On Saturday, 21 June, 2025, thousands of pro-Palestine supporters gathered in central London, demanding an end to British arms sales to Israel as it commits genocide in Gaza, and an end to the war on Iran.
Protestors, arriving from across the UK, marched in 30°C midday heat from Russell Square to Whitehall. Waving Palestinian and Iranian flags, they chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, “occupation no more, Israel is a terrorist state”, and “stop bombing Gaza, stop bombing Iran” and displayed placards saying ‘Stop Arming Israel’, ‘Hands Off Iran’, and ‘Freedom for Palestine’.
They also chanted “shame on you” as they walked past a small group of pro-Israeli counter-protesters, stationed at Waterloo Bridge along the march route.
Speakers at the march included Dr. Mohammed Tahir, a British-Iraqi surgeon who recently returned to the UK after seven months on missions in Gaza, as well as Independent MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, and Apsana Begum, and the Former First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, and English musician-actress Paloma Faith.
Addressing Israel’s war on Iran, Carol Turner, spokesperson for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament pointed to Israel’s “nuclear hypocrisy” as its status as an undeclared nuclear weapons state that has refused to sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Speakers and protesters also showed solidarity with activists targeted by the British government, such as the Irish band Kneecap and the group Palestine Action.
On Friday 20 June, Palestine Action damaged two military planes at RAF Brize Norton — a base used for military operations in Gaza and across West Asia. Following the action, over 40 organizations including UK-based South Asian groups South Asians 4 Palestine, ROT Collective, and South Asia Solidarity Group signed a joint statement expressing solidarity with Palestine Action.
At the march, speakers also gave attention to the upcoming June 30 and July 1 court trials for the eighteen imprisoned actionists, known collectively as the Filton 18, for their August 2024 action at the Filton premises of Israeli weapons company, Elbit Systems.
The demonstration was jointly organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop The War, and Muslim Association of Britain.
