18 November 2023 , 17:53
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Thousands of people have hit the streets in cities across the UK in a wave of protests over the war in Gaza with roads sealed off and police making arrests.
At Waterloo station five people have been arrested during a Just Stop Oil protest this afternoon. Dramatic images posted online show a stand-off at the station between protesters and police. Long rows of police officers can be seen stood facing a large group of protesters in the centre of the packed station.
The group of pro-Palestinian protesters had sat down in the centre of the station and demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. The group chanted: “Free, free Palestine”; “Sit down, join us”; and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
And in Manchester protestors were said to have clashed with police outside a McDonald's restaurant. A long line of police officers were pictured blocking the protesters from entering the Oxford Road branch of the restaurant in central Manchester.
Protestors gathered at Waterloo Station (PA)The British Transport Police said of the London protests: "We are continuing to respond to a protest at Waterloo station. So far 5 protestors have been arrested. No train services have been affected." In a further update, the force added: "There is now no sit-in protest taking place at Waterloo station. A large number of police officers remain in attendance to maintain order. Protestors have moved to outside of the station."
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Police were seen guarding outlets (Gary Roberts Photography/REX/Shutterstock)At around 4pm, BTP gave an update to say crowds had started to gather at Waterloo station, where officers were “handing out notices and urging people to disperse. Anyone breaching the s14a order in place is committing an offence and will be arrested,” the force said.
Protesters gather in Whitworth Park, Manchester (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)Elsewhere, around 250 pro-Palestine protesters gathered on Whitehall opposite Downing Street this afternoon with Met Police officers also at the scene. One photo shows the protesters standing on the pavement, and no disruption is currently being caused.
Five people have been arrested (PA)Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered outside Sir Keir Starmer ’s office in Camden, north London. Crowds blocked the road and chanted “Keir Starmer’s a wasteman” and “What do we want? A ceasefire. When do we want it? Now”. Protesters held up signs saying “Stop the war on Gaza” and waved large Palestinian flags outside the Labour leader’s office.
The protests come as the conflict continues to rage (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)Footage shared on social media showed a crowd sat on the floor in Manchester Victoria Station, while the force confirmed another group of around 25 had done the same at Leeds station shortly after 2pm. In Birmingham peace campaigners came face-to-face with Christmas shoppers after they stormed into the city's Bullring shopping centre.
There were protests at cities across the UK (PA)The demonstration saw a sizeable number of those who marched from Small Heath race into the giant mall and chant slogans as they demanded a ceasefire. There was not thought to have been any trouble and speakers told the crowd it was a peaceful protest after they filtered outside.
Police officers lined up on the concourse during the protest (PA)And in Scotland politicians from the SNP, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens have addressed a crowd of thousands which gathered in Glasgow to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The demonstrators rallied in Glasgow Green amid relentless rain before marching through the city centre.
Cyclists with Palestinian flags shouted slogans on Oxford Street in London (Akira Suemori/REX/Shutterstock)Organisers estimated that around 18,000 people turned out for the pro-Palestinian event, organised by a coalition of groups called the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee. Many in the crowd at Glasgow Green chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during the demonstration, one of several taking place in a national day of action around the UK.