Rival Gaza protests in London seethed with mutual animosity – providing visceral evidence of deep and angry divides
When the pro-Palestinian marchers came round the corner of the Strand in London, drums beating and megaphones blaring, they saw a row of Israeli flags.
The boos were loud and there were plenty of obscene gestures.
Both sides chanted “shame on you” at each other, with the police standing between them.
The pro-Palestinian protesters shouted “From the River to the Sea”, along with the other chants.
Those who defend the slogan say it is a simple call for freedom.
But it is understood by others to invoke the destruction of Israel – and now it was aimed at those bearing the blue Star of David only feet away.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Trafalgar Square carried placards. Pic: PA
During the many months of protest in London since the start of the conflict in Gaza, never have the two sides – so ideologically far apart – been so physically close.
It wasn’t violent, except for a minor scuffle, but it wasn’t very pretty either.
It seethed with mutual animosity.
‘It’s really quite scary’
The pro-Israeli counter-protesters were few in number – fewer than a hundred, vastly outnumbered by the thousands marching past them.
That disparity is why they said they were there.
“It’s really quite scary that there are so many people the police need to protect us because there’s a real threat,” a woman draped in an Israeli flag who gave her name as Davina told Sky News.
She said a pro-Palestinian protester had made a throat-slashing gesture (Sky News could not verify that claim). “That’s terrifying,” she said. “I think all these guys will be terrified to go home wearing these flags.”
“We just want to have our voices heard and our hostages to be freed.”
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Pro-Palestinian marchers turned out in numbers. Pic: PA
The march and protests were largely peaceful. Pic: PA
There was little – well, zero – sympathy for that point of view on the other side.
As I spoke to the pro-Palestinian protesters later, I pointed out that the pro-Israeli camp had the right to peaceful protest too.
Another person interrupted: “No, they don’t, because there’s a genocide – they’re murderers.”
“Anyone who is complicit, anyone who is silent is complicit, that’s correct,” another protester interjected.
Nearly 33,000 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza since the start of the conflict, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants – although the majority of those killed have been women and children, the ministry says.
Some 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, were killed when Hamas rampaged into southern Israel on 7 October and kidnapped some 250 others.
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London: Protesters call for ceasefire in Gaza
Can the police continue to cope?
In London, separating that strength of feeling, keeping the peace, are the police.
Before the march began, the Metropolitan Police had said that more than £30m had been spent policing the protests.
Some have questioned whether that can carry on. This was the eleventh march organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.
One man was arrested on suspicion of a terrorism-related offence during the protest.
“In my experience, this is the most prolonged series of protest events we’ve had for any cause – so at some point, it has to become unsustainable,” Graham Wettone, a policing commentator for Sky News, said.
“It becomes unsustainable for society and for the disruption to society to effectively police every single one because you’re going to have officers having rest days cancelled for months and months.”
The context of the protests has changed too.
When hundreds of thousands marched in November, it wasn’t the British government’s position to call for a ceasefire.
Now – arguably in part thanks to the protests – it is.
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No sign deep divisions will heal soon
I spoke with Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, as he walked at the head of the march.
I asked whether protests like this – and the policing required to monitor them – were still necessary, when the British government wants the same thing, more or less?
“Unfortunately I wish that were the case,” he told me.
“It is true there’s a shift in the government position, and that is because of popular pressure so that emboldens people to keep marching and protesting.
“But the government position at the moment is to support a temporary pause and the government position at the moment is to continue selling arms to Israel.”
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So the marches will apparently continue – and so will the counter-protests. Their organisers have pledged to attend each demonstration.
Today was visceral confirmation of how deep the divisions really are.
Oleksandr Usyk has become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Tyson Fury in boxing’s biggest fight of the century.
The Ukrainian won on a split decision following the match in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk had 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards, while Fury took the other 114-113.
Oleksandr Usyk lands a punch on Tyson Fury. Pic: PA
Fury disputed his loss after the match, saying: “I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few rounds but I won more of them.
“Make no mistake I won that fight and I’ll be back.”
In response Usyk said he was “ready for a rematch”.
Pic: Action Images via Reuters
Fury came under early pressure, with Usyk taking the centre of the ring with an aggressive offensive from the start.
At one point Fury was pushed against the ropes and started laughing as Usyk applied pressure.
The “Gypsy King” looked relaxed as he moved around the ring in the early rounds and picked his shots.
Pic: PA
Fury lunges at Usyk. Pic: PA
But after Usyk landed a right hook in the ninth round it looked as if Fury was in serious trouble. The Ukrainian followed up by unloading freely but somehow the bookmakers’ favourite stayed on his feet and was saved by the bell.
Last night, Fury weighed in at 262lbs (18st 10lbs) – nearly three stone heavier than Usyk, who clocked in at a career heaviest of 223lbs (15st 13lbs).
Fury refused to look at his opponent during a news conference on Thursday, but did not back down at the weigh-in last night, where the pair almost came to blows before being separated by their entourages.
Usyk arrived into the ring first, dressed as a Cossack warrior.
Fury entered to songs by Barry White and Bonnie Tyler, with the “Gypsy King” spending several minutes dancing on stage before the song changed to Holding Out For A Hero.
Anthony Joshua watched from the ringside, knowing he could meet the winner early next year.
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UK
Brixham: Warning ‘heads are going to roll’ after water parasite outbreak – as ‘nearly every house in one close has someone ill’
Thousands of homes have had their boiling water restrictions lifted after a water tank infected with cryptosporidium was drained and cleaned, South West Water has said.
About 16,000 households in the Brixham area of Devon were told to boil their drinking water following 46 confirmed cases of the disease.
On Saturday afternoon South West Water lifted the boiling restrictions for 14,500 homes after water quality monitoring results found no traces of cryptosporidium in the Alston supply area.
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a tiny parasite and can lead to vomiting, stomach cramps and watery diarrhoea lasting about two weeks.
More cases are expected to be confirmed due to a delay in developing symptoms – and about 100 more people around Brixham were reporting signs of it on Friday.
South West Water believes the parasite probably entered supplies through a damaged pipe in a field containing animal faeces.
A contaminated water tank at Hillhead reservoir, where cryptosporidium was detected, was drained overnight and “thoroughly cleaned” on Saturday, South West Water said.
One local resident said she knew of only four houses out of 21 in Raddicombe Close, on the outskirts of Brixham, which have not had at least one person fall ill with cryptosporidiosis.
The local MP has warned “heads are going to roll” over the incident.
Tory MP Anthony Mangnall, whose constituency includes Brixham, told LBC: “This is such a serious matter that yes, I think heads are going to roll over this.”
He claimed the supplier had been too slow to issue its safety alert.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
Mr Mangnall said: “From starting this week with a denial from South West Water that it was anything to do with them, delaying the fact that the boil water notice came in – meaning thousands of people used the water network – to then issuing it on Wednesday, and there are a lot of people who are very ill.”
He called it an “absolutely disastrous week” and said locals were furious.
South West Water has said it’s “deeply sorry” and that it’s been “working tirelessly” to identify the source of the problem and fix it.
Bottled water stations have been set up in the area.
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What we know about parasite found in drinking water
Parasite outbreak has ‘destroyed’ business
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of not doing enough to hold water companies to account.
He told Sky News the firms were “putting profit over the environment, over public health” after multiple cases of sewage being released into rivers and seas.
“We [Liberal Democrats] wouldn’t wait for fines for pollution,” Sir Ed said.
“There should be a sewage tax on the profits of these water companies so we can get the money now.
“There needs to be much tougher regulation… and we may need to look at restructuring the whole water industry.”
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Kelly Holmes joins anti-sewage protest
It comes as dozens of protests over sewage releases were planned for Saturday.
Surfers Against Sewage is promoting “paddle-out” demonstrations at 30 locations, with Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes among those at the event in Brighton.
The confirmed cases of a waterborne disease caused by a parasite have more than doubled.
There are now 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis, a diarrhoeal illness, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said – with more than 100 further people reporting similar symptoms in the Brixham area.
Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in residents and visitors to the south Devon town are also under investigation. Hundreds of locals have also reported feeling unwell over the last two weeks on social media.
MPs and South West Water officials have confirmed the parasite most likely entered water supplies through animal faeces, but an investigation is still ongoing.
What is cryptosporidiosis disease?
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‘Cow faeces’ infected Devon water
The UKHSA first confirmed cases of the disease at around midday on Wednesday, while locals were initially told by South West Water that their tap water was uncontaminated and safe to drink.
But after testing supplies in the Hillhead reservoir, the water company found “small traces” of the parasite cryptosporidium – which causes cryptosporidiosis – and told residents in parts of Brixham and Alston to boil their drinking water on Wednesday.
A total of 16,000 households and businesses in Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton were impacted and offered £15 compensation at first.
Over the next two days, South West Water apologised to those affected and increased the offer to £115. Amid the chaos, one primary school closed its doors on Thursday due to not having safe running drinking water.
16,000 businesses and residents are affected by the boil water notice. Pic: South West Water
‘Very hard questions for water company’
Speaking to Sky News yesterday, South West Water’s chief customer officer Laura Flowerdew confirmed it was likely a broken air valve contaminated by animal faeces that had caused the outbreak.
However, she refused to give a timeframe on how long the incident would be ongoing – leaving thousands of residents facing an uncertain future.
Speaking on Friday at the University of Exeter, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said there will be “very, very hard questions” for South West Water over the outbreak.
“At the moment I think we probably need to give them the space to conduct their investigation; we know that they have identified the source,” she said.
“The public will want to know how on earth that source happened, what was the chain of events that led to this, because of course we all understand the expectation that we all have when we turn our taps on is that [we get] clean drinking water and we want to be able to trust it.”
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Most cases of cryptosporidiosis pass in two weeks. Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. File pic: Dr_Microbe/iStock
‘Expect to see more cases’
Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall also warned the boil notice could last “at least a further six or seven days” and called for more transparency.
Professor Paul Hunter, a specialist in medical microbiology at the University of East Anglia, told Sky News if the parasite was “a continuous thing” present in water supplies for a prolonged period, then “you’d expect to see more cases” for another two weeks.
It comes as hotel owners in the area told Sky News the outbreak has led to people cancelling their stay, while a head chef said “I can’t wash salad in the sink”.
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‘Destroyed our business’
Stephen Colemansfield, owner of Redlands Guest House in Brixham, told Sky News the outbreak has “destroyed our business at the moment”.
“Our guests have cancelled because of the mixed messages that are being sent out by South West Water.”
Rob, head chef at the Steam Packet Inn in Kingswear near Dartmouth, also said his brother-in-law is one of the 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis and has been sick for two weeks.
The UKHSA is working with Torbay Council, South West Water, NHS Devon and the Environment Agency on the incident.
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