The campaign confirmed the Nakba Day march will take place in central London between 12:00 and 16:00 on 16 May, but said the route has not yet been specified. [Amer Sultan/TNA]
The Palestine movement in the United Kingdom has begun preparations for a Nakba Day march despite British police not yet approving the planned route.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, one of the movement’s largest organisations, announced that this year’s slogan will be, “Nakba 78: Justice for Palestine… United against Tommy Robinson and the far right”.
It described the march as “decisive” in affirming solidarity with Palestine and opposing the far right.
London’s Metropolitan Police insists it will not allow the march to take place on 16 May in central London, as has been customary for decades. It has, however, approved a march by far-right supporters led by Tommy Robinson on the same day, which will pass through main streets in central London, including Whitehall and Parliament.
The campaign confirmed the Nakba Day march will take place in central London between 12:00 and 16:00 on 16 May, but said the route has not yet been specified.
It added that arrangements have already begun to organise buses transporting potential participants from outside London to the capital.
The Palestine Movement continues to seek to persuade the police to change their position on the Nakba Day march. Several members of parliament and representatives of movement organisations hope to meet London Mayor Sadiq Khan to request his intervention with the police.
In a statement on Wednesday, 22 April, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said, “We will march to commemorate the Nakba.”
The statement added that over 78 years, Palestinians have been subjected to a system of racial oppression that has included ethnic cleansing, settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide.
It said the march aims to “reaffirm our commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of refugees to return to their homes”.
The Palestine movement also said that demonstrating on Nakba Day will be “against the far right in Britain, which glorifies Israel’s racism and brutality”.
On 28 March, at least half a million people took part in a march against the far right through central London. Palestinian Movement organisations were actively involved in that demonstration, heightening expectations of a larger turnout at the Nakba Day march.
The Metropolitan Police said one reason for approving the far-right march in central London on 16 May is the expectation of large crowds, which organisers have branded “Unite the West”.
Estimates suggest around 100,000 people took part in the last far-right march held in London in September.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.
