Speakers at the march. Pic: Maraam Nusair

A man holding a banner with the words “No hate groups in the UK” disrupted the pro-Palestine rally in Lewisham on Saturday.

He pushed through the front of the crowd at Lewisham Clocktower, which caused a man to fall over and he shouted at the organisers present and interrupted one of the speakers.

The Palestine Solidarity UK group has continued to organise protests throughout the UK urging the Government to call for a ceasefire and withdraw support for Israel.  

Just under a thousand protesters marched through Lewisham High Street, waving Palestinian flags, and held pro-Palestine placards while chanting “Stop bombing children” and “Palestine will be free.”

The man then shouted at the crowd and he became confrontational with one of the organisers.  

The crowd chanted “Free Palestine” in response, and one protest member called over police officers standing on the edge of the crowd to escort him away. They talked to him for some time nearby before he eventually left. Police did not reprimand him for his actions.  

Pic: Maraam Nusair

Despite the incident, like most of the pro-Palestine protests held throughout London, the protest on Saturday was peaceful and organised. One woman handed out sweets through the crowd, while a student at Lewisham College recited a poem in Urdu to the crowd.  

Pic: Maraam Nusair

The demonstration followed a council meeting held last Wednesday, where the Lewisham for Palestine organisation called for the Lewisham council to divert pension funds away from companies complicit in the conflict.