London, United Kingdom. Thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday calling for an immediate halt to US and Israeli military operations against Iran and an end to arms sales to Israel.
March route and organisers
The protest drew between 5,000 and 6,000 people, according to Metropolitan Police estimates cited by the Manchester Evening News. Demonstrators assembled at Millbank near Victoria Tower Gardens at noon and marched to the United States embassy in Vauxhall.
The demonstration was organised by a coalition including the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Stop the War Coalition, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Heightened tensions after reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader
Tensions were high following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reported killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike in Tehran last Saturday. Many demonstrators carried portraits of the late leader and waved Iranian and Palestinian flags, while others held placards reading “Stop Trump’s Wars” and “No War on Iran.”
Organisers’ statements and chants
The march took place as regional instability intensified following the start of major combat operations against the Iranian government. Organisers in London described the strikes as “illegal” and warned the conflict was placing millions of civilians at risk.
“The public aren’t for the war,” one protester told reporters, as chants of “Stop the bombing now” were heard outside the embassy.
Related protests in the UK and abroad
Similar actions took place across the UK and internationally. In Nicosia, Cyprus, hundreds gathered to protest the use of British sovereign bases in regional military logistics, following a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri earlier this week.
What do you think should happen next regarding arms sales to Israel and military operations against Iran?