Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march on Downing Street to mark Nakba anniversary

17 May 2025, 19:36 | Updated: 17 May 2025, 21:03

Thousands marched on Downing Street on Saturday to protest Israel’s war on Gaza and mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba.

While the Metropolitan Police put the number of attendees at around 20,000, those at the protest have said there were closer to 400,000 people marching on Downing Street this afternoon.

The protest was both to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, meaning catastrophe in Arabic.

The march was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and saw a number of high-profile political figures attend, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Read more: Israel and Hamas resume ceasefire talks after IDF launches major ground offensive to 'seize and control' areas in Gaza

Taking to Twitter, Mr Corbyn said: “Today, more than half a million people demonstrated on the streets of London to call on our government to end its complicity in genocide.

“We are an unstoppable movement for Palestine.”

The PSC said the march was organised to “mark the 77th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba and demand our government take action to end the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land”.

The Nakba is the name given to a period which saw more than 750,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes during the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948.

A counter protest, named “Stop The Hate”, gathered on Waterloo Bridge.

Seven people were arrested during the protest, including one person detained for attacking a member of the march.

The protest comes following the deadliest week in Gaza since Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire collapsed in March.

More than 300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since Thursday, as Israel launched a renewed offensive on the region.

1,200 Israelis were killed during Hamas’ October 7 attack on the country.

Israel’s subsequent assault has seen more than 53,000 people killed, the vast majority women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Today’s march comes after Israel and Hamas resumed talks in Qatar.

Speaking on Saturday, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of “refusing to discuss negotiations without a cessation of the war" but said the renewed assault on Gaza’s civilian population has seen the militant group agree “to sit in a room and seriously discuss the deal".

"Israel emphasises that if the talks do not progress, the [military] operation will continue," he added.

Hamas official Taher al-Nono confirmed the two sides were speaking without "pre-conditions".

He added the group was "keen to exert all the effort needed" to find peace.