The march took more than one hundred thousand protestors (according to organisers) from Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park past the US embassy before ending with a rally in Westminster in what chief organisers, Stop the War coalition, dubbed the “largest emergency demonstration ever held in this country”.
Linda Heiden, a Christian member of the Stop the War coalition, said: “I think it is the duty of all human beings, of all religions, to support each other and the sorts of things that are going on in Lebanon right now are just way beyond the pale and nothing to do with any religion that I know of at all. And we have to stand and defend each other in the same way the Bible talks about standing up for all humans who are brothers and sisters.
“So I hope many people will put aside their apathy and join this sort of protest. We all talk about how we live in democracies but democracy isn’t a spectator sport. We have to let our leaders know again and again and again when they step out of line and they have lost sight of the line at this point.”
Laura Bellinger, a Christian from Chester who took part in Saturday’s march, said: “It is important we have people from different faiths here and Christians know how they feel.”
Ben Nicholson, a Christian from Kingston, said: I am here today because I don’t think my views are being represented fairly by Blair. I think public opinion in the UK is quite against what is happening and there is frustration at the lack of progress at the international level to bring about peace in the Lebanon.”
The rally in Westminster featured speakers such as Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, who told the thousands gathered in front of the Houses of Parliament: “I have no doubt in my mind that what Israel is committing in Lebanon at this moment is a war crime”.She joined numerous MPs who have urged a recall of Parliament to have a proper debate on the issue and called for an immediate ceasefire to the ongoing hostilities.
A petition with 30,000 signatures demanding an immediate ceasefire was handed in to 10 Downing Street while anger was expressed at the US and Tony Blair as marchers passed the US embassy in Grosvenor Square and Downing Street.
Tony Blair has come under increasing criticism for following the policy of the Bush administration and refusing to call for an immediate halt to the fighting.
