UK lawmaker harassed by pro-Israeli group ahead of anti-racism conference in London

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British MP Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday was harassed by a group of pro-Israeli protesters outside a conference venue where an anti-racism conference is taking place.

The incident took place when Corbyn, a prominent former Labour Party leader, was about to enter the building, as he is among the speakers at the event.

Some members of the group approached him, shouting and accusing him of antisemitism ahead of his speech to a panel on racism and antisemitism.

Security stepped in to prevent a skirmish.

Later, barricades were erected between the venue and the pro-Israeli protesters, who were holding a banner saying: “Stop the lies. There is no genocide in Gaza.”

In an ongoing, 13-month offensive on the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have killed over nearly 44,000 people and injured over 103,000 others, most of them women and children, while leaving the enclave all but uninhabitable and cutting off most food, water, medicine, and humanitarian aid. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Corbyn addressed the attendees in a panel titled: “After Trump wins: Resisting the rise of the international far-right - Opposing racism Islamophobia & antisemitism.”