
Police arrested far-right activist Tommy Robinson at the start of Sunday’s march after he refused to leave the area when asked by officers. The organisers of the demonstration had requested that he not attend because of the distress his presence might have caused.
Sunday’s march came a day after a demonstration by pro-Palestinian protesters in London calling for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Police estimated that 45,000 people took part in Saturday’s demonstration, while Sunday’s protest managed to attract 50,000 people.
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, which focuses on Jewish issues in Britain, claimed the gathering was the largest of its kind since the so-called Battle of Cable Street in 1936, linked to anti-Semitism.
