UK: Thousands gather for 'refugees welcome' rally

By Busra Akin Dincer

LONDON (AA) – Thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London on Saturday for a “refugees welcome” march, demanding action from the British government.

Protesters chanting slogans such as "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here" and “No-one is illegal” marched from Park Lane to Parliament Square.

The rally was organized by the Solidarity With Refugees group. Director Ros Ereira told Anadolu Agency they gathered to say “Britain can do more”.

“As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, we want the U.K. to do more to lead [the] global humanitarian response,” she stated.

Louise Parfitt, a worker for the Christian Aid charity, said the British government needed to be more proactive.

“It is a disgrace that people are being left stuck within camps with nowhere to go,” she added.

David Craft, a 40-year-old lawyer who has worked in the northern French port city of Calais -- home to a large refugee camp -- was also among the protesters Saturday.

“It is heartbreaking how cruel and indifferent our government is, where the only response is to build a higher wall,” Craft said.

Protesters also carried banners reading “Be Human” and “Europe must share equal responsibility”.

The march was supported by groups including the Red Cross, Asylum Aid, Save the Children, Oxfam and the UN Refugee Agency.

It was organized ahead of Monday’s planned UN summit on refugees and migrants in New York.

Last year former Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to settle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the U.K. over the next five years.