Charlotte Church and Jeremy Corbyn join tens of thousands at pro-Palestine march
Charlotte Church and Jeremy Corbyn joined thousands of pro-Palestine protesters in London to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, days after a government official said the capital’s streets have become a “no-go zone for Jews”.
Organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the march stretched from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy in Nine Elms.
It marked the fifth major demonstration in the capital so far this year, and the PSC’s tenth since 7 October.
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While marching through central London, protesters chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and waved banners demanding a “ceasefire now”.
Singer Charlotte Church, who led a choir in singing “from the river to the sea” last month, insisted that the marches have had “a strong, a peaceful, loving message”.
The march stretched from Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy in Nine Elms. Pic: PA
It marks the fifth major demonstration in the capital so far this year, and the PSC’s tenth since 7 October.
Ahead of the latest demonstration, the UK’s counter extremism tsar claimed the protests are turning London into a “no-go zone for Jews every weekend”.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Church said: “There’s been singing, there’s been drumming, yes, there’s been emotion but, in the majority, that emotion has been love, has been compassion, because that’s why we’re all here.
“We’re all here because we cannot bear what we’re witnessing. We cannot bear to see civilians, children, women slaughtered…
“We’re also showing that we are absolutely not going to tolerate our government being a part of propping up an apartheid regime.”
Pic: PA
The Met Police said they arrested five people during the march. Pic: PA
The war started after an attack by proscribed terror group Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage.
Israel retaliated with air strikes and later a ground offensive, and so far, Hamas-run Gaza health authorities say nearly 31,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands more bodies are feared buried under rubble.
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The Met Police said it arrested five people during the march, including a woman for holding an offensive placard and two men for chanting offensive slogans.
One man was also arrested for assault, and another under the Public Order Act who was seen carrying a shield and wearing a helmet.
Former Labour leader Mr Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP, vowed “there will be as many of them as it takes”.
“It’s all very well for Joe Biden to say they’re going to build a port to deliver aid,” he said.
“(It would) be far better if they stopped delivering arms to Israel and made sure there was a ceasefire.”
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Jeremy Corbyn called the march “huge, and there will be as many of them as it takes”. Pic: PA
The protest comes a day after International Women’s Day, and saw female volunteers from Friends of Al-Aqsa join to “highlight the Palestinian genocide as a gendered issue”.
The group said gender equality “cannot be achieved whilst civilians in Palestine are under continued bombardment”.
‘None of us are scared’
The UK’s counter extremism tsar Robin Simcox wrote in The Daily Telegraph last week that a “permissive environment for radicalisation” is developing.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also promised to clamp down against “extremist forces trying to tear us apart”, and Michael Gove is expected to set out a new definition of extremism in the coming days.
A counter-protest to the pro-Palestine marches was held in Victoria, central London, on Saturday afternoon and organiser Itai Galmudy said: “Jews are not afraid… we’ve had enough of those anti-Israeli hate marches that are full of inflammatory language towards Jews and Israelis. And we just want to say enough is enough.”
But speaking to Sky News at the demonstration, Gillian Mosley, a Jewish director marching as part of the Jewish Bloc for Palestine, said claims the capitol is a “no-go” area are “absurd”.
“Obviously I’m surrounded by Jews,” she said. “I also live in central London and have lots of Jewish neighbours, and none of us are scared.”
Gillian Mosley, a Jewish director marching for Palestine, said “none of us are scared”.
Pic: PA
PSC hails ‘unprecedented’ tenth march
Ben Jamal, director of the PSC, said after the march that it was “unprecedented” to see “this many people marching for this length of time”.
“You’ll see people here come from all walks of life, young and old, many people here with young children,” he said.
“They see children’s bodies being pulled out of the rubble, they look like that, they say ‘it could be my child, that could be my brother, that could be my sister’.
“‘I want it to stop and I want my government to take action’. That’s why they’re marching.”
Before the march, the Met Police said the cost of policing Gaza-related protests in London had reached over £32 million and had required 35,464 officer shifts and more than 5,200 officer rest days to be cancelled.
While it didn’t say how many were estimated to have attended the march, the force said more than 2,300 officers policed 11 major events on Saturday and 500 officers from outside the Met’s area were brought in to assist.
Metropolitan Police is to stop investigating “non-crime hate incidents” to “reduce ambiguity” after prosecutors dropped a case against Graham Linehan.
Linehan, 57, will face no further action after being arrested over his social media posts about transgender people.
The Father Ted and IT Crowd creator said his lawyers had been told the case wouldn’t proceed. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the move.
Linehan, 57, was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence when he landed at Heathrow from his home in the US on 1 September.
The incident drew criticism of the police and government from some politicians and free-speech campaigners.
Met Police said today it would stop investigating “non-crime hate incidents” to “reduce ambiguity” and “provide clearer direction for officers”.
Posting on X, Linehan announced : “After a successful hearing to get my bail conditions lifted (one which the police officer in charge of the case didn’t even bother to attend) the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case.
“With the aid of the Free Speech Union, I still aim to hold the police accountable for what is only the latest attempt to silence and suppress gender critical voices on behalf of dangerous and disturbed men.”
The union said it had hired a “top flight team of lawyers to sue the Met for wrongful arrest, among other things”.
“The police need to be taught a lesson that they cannot allow themselves to be continually manipulated by woke activists,” it added.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson confirmed it had reviewed the case file and decided “no further action” would be taken.
Linehan said he had to be taken to hospital on the day of his arrest. Pic: PA
In one of his posts, Linehan wrote: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
Another was a photo of a trans-rights protest, with the comment “a photo you can smell”, and a follow-up post saying: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em”.
A Met Police statement after the case was dropped acknowledged “concern” around Linehan’s arrest.
It added: “The commissioner has been clear he doesn’t believe officers should be policing toxic culture war debates, with current laws and rules on inciting violence online leaving them in an impossible position.
“As a result, the Met will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents.
“We believe this will provide clearer direction for officers, reduce ambiguity and enable them to focus on matters that meet the threshold for criminal investigations.”
Linehan said on his blog that he was arrested by five armed officers and had to go to A&E after his blood pressure reached “stroke territory” during his interrogation.
Police said the officers’ guns were never drawn and were only present as Linehan was detained by the aviation unit, which routinely carries firearms.
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JK Rowling, who’s regularly shared her views on women’s rights in relation to transgender rights, was among those who had criticised the arrest, calling it “utterly deplorable”.
Reform’s Nigel Farage, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, and ex-foreign secretary Sir James Cleverly also hit out at the treatment of Linehan.
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The son of former England footballer Stuart Pearce has died in a crash, his family has said.
Harley Pearce, from Marlborough in Wiltshire, was driving a tractor near Witcombe, Gloucestershire, on Thursday, when he was involved in a collision, police said.
The 21-year-old farming worker died at the scene, on the A417 Old Birdlip Hill in Witcombe, around five miles from Gloucester.
No other vehicles were involved, Gloucestershire Constabulary said. Emergency services were called to the scene of the incident at about 2.30pm on October 16.
Stuart Pearce at last year’s FA Cup Final at Wembley. Pic: PA
Harley Pearce was 21 and worked in farming, according to reports.
‘Our shining star’
In a tribute posted on Facebook, Harley sister, Chelsea Pearce, said the family was “truly shocked and utterly heartbroken at the loss of our cherished son and devoted brother, Harley”.
He was, the family said, was a soul “who left an unforgettable imprint on all who knew him”.
“He was a golden boy with an infectious smile, and this shocking tragedy will leave a huge hole in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to have known him.”
He had “a quiet, understated strength and deep kindness”.
The family said they were “so proud of the young man he had become, exhibiting a wonderful work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit in the farming industry.
“He will always be our shining star. Rest in Peace, our beautiful son and brother. You will never, ever be forgotten.”
What have police said?
Harley ran his own company, Harley Pearce Agricultural Service, talkSPORT said.
Gloucestershire Constabulary said on Thursday: “The driver of the tractor, a man in his 20s and from Wiltshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“His next of kin are aware and being supported by specially trained officers.”
The force is appealing for any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to contact them.
‘Tragic news’
Harley’s father, Stuart Pearce, played 78 times for England and was part of the Three Lions squads which reached the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96, the FA said on its website.
He was later the head coach of the England Under-21s.
During a long club career, he made more than 400 appearances for Nottingham Forest, many of them as captain, during a 12-year spell at the City Ground.
He later managed the club, as well as another former club, Manchester City.
Pearce currently works as a pundit on talkSPORT, which said on its website that Harley and Chelsea were the two children he had with his ex-wife Liz.
Presenter Jim White said during a broadcast on Monday that “everybody here on this show and at talkSPORT sends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Stuart Pearce after that tragic news we’ve just heard”.
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Several of the clubs he played for posted tributes on X, including Forest, who said they were “deeply saddened”.
The club said: “The thoughts of everyone connected with Nottingham Forest are with Stuart and his family at this truly difficult time.”
West Ham United said: “We are saddened to hear of Harley Pearce’s passing.
“Everyone at the Club sends their deepest condolences to Stuart and his family at this tragic time.”
Manchester City said: “Everyone at Manchester City sends their love and thoughts to Stuart and his family at this very difficult time.”
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