October 14th 2023 marked the first national Palestine demonstration in London organised by the PSC. Since then, more than 20 additional demos have been held in London in the last 16 months, each varying in size and scale. These have been a testament to people’s dedication and efforts, as well as their resolution opposing a government supporting genocide.Â
Earlier this year, the 18th of January demonstration, marked a significant shift in police actions at these protests. Whilst the police and state had always been hostile to protesters, last January’s demonstration saw a direct escalation of police repression on the ground. After putting measures in place attempting to stop the march from taking place on the grounds of antisemitism and disruption to a nearby synagogue (it is important to note a Jewish bloc is regularly present at these marches and in support of the cause), police arrested over 70 peaceful protesters following an attempt to continue marching, with over 10 being charged including organisers Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham. The protest remained peaceful throughout. Â
This was a clear attack on civil liberties and democracy in the UK. With a general election not due till August 2029 – protesting is a way for the people to continue having their voices heard, yet this was ardently repressed last month. Could this be setting a precedent for future marches? Coming from a Labour government, this is indicative of spelling out a wider systemic issue for many people. If Labour, a party founded from within the Trade Union movement in the early 1900s, can’t defend our right to protest, this is a clear showcase to the ineffectiveness of our parliamentary system. People may well start looking for a radical alternative solution outside the system as a result of the police and state repression seen at last month’s march.Â
The following march took place on the 15th of February and saw 175,000 people join, and with the next one scheduled for the 15th of March, it will be interesting to see the impact the events of January 18th will have on future Palestine demonstrations throughout the coming year. One can hope it will push more people each time to come out than ever before in order to show the state that we will continue marching and denouncing the Israeli occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Â
Why have we seen a rise in repression at the start of the new year? The state had over 20 demonstrations before this one to put these measures in place – why wait till now? Academic Alex Callinicos says that the return of Trump has emboldened Western leaders to reinforce their support of the Israeli occupation. This aligns and comes at the same time as an increased presence of far-right individuals and movements. It is not hard to see the merits of this argument as the reason for the rise in repression and the heavy police presence at far-right counter protests also supports this. Â
In the light of all this, it is even more crucial that we come out in our numbers and march against genocide. The occupation and genocide of any people is something to stand up to and oppose, and whilst our government refuses to act, we have power in our numbers and cannot let ourselves be intimidated.Â