Pro-Palestinian rallies in UK urge boycott of Israeli goods

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Apr 2025 22:34

Chants such as "Freedom for Palestine" and "Boycott Israel" echoed through the crowds, with activists urging a complete halt to military assaults and the imposition of broad sanctions.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold rallies in Britain on April 5, 2025 (@BrentHarrowPSC)

As Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate the Gaza Strip following the collapse of a ceasefire, pro-Palestinian activists staged demonstrations in cities throughout the United Kingdom on Saturday, calling for a boycott of products tied to the Israeli occupation.

Protesters gathered outside major British retailers, including branches of Sainsbury's and Tesco, to raise awareness about the sale of goods linked to Israel.

Organized under the banner "Don't Buy Apartheid," the rallies featured placards, Palestinian flags, and chants of solidarity. Demonstrators voiced strong opposition to the Israeli regime's actions in Gaza, repeating calls for international accountability.

Chants such as "Freedom for Palestine" and "Boycott Israel" echoed through the crowds, with activists urging a complete halt to military assaults and the imposition of broad sanctions.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) reported that over 35 rallies took place across the UK, specifically aimed at increasing pressure on retailers to discontinue the sale of items produced in the occupied Palestinian territories.

We’re here with crowds outside @sainsburys in Camden urging consumers to #BoycottIsraeligoods and #DontBuyApartheid! https://t.co/nMFiriF018 pic.twitter.com/sRADkXsSfG
— Brent & Harrow PSC (@BrentHarrowPSC) April 5, 2025

The protests come in the wake of "Israel's" March 18 military escalation, which shattered a previously held ceasefire with Hamas. Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed since, as "Israel" continues to block the entry of humanitarian aid, food, and fuel into the besieged enclave.

According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), children are among the most severely affected by the renewed violence. Since the start of the war, Israeli strikes and ground operations have destroyed wide swaths of Gaza, displacing an estimated 90% of the population.

The demonstrators called for global action to halt the violence and uphold Palestinian rights, using grassroots mobilization to demand change from both the public and private sectors in the UK.