On Armistice Day, central London witnessed two significant events. The first was the traditional Armistice Day event at the Cenotaph, organized by Richard Hughes from the Western Front Association. The second was a large pro-Palestine march, which drew hundreds of thousands of participants, including families and children. The march was organized to call for a cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The pro-Palestinian march was met with support from Richard Hughes, who expressed his belief in freedom of speech and hoped that the two events could coexist peacefully. The Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zumlot, spoke at the march, stating that peace can only be achieved once the guns fall silent.
However, the march was not without controversy. Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Chancellor Rishi Sunak criticized the march, with Braverman characterizing pro-Palestinian demonstrations as 'hate marches'. Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf criticized Braverman's language, calling for her resignation.
The day was largely peaceful, with pro-Palestinian protesters holding a two-minute silence to remember those who have died in Gaza over the past five weeks. However, there were incidents of violence from far-right counter-protesters, led by Tommy Robinson, who attempted to storm the war memorial. The Metropolitan Police arrested 82 to 92 counter-protesters to prevent a breach of peace, with nine officers reported injured.
Despite the political row and the counter-protests, the pro-Palestinian march proceeded, drawing an estimated 300,000 to 800,000 participants according to various sources.