Published January 06,2024
Subscribe
Pro-Palestinian protesters have staged a sit-in at London's
Westminster Bridge in their first major demonstration of the new year.
Hundreds of protesters blocked off the bridge and surrounding roads following a march from London's
St James's Park on Saturday.
The demonstration, organised by the
Free Palestine Coalition, renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
It also called for the UK to stop arms sales to
Israel and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The group announced a meeting location – a drinking fountain in
St James's Park – at 10 am on Saturday and protesters began to gather around midday.
After several initial arrests were made by
Metropolitan Police officers at the park, protesters then marched through
Westminster before being stopped by officers next to Big Ben.
Many of the
protesters then gradually joined a sit-in that was fenced off on three sides by a police cordon.
Other protesters wore facemasks of leading politicians, including British Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak and US President
Joe Biden, and held up hands covered in red paint.
