Pro-Palestinian protesters march through London

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took over Oxford Street at the weekend as rallies against Israeli military action in Gaza were held in cities across the world.

Saturday’s march went from the BBC’s premises at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, to Hyde Park via the US Embassy. Organisers say 150,000 people took part, although most other sources said the number of those attending was nearer 20,000.

Speakers included Dianne Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, as well as Glyn Secker of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.

Referring to a Palestinian father who had to carry bits of his son home in a plastic bag, Secker said: “As a Jew, I will not ever be associated with these monstrosities. Not in my name.”

It was London’s third mass Gaza protest in as many weeks, all of which have been organised by the Stop the War coalition, and coincided with other protests elsewhere in the UK, including in Manchester and Edinburgh.

Among the biggest rallies outside the UK was the 50,000-strong anti-Israel march in Cape Town, South Africa, where authorities said it was the city’s biggest post-apartheid demo.