15.10.2026

Three years of genocide

Millions marched worldwide, in London over 200,000. No one is fooled by Ed Miliband’s weasel words, not least because of the continued arms trade with Israel and the ban on Palestine Action, says Ian Spencer

Saturday October 10 saw worldwide demonstrations against the genocide in Gaza. Millions marched in countries around the planet and London added over 200,000 to that in the 37th national demonstration in Britain. Throughout the last three years, the marches have been disciplined, determined and steadfast in their support for the Palestinians. Participants are also not fooled by foreign secretary Ed Miliband’s weasel words - on the one hand, proclaiming that we are right to protest, but, on the other hand, doing nothing about the Israeli arms industry operating in the UK, the arms export licences to Israel or the assistance provided by the UK armed forces in carrying out the genocide.

Miliband’s conference speech claimed that: “… under Andy’s leadership, we have reset our approach. We call out ethnic cleansing by the settler terrorists in the West Bank. We call out the evidence of war crimes in Gaza. We call out Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. And we will match words with actions.”¹ However, the “actions” did not include lifting the proscription of Palestine Action as “terrorists”. In fact, outside last month’s Labour conference itself, Merseyside police arrested 15 people (the now familiar collection of retired vicars and people in wheelchairs) under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, for holding placards saying, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

However, for all the delay, the failure to state that Israeli action amounts to genocide and the flaccid response, it was at least a response. It was at least a sign that, worldwide, vast numbers now recognise the nature of the Zionist regime and its US and UK supporters. After all, three years ago Sir Keir Starmer threatened to take action against any Labour MP who attended our marches. So, while we welcome the sanctions on the West Bank terrorist settlers, Israel needs to be completely economically isolated and all military cooperation must be withdrawn - otherwise Miliband’s speech will be exposed as just another electioneering gimmick.

Arrests

On Saturday’s demonstration, protestors were arrested for even carrying placards calling for lifting the proscription on Palestine Action. One, Kingston University professor Peter Hallward, was reportedly held for displaying a banner which read: “In the UK it’s a crime to say I support Palestine Action”. Even explaining the current repressive legislation in this way could mean detention under section 13 of the Terrorism Act, it seems. As Stop the War Coalition vice-chair Chris Nineham said, “If we were right and they were wrong, why are we still being persecuted?”²

I saw people marching with Prisoners for Palestine, a collective representing all those detained under charges related to Palestine liberation, being arrested for covering their faces. This is of course, in stark contrast to the anti-immigration demonstrators, whose black-clad, face-covered thugs were left to their own devices. Around 11 members of the Revolutionary Communist Party, which had one of the largest single blocs on Saturday’s demonstration, were arrested and taken to Walworth police station.

The Greens also constituted a sizable bloc, possibly buoyed by the recent conference resolution that “Zionism is racism” - or possibly as a reaction to the furore raised by the bourgeois press, which shows every sign of using the ‘anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism’ ploy that it employed so successfully against Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader. And perhaps because of that, and the way that he seems to be caving in to pressure, Zack Polanski decided to sit this demonstration out, as he did the conference vote on “Zionism is racism”. Either way, there were a lot more Green Party banners than I have seen for a while. As for Labour banners, I did not see any. There were also very few from trade unions, although an honourable mention must go to the Fire Brigades Union and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union.

There was, of course, the inevitable Zionist counterdemonstration and, as has been the case for the last three years, it was very small - made up of the usual assortment of provocateurs, but ignored by what are now vast numbers who understand the truth about Zionism.

In fact, on what was a very pleasant day of warm sunshine, most of the demonstration had a buoyant, optimistic feel to it, which made a pleasing backdrop to a couple of newlyweds who joined us on Westminster Bridge - having photos taken in their wedding finery amongst Palestine flags!

Drive to war

Of course, this demonstration was also taking place against the background of Trump’s continued attacks on the people of Iran, and its escalation to include Yemen. Retaliation against US allies in the Middle East threatens further escalation with its inevitable impact on energy security around the world. Thousands of placards denounced the brutality of the war and US imperialism, aided and abetted by the UK.

This also took place in the context of Andy Burnham’s accusation that Iran played a part in the incident at RAF Fairford, whatever that was. It is an assertion that looks more incredible as time goes on. People can see this kind of unsupported accusation for what it is: a government determined to support the US drive to war - a war that will be paid for with cutbacks on social expenditure in favour of arms production.

Ed Miliband’s warm-up act at the Labour Party conference was, of course, followed by Burnham’s tear-streaked main feature, promising jam tomorrow on a wide range of issues. This, of course, was pure electioneering and presupposes that he will have control over the direction the economy will be heading in the drive to war. The accusation of Russian interference in the Brexit referendum looks as desperate as the RAF Fairford conjuring trick.

On Saturday’s march every single demonstrator was mindful of the urgency to stop arms exports to Israel, a country which violates its so-called ‘ceasefire’ daily. We were also mindful of other events in Europe, whether French students or Spanish activists on the housing question. We all know that the drive to war has the potential to unite us all as people making the obvious connection between burgeoning militarism and austerity.

Gaza

In the meantime, in Gaza, Israel’s ‘yellow line’ moves a little further, dividing Israeli from supposed Palestinian control as part of the October 2025 ‘ceasefire’ agreement. Israel controls about 65% of Gaza, according to the United Nations - up from the 53% agreed a year ago. This means that 2.1 million Palestinians are confined to about a third of the strip. Nearly 1,500 of them have been killed in the last year.³

Saturday’s demonstrators know there is no time to lose. The Gaza Strip was already one of the most densely populated places on earth before the genocide began and, with winter approaching, the mortality rate is only likely to rise. The Labour government’s pledge of £88 million in aid will be entirely dependent on Israel’s control over all resources going into Gaza, as it has been throughout the genocide.

The idea that the people of Gaza and indeed the West Bank can wait for the minimal sanctions applied against Israel to exert influence over Israel is risible. The measures announced by Ed Miliband were chosen to have little direct impact on its prosecution of genocide in Gaza and accelerated ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

In the meantime, the Labour leadership knows that it faces challenges from left and right between now and the next election. If a week is a long time in politics, the next three years will seem like an eternity for Burnham and co.

Rally

The rally in Whitehall on Saturday was addressed by Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, among others, including Maryam Eslamdoust, the general secretary of the TSSA, and Andrea Egan of Unison. All those who spoke gave their usual worthy speeches, although Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah carried a weight born of the role he has played as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Gaza. There have been over 6,000 limb amputations in Gaza - a quarter of which have been among children.

While Israel has obviously been the principal force in the genocide, it has acted as the tool of western imperialism - the same force that threatens war on a global scale. US attempts to cleave Russia from China are unlikely to be successful, even though Europe seems determined to keep arming Ukraine in order to weaken any rivalry to the US hegemon. Of course, the US mid-term elections may exert an influence, but Trump’s mercurial leadership cannot last forever.

Nor can the quiescence of a world working class that has only increasing poverty and war to look forward to. In the UK, the Labour government can only maintain itself for so long with its current mere gestures in the direction of Palestine solidarity, which are flatly contradicted by its otherwise steadfast support for Israel.

Around the world things are moving fast. Only the working class, organised into a mass Communist Party, can ensure it is not in the direction of destruction.

1. www.middleeasteye.net/news/we-hear-you-you-were-right-ed-miliband-tells-people-outraged-over-palestinian-plight.↩︎

2. morningstaronline.co.uk/article/newlyweds-palestine-march-demo-solidarity.↩︎

3. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/13/gazas-yellow-line-advances-leaving-displaced-families-with-nowhere-to-go.↩︎