Hundreds of protesters march in support of Palestine
HUNDREDS of protesters took to the streets of Cardiff city centre yesterday afternoon in support of Palestine.
Protesters were holding banners and chanting “free, free Palestine” and “Palestine will be free” as they marched from The Hayes to Queen Street.
Violence in the Middle East has intensified in the past week with Israel forces bombing Palestinian insurgent positions in Gaza.
At least 122 people have been killed in Gaza and eight have died in Israel since the fighting began on Monday.
In Cardiff yesterday, there was a police presence in the city centre and they followed the largely peaceful march into Castle Street and then on to the city’s main shopping street.
A couple of protesters climbed on top of the Aneurin Bevan statue at the top of Queen Street. One climbed onto the shoulders of the statue while another led a chant of “Boris Johnson, shame on you”.
Over a megaphone, a protester said: “We elected them and we have to make sure they stop selling arms to Israel and stop supporting Israel.
“The people of Palestine are not statistics and we need to get their stories out there and show the world what’s really going on.”
Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered in central London to march in solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Organisers say “immediate action” is needed by the UK Government to help end the “brutal” violence against the Palestinian people.
At midday, demonstrators arrived at Hyde Park near Marble Arch to march to the Israeli embassy, holding banners and chanting.
Thousands of people marched through the park chanting “free, free Palestine”, and holding banners calling for an end to the bombing of the territory by Israeli forces.
Crowds of protesters then arrived outside the gates of the Israeli embassy in Kensington.
Dozens of police officers were lining nearby streets.