The vast turnout of people demonstrated the city’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people suffering under Israel’s increased bombings.
Protesters gathered outside local Birmingham government buildings holding placards and waving Palestinian flags, chanting “free, free Palestine.” They called on Israel to end its aerial bombardment of Gaza. Police officers walked alongside through Birmingham’s biggest shopping center.
One supporter Sanakat Khan, said, “we are here today to tell Israel to stop the murder of innocent civilians." Mohammed Saddiqui, a British Pakistani, said, “the UK government created this mess, and now they must help, to solve it.” He attributed the current crisis in Palestine to the historical British mandate on Palestine to Jews to win Jewish support in First World War.
The protest marked the third of protests held in the city since the violence began in Ramadan.
The protests in Birmingham follow others across the country, demonstrating solidarity with the people of Palestine, including London, Manchester, Coventry, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Bristol.
In London, thousands of people marched through the capital on Saturday to the Israeli embassy in Kensington, London, demanding an end to the violence. The police used force to disperse the crowds and the peaceful march turned into chaos injuring nine police officers.