Crowds rally to support people of Palestine

Several hundred demonstrators gathered in George Square in Glasgow yesterday for a rally in solidarity with Palestinians.

Protesters shouted “free Palestine” and waved Palestinian flags and placards in the sunshine just hours after the area was cleared of a sea of broken glass and debris left by Rangers fans celebrating the club’s league title.

Ahead of yesterday’s rally, civil liberties lawyer Aamer Anwar tweeted that “1000s will gather peacefully with families & no alcohol, to protest the genocide of #Palestinians”.

He added: “We demand total respect by @policescotland & a facilitation of the democratic right to protest, we will not tolerate any double standards or excuses”.

It comes after similar rallies in other major cities across the UK and Ireland in solidarity with the people of Palestine at the weekend.

In London, nine police officers were injured and missiles were thrown amid efforts to disperse crowds outside the Israeli Embassy.

Thousands of people had earlier marched through the capital to the gates of the embassy in Kensington. Nine people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.

Scotland Yard said small pockets of disorder had followed a largely peaceful demonstration.

Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes after a week of sustained conflict. Since last Monday night, Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, whose military responded by barraging the Gaza Strip with tank fire and air strikes.

At least 145 people in Gaza and eight in Israel have been killed.