Protesting for a Free Palestine
Following the events of October 7th (and most importantly, since 1946), we have seen the world come together to fight for Palestinian rights, calling to end the ongoing genocide, and to demand their governments to vote for a ceasefire. Witnessing the volume of protests globally, some with record breaking numbers, has been pivotal. With weekly protests across the UK and nationally, we have seen people across all ages and cultures showing support week after week, with the momentum, thankfully, not settling any time soon.
Here are some thoughts from those who have attended pro-Palestinian protests in recent times and how they felt.
Sab, 23, went to their first protest in Leeds run by West Yorkshire for Palestine. They said: “the strength of people coming together for one cause is powerful. I felt a bit nervous at the start as you can have backlash sometimes, but there was none that I saw.” When asked if there was anything surprising, they said it was “the amount of children. It's vital for them to learn about why the cause is powerful and important.”
The protest in London on November 11th, organised by Friends of Al Aqsa and the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign alongside others, had particularly resonated with some protesters. It was a record-breaking protest that continued to show up for people of Palestine despite concerted efforts from governmental powers to taint the intentions of peace (on a day signifying peace, no less).
Nuzhat, 33, attending this protest with her husband and two young children said she was “skeptical going with two children” but was left “feeling proud and glad I took [them] as we all came together as one! Everyone was considerate, polite and respectful, and above all, peaceful.” She said she felt it was important to attend “to show solidarity with the Palestinians and speak up against the inhumane barbaric killing of human lives.”
Attending protests in the past, and more recently much larger ones, Hansa, from Bradford, said she was most surprised by “seeing elderly people, and people with children as well, was really nice to see. It just confirms that this isn’t just something Muslims or Arabs or young ‘leftist’ people have a problem with, but anyone with a soul.”
“There are so many signs you can’t have or slogans you can’t chant.”
Kuhu, who has attended protests in the past, also attended the London protest on November 11. Asking why it was important, they said: “I made it a point specifically [to attend] the 11th November protest because I found it rather poignant that we ask for a ceasefire on Armistice Day, which is literally a day of peace. That, and the fear inciting Suella did to the public…”
Elsewhere in the world, Zulema has attended weekly protests in Berlin. When asked what she found the most surprising, she shared it was the “repression from the police in Germany, especially. There are so many signs you can’t have or slogans you can’t chant.”
Attending a recent protest in Windsor, Canada, desibookclub shared how they were surprised by “how peaceful it was, there were no antisemitic chants, and people with F*** Trudeau flags joined”.
“As a collective, we need to keep raising our voices. Keep talking about it.”
On a personal note, this was my second protest after attending the protest in Leeds, with the organised protest on November 11 being one I couldn’t miss for the world. The enormity of the London protest was breathtaking. It felt like the world had stopped just for us. My favourite part was seeing people waving from their bedroom windows with flags in solidarity. I later realised I’d witnessed a grand total of three(!) individuals hurling abuse but no one took notice of this, and we continued on peacefully. Tube journeys were full of Palestinian flags, tired protesters, and friendly smiles.
Outside of protests, social media has become a vital tool for Palestinians on the ground to document their experiences. In the midst of war, civilians have urged the world to keep their stories alive by continuing to share videos and posts to oppose biased news outlets and educate others.
While protesting is a powerful and physical action to take, there are many ways you can continue to support within your communities and personal life. Nuzhat reiterates that “we should keep boycotting products that fund genocide.”
“As a collective, we need to keep raising our voices,” Kuhu says. “Keep talking about it. There may be a ‘temporary truce’ right now* but that shouldn’t be the end all.”
Hansa suggests “organising public debates/talks with individual MPs, especially those who might be on the fence with calling for a ceasefire.” In continuing our efforts, Zulema shares that we need to “[make] sure they don’t turn into numbers, but remain as people. We can’t stop talking about them.”
*This response was written prior to the end of the ‘humanitarian pause’ after which people in Gaza were again subjected to airstrikes almost immediately.
60+ days into the (one-sided) war, the situation is more dire than ever. Aside from protesting, we need to do more as a collective and take more action, whether that is through continued efforts to boycott, contacting your local representatives, or sharing news.
Here are just a few instagram accounts to follow to stay up to date, as well as some local causes.