By IRNA,
London : Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in central London calling for the closure of the Israeli Embassy and the expulsion of its ambassador after Israeli forces killed peace activists on board a flotilla heading to Gaza.
Protestors demonstrated outside the British Prime Minister’s Office in Downing Street before marching towards the Israeli Embassy in denunciation of the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla.
The Israeli forces attacked an international convoy of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip early on Monday, killing at least 10 people in international waters. The Israeli action raised outcry in many countries across the globe including in London.
Angry demonstrators gathered in the Whitehall Street shouting “Free Palestine” and carrying flags and banners with slogans such as “Stop Israel’s War Crimes in Gaza” and “End the Criminal Siege of Gaza”.
Several peace activists and politicians addressed thousands of protestors calling on the new British Prime Minister David Cameron to help end the siege on Gaza immediately.
Kate Hudson, the director of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), told the gathering that the attack by the Israeli forces were “devastating and deplorable”.
“Obviously we have great support for the humanitarian convoy which has gone there to try and bring relief to the people in Gaza. It is devastating and deplorable that the Israeli forces have attacked civilians on the flotilla.”
“We have close friends on the boat on which people were killed and we are here waiting for news. We are trying to get through to them but we are not getting any answers,” she added.
Demonstrators then marched towards the Israeli Embassy in London where they called for the “expulsion” of the Israeli ambassador and the “closure” of the Israeli Embassy in London.
They were confronted with Metropolitan Police forces who were guarding against the premises of the Israeli Embassy.
The large demonstration in London was called by many pro-Palestinian and anti-war organisations which also joined in the outcry in condemning the Israeli massacre of peace activists and human rights campaigners.
Similar demonstrations were also held in Manchester in condemnation of the brutal attack.
The United Nations Security Council is also holding an emergency meeting in New York to discuss the Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla.