What are the people "Marching" in London every Saturday realistically hoping to achieve?

[Flapjacker48]

It won't change UK government policy. It won't result in a ceasefire in Gaza. It won't magically resolve the situation in Palestine.

Same as all the other big marches - War in Iraq etc. Changed nothing.

I'm sure it feels like that if you're Jewish. People do often fail to separate the state of Israel from Jewish people as a whole. But you must know that most people are not marching 'against jews', they're marching as a response to the violence perpetrated on civilians that we're seeing. I don't march by the way. But I think binary thinking is the very very worst way to meet all these horrific events.

This. The latest conflict has exposed a very troubling undercurrent of antisemitism, not just from Muslims but from leftists who will always support “the underdog” in any debate.

It’s very sinister and unsettling. And for those who might argue it ISN’T about hatred of Jews - can you imagine being Jewish and having to walk through the throngs of people taking over mainline London train stations right now?

I mean look at the people throwing spray painted mice into branches of McDonald’s FFS. Picketing McDonalds and customers needing to be escorted out by police. That is absolutely deranged behaviour.

I agree. As above, where were the marches in support of the Rohinga, the Uighurs, Palestinians attacked by Assad in Syria? There are no banners condemning Hamas in these marches, and Hamas are the ones who breached the previous ceasefire by committing their unspeakable atrocities on 7 October. There is a deep seam of antisemitism underlying these marches.

This

Many of the people on the marches are well-meaning, but some of the footage of chanting and speeches is honestly putting me in mind of the Blackshirts. Part of the aim of these marches is to create a hostile environment for Jewish people but it's also to create a chilling effect on those who would stick up for them and Israel. The police taking down posters of kidnapped Israeli children or preventing a Jewish organisation from driving round London in a van with images of the hostages just shows that even the authorities are aware of the tinderbox of violence underpinning it all. It's burgeoning fascism.

People protest to show they’re not happy with the actions of their government. It’s probably a reaction to the PM telling everyone the UK is backing Israel 100%. I mean even the US president managed a few “words of caution” to go along with his support. It won’t change anything but the protests themselves are the aim.

I understand the Israelis are also protesting against their government for its various failures. Should they pack it in as well?

This. To show the world that our government doesn’t speak for us. And that we do not support the genocide against children

To raise awareness of what is going on and to get people to educate themselves about the conflict.
It might not change government policy straight away and publicly but behind the scenes it might have some kind of impact. If it’s between sitting at home and going on a march going to change things positively, I go on the march.

There were some terrible scenes of violence against the Jews protesting against the Israeli government. Massive crowds of anti Israeli government protesters in Israel and the IDF were beating some of them including women and elderly men. So upsetting to see. The IDF really don’t care.

@EsmaCannonball I also wonder why those people who clearly love totalitarian, authoritarian theocracy don't just bugger off to where they can live the dream, instead of evangelising it here.

Majority of people like me protest because they are horrified to watch so many civilians being murdered.* *

I am in utter awe - and I have said this many times before - of Israeli activists! The amount of pushback and outright violence they endure to speak up for what is right is truly amazing!

Especially given that - and this important to know - their government is moving to allow the use of live ammunition against domestic protesters (an in: within Israel itself - they have been shooting Palestinian demonstrators dead for decades!)

You just need to wander around in central London to see many protests happening on a daily basis.

As to why they didn’t happen? Thats a different question entirely.

I expect there is a mix of motivations and not a single objective. Some are upset at the deaths and want to express that but others have far left agendas and love to protest at every opportunity then there are those trying to stoke fear and disruption (which has been evident from some of the arrests)

Because none of these conflicts involve Jews. There is actual genocide in China against the Uigyurs. They dint even care about Palestinians in Syria and Jordan.

They don't care about actually achieving anything, its performative nonsense (look at how much fun they seem to be having) and in many cases overt Jew hatred.

I think you are wrong.

If you went on the protests you’d find muslims going up to Jewish people thanking them for coming out and protesting against the actions of the Israeli government.

Similarly if you are on social media you’ll see countless posts by pro Palestinian people aghast at how the anti Netanyahu protestors have been treated in Israel. Similarly the video of the IDF knocking over orthodox Jewish men countless pro Palestinians and muslims have shared it saying how disgusting the behaviour of the IDF. Pretty much the same people who said that re the videos at Al Aqsa of the IDF wandering around kicking elderly muslim men and women to ground before Friday prayers.

I was wondering the same. Syria - how many civilians were killed there by Assad and Russia? Myanmar? Darfur? Afghan refugees (mainly women and children) in Pakistan being killed and forcefully displaced in their thousands (over a million people) as we speak - nothing. Seems like some people only get outraged at mass murder when America or Israel (or "the west) can be accused. When its Syria, or Russia, or Pakistan doing the killing no one seem to care.

Again you’re wrong I know plenty of people who’ve stood and protested at the Chinese embassy re the Uyghur’s being placed in concentration camps.

The government is on the same side of the public in Yemen? We are friends of Saudi Arabia, sending them weapons which they 'promise'not to use but still do to wipe out the Yemeni's.

So because people in great numbers aren't protesting about these issues no one should protest at all? What a bizarre unhelpful logic. Go back to sitting on your hands and see where that gets you.

The current protests are mainly people protesting against current government policy of not calling for a ceasefire. The public largely agree on the government stance on the other issues you mention and probably trust their diplomats to lobby and work towards addressing them.

The marches are appalling in my opinion and I want them banned. The sinister undercurrent is there for all to see. I’m horrified at the loss of civilian life in Gaza and at what happened to innocent civilians on October 7 and I believe Israel has a right to defend itself and I stand by our Governments support of that. The lefts support of a group of fundamentalist lunatics who want to take us back to the dark ages is utterly unbelievable. Where are the voices in the protests calling for Hamas to stop using their own citizens as human shields? Where is the contempt for them?

Yep. And it showcases the joys of multiculturalism ; in diversity is our strength……

I disagree that the marches are against Jews, I support Palestine but I am NOT against Jewish people, I have a deep respect for the Jewish religion, what I am against is the Israeli govt and the genocide. I've actually seen more islamophobia since this has started than anti semitism although I'm not saying there hasn't been any.

I’ve seen too many videos where protesters don’t seem to really know what or why they’re protesting, but they are having a lovely time doing it and it makes them feel good.
How tearing down posters of kidnapped children makes sense I don’t know - I haven’t seen anything anywhere where this has been explained/justified, but again they seem to be enjoying themselves.

I’ve seen too many videos where protesters don’t seem to really know what or why they’re protesting, but they are having a lovely time doing it and it makes them feel good.

Yes, definitely a lot of disenfranchised people (particularly women, I’ve noticed) who seem to be enjoying feelings of power and whipping up social unrest.

Why have there been no marches against Russia, China, Myanmar?

It might be because the UK government is not actively condoning the actions of those regimes?