LONDON

Rallies and protests were held in cities across the UK and the Republic of Ireland to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba when Zionist military groups forcefully occupied Palestine.

In the UK, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Marble Arch before marching to the Israeli Embassy in Kensington High Street in central London, where speeches were held, slogans chanted and the anger expressed at the continued brutal oppression of the Palestinians at the hands of the Israelis. forces.

“We have to remember that we are part of an international movement. This is a global movement for justice. Palestinians are having their land confiscated … and they are now being killed in their homes. illegal, “Dianne Abbot, an opposition Labor MP, said outside the embassy.

Hussam Zumlot, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, also attended the rally, who said: “His times are different. This time we will not be denied any more. We are united. We have had enough of oppression. Today” hui, we say enough, enough. with the complicity. Thank you for being with us. “

The London rallies were organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Friends of Al-Aqsa Stop The War Coalition, and are said to be one of the biggest protests in London. Protests were also held in other cities across the UK, including Coventry, Newcastle, Manchester and Cardiff in Wales, where hundreds of protesters converged in squares and town halls to show solidarity.

Across the Irish Sea, the people of the Republic of Ireland also marked the solemn occasion of the Nakba and rallies were held in the capital Dublin.

Protesters marched through the Irish capital and demanded action to stop the growing bloodshed in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and called for an end to the forced evictions of Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah.

“This is the voice of the Palestinians trying to resist and push back the occupiers. This is what brings us here today. This is what should give us this zeal to advance that voice. Now we feel their pain. We all see parents every night holding their children dead. But even beyond that, we should plead every day, “said Marwan al-Akari, one of the organizers of the event.

“So today I hope you all brought your full voice, your zeal and as soon as we start singing I hope you will always be with us. But beyond that, it’s not something we just bring today. It is something that we should constantly defend, ”al-Akari added.

Violence in the occupied territories must end

On Saturday, human rights organization Amnesty International urged the international community and, in particular, the United States to end the escalation of violence against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank.

“As the world watches the armed hostilities in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) escalate, it is high time the world urged Israel to address the root causes of the violations and injustice. The violence escalates towards similar patterns reminiscent of the horrific hostilities. from 2008, 2012 and 2014. Civilians are the most affected by this suffering, with mass deaths and destruction in Gaza, ”Amnesty said.

“Israel has a deplorable record of the unlawful killings and injuries of thousands of civilians, the displacement of tens of thousands of people and the destruction of homes, businesses and infrastructure. These violations include war crimes and crimes against humanity. Palestinian armed groups have also committed violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes, with impunity, ”the group added.

The rights group urged the United States and the international community to pressure the Israeli government to end its “systematic violations” of and against the Palestinians and to lift the older military occupation. half a century that has restricted life in the occupied territories and violated the rights of the Palestinians. to freedom.

“Right now, Palestinians around the world, including in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, are calling on the world to pressure Israel to end the forced evictions in their neighborhood and end the forced displacement of Palestinians in progress.

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