Pro-Palestine march held in British city of Manchester

By Burak Bir

MANCHESTER, UK (AA) - A large crowd took to the streets in northwestern England on Sunday to protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Gathering at Platt Fields Park in the city of Manchester, they held a demonstration in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Carrying Palestinian flags, they chanted pro-Palestinian slogans including "Free Palestine," "Cease-fire now" and "End Apartheid."

They criticized the British government’s support for Israel and called on people to join a boycott campaign which is targeting companies supporting Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

Besides various signs with slogans including "Stop the killing," some protesters were also seen carrying South Africa's flag over the country's decision to file a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the Netherlands on Dec. 29 on charges of genocide against Palestinians amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

On Friday, the UN court found South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide plausible.

The court issued an interim order urging Israel to stop obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation.

The crowd later marched towards the Mechanics Institute building, where a panel discussion was held later that was attended by some Palestinians who lost their family members during Israeli attacks in the besieged enclave.

Palestinian flags were seen on lampposts on some streets in Manchester.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 26,422 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 65,087, according to Palestinian health authorities. Tel Aviv says nearly 1,200 people have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.