Smoke canisters were set off on Westminster Bridge as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday. AFP
Smoke canisters were set off on Westminster Bridge as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday. AFP
Smoke canisters were set off on Westminster Bridge as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday. AFP
Smoke canisters were set off on Westminster Bridge as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in London on Saturday. AFP

Thousands take to London streets in pro-Palestinian protest


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists staged a march through London on Saturday after Israel intensified attacks on Gaza.

Scuffles broke out near Downing Street as protesters gathered in central London with banners and posters, some chanting "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", amid controversy over the slogan's meaning.

By Sunday, 11 people had been arrested, nine of whom were detained on Saturday, and five charged with public order offences.

Red and green flares were let off by protesters, with one woman knocked over as the sound of fireworks startled horses near the Palace of Westminster.

The Cenotaph war memorial was guarded by police as demonstrators filed past.

One person was arrested after an assault on a police officer, who was taken to hospital, although it was not clear whether the suspect was a protester or a counter-demonstrator.

Authorities were expecting about 100,000 people to take part as trade unionists and left-wing MPs such as former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn joined calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Corbyn called it an "eternal stain" that the UK abstained on a UN motion for a truce.

"It’s not much to ask, a ceasefire, when children are being killed by weapons coming through the rooms of their homes," he said.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said Hamas had given no sign it would abide by any ceasefire.

But Alicia Kearns, the chair of Parliament's foreign affairs committee, joined calls on Saturday for a temporary humanitarian truce.

"Hamas cannot be trusted, they are terrorists, but a truce is temporary, holding as long as hostilities are suspended for urgent humanitarian need," Ms Kearns said.

She said it was unlikely that the two sides would agree on terms on a full ceasefire.

Protest organisers in London, who say a similar event last week was the biggest ever pro-Palestine rally in Britain, urged activists to “make this one even bigger”.

The Metropolitan Police used public order powers to ban protesters from gathering in streets near the Israeli embassy.

Met commander Kyle Gordon said officers would “police up to the line of the law”, amid a debate over whether some pro-Palestinian slogans might amount to acts of incitement.

Scuffles broke out near Downing Street as protesters filed past the Cenotaph war memorial. AP
Scuffles broke out near Downing Street as protesters filed past the Cenotaph war memorial. AP

“Our most experienced and knowledgeable officers are working on the policing of these events, making sure we are utilising all legislation to its fullest extent,” Mr Gordon said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, one of the most prominent UK politicians to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, said the police force would do “everything in its power to tackle hate” at the rally.

Mr Cleverly said it was "perfectly possible to support the Palestinian people but also to condemn Hamas", but said there was a minority who had "much more negative aims" in the protests.

Downing Street said police had powers to crack down on “racism, intimidation and harassment” as it played down calls for tougher laws.

“We do believe at the moment police do have the powers to arrest those who incite violence or racial hatred,” a spokeswoman said this week.

The question of a ceasefire is causing divisions in UK politics, with Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf leading calls for Britain to back a truce.

Mr Yousaf, who revealed he had lost contact with his family in Gaza and could “only pray they survive the night”, has written to party leaders urging them to call for a ceasefire.

Children laid teddy bears outside the Foreign Office in London on Friday in a protest to highlight the suffering of youngsters in Gaza.

In a separate action, 220 empty seats were set at a “Shabbat table” in north London in tribute to hostages being held captive by Hamas after its attack on Israel.

Protesters waving Palestinian flags crossed Westminster Bridge during their march to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. AFP
Protesters waving Palestinian flags crossed Westminster Bridge during their march to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. AFP

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government abstained on a UN vote on a humanitarian truce in New York, saying it could not support a resolution that failed to condemn Hamas by name.

"As yet, I have seen or heard nothing from Hamas that gives me any confidence that they desire or would abide by calls for a ceasefire," Mr Cleverly told broadcasters.

The Labour front bench has also declined to support a ceasefire, saying the UK would have acted to defend itself if it had been attacked like Israel.

But prominent Labour figures including Mr Khan and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have piled pressure on party leader Keir Starmer by coming out in favour of a ceasefire.

Mr Starmer, who has sought to repair Labour’s image among British Jews after Mr Corbyn’s tenure was dogged by allegations of anti-Semitism, has joined the government in backing temporary “humanitarian pauses”.

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Leaderboard

63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)

64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)

66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)

68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Austrian Grand Prix race timings

Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE

Friday

Noon-1.30pm First practice

4-5.30pm Second practice

Saturday

1-2pm Final practice

4pm Qualifying

Sunday

4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

The figures behind the event

1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew

2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show

3) 1,000 social distancing stickers

4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue

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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

The Book of Collateral Damage

Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Company%20Profile
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Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

Roger Federer's 2018 record

Australian Open Champion

Rotterdam Champion

Indian Wells Runner-up

Miami Second round

Stuttgart Champion

Halle Runner-up

Wimbledon Quarter-finals

Cincinnati Runner-up

US Open Fourth round

Shanghai Semi-finals

Basel Champion

Paris Masters Semi-finals

 

 

Scoreline

Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)

Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)

Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES

June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)

Updated: October 30, 2023, 4:41 AM`