London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jan 18, 2026

Almost 200,000 people join 'free Palestine' protest in central London

Almost 200,000 people join 'free Palestine' protest in central London

Around 180,000 people joined a march through central London this afternoon in solidarity with Palestine.


Demonstrators assembled hours after a ceasefire was agreed in the wake of 11 days of conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

They congregated at Victoria Embankment before travelling towards Hyde Park.

Protestors holding banners, placards and flags let off green and red coloured smoke as they cried chants including ‘We are all Palestinians’ during the march.

Many wore costumes, masks and face paint while others draped themselves in the Palestinian flag.

Some clambered onto bus stops and lamp posts while others wrote ‘Free Palestine’ on the walls.

The group called out ‘Boris Johnson, shame on you’ when they reached Downing Street.

Around 180,000 people have joined the protests in central London this afternoon

Pro-Palestine demonstrators let off smoke in the colours of the Palestinian flag

The capital became a sea of red, green and black in the march in solidarity with Palestine


Among the organisations involved in the demonstrations are branches of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop The War Coalition and National Education Union.

A temporary stage was set up in Hyde Park for speeches to be made this afternoon.

Labour’s former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, told crowds: ‘Yes, a ceasefire has been negotiated and we welcome a ceasefire.

‘But let’s be clear, there will be no ceasefire in our campaign to boycott, disinvest and sanction the Israeli apartheid state.

‘The message is clear; we will not cease our campaign in solidarity until there is justice. So let’s make it clear, no justice, no peace.’

Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrating near Embankment Tube station this afternoon

A protester in stands atop one of the four Landseer Lions in Trafalgar Square, central London, during a march in solidarity with Palestine

Around 180,000 people are estimated to have joined protests to ‘Free Palestine’ in the capital


Crowds responded by cheering and releasing fireworks and coloured smoke.

Protester Muktha Ali, 32, from Harrow, northwest London, said: ‘I’m here because this is now urgent, the Israeli occupation needs to end now, it’s been long enough.

‘Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children have been bombed and murdered, Palestine has to be free.’

Another, named Jake, said: ‘I stand in solidarity with Palestinians, and so should everyone, no matter your nationality.

‘It’s great to see so many people come out in their thousands to support the cause. We will win – our cause will be heard.’

The protest is said to have been largely peaceful although a few people were seen throwing objects at police attempting to split crowds in Hyde Park.

A pro-Palestine activist holds a placards opposite the London Eye

Demonstrators descended on the capital two days after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire

Pro-Palestinian activists voiced opposition to Israeli military action in the Gaza strip


The truce, which was agreed on Thursday evening and came into effect at 2am on Friday morning, ended the fourth Israel-Hamas war in just over a decade.

The ceasefire was praised by both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab.

But it was less than a day before violence erupted after Israeli police stormed the Al-Asqa Mosque shortly after prayers on Friday.

At least 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, were killed during the 11 days of violence, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

Israeli authorities said at least 150 of those killed were militants.

Some 12 people including two children have perished in Israel, according to the country’s medical service.

Celebrities including Idris Elba, Rihanna and model Bella Hadid – whose father is Palestinian – joined growing calls for the bloodshed to end.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
The Claim That Maduro’s Capture and Trial Violate International Law Is Either Legally Illiterate—or Deliberately Deceptive
UK Data Watchdog Probes Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Grok Images Amid Surge in Non-Consensual Outputs
Prince Harry to Return to UK for Court Hearing Without Plans to Meet King Charles III
UK Confirms Support for US Seizure of Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
Maduro’s Arrest Without The Hague Tests International Law—and Trump’s Willingness to Break It
German Intelligence Secretly Intercepted Obama’s Air Force One Communications
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
Fake Mainstream Media Double Standard: Elon Musk Versus Mamdani
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
×