The demonstration outside parliament on 18 July shows that the Palestine movement is not going away and will hold Starmer’s government to account, reports Pete Webster

As the bells of Big Ben chimed at 7 pm on Thursday, the first working day of the new parliament saw a fantastic display as thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters linked hands around this bastion of neoliberal democracy to let the new government know that we will continue to demand that the UK stops arming Israel. Called by the organising coalition at short notice, and coming just the day after the King’s Speech laid out Starmer’s legislative programme that promises very little, this showed that our movement for an end to the genocide continues to inspire thousands to protest.

Keir Starmer’s Labour promises to be a government of more war, militarism and austerity.

He will continue every Tory foreign-policy position possible: the enabling of genocide in Gaza, fuelling the Nato proxy war in Ukraine and unlawful bombing raids on Yemen. Labour has also committed to a target of 2.5% of GDP in defence spending, an ‘unshakeable’ commitment to Nato, and nuclear weapons.

The new Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, on a visit to Israel last Sunday, made it clear that the UK will not uphold the ICC’s issuing of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, just days after ninety or more Palestinians, mainly women and children, had been slaughtered after an attack on the al-Mawasi refugee camp. Neither Starmer nor Lammy have even commented on this latest of recent atrocities.

Meanwhile, there will be no scraping of the vicious two-child benefit cap that has resulted in millions of children and their families being forced into poverty. So no change there either.

The next national demonstration for Palestine is on 3 August and activists should start organising now to ensure maximum turnout on the day. Before that, on Saturday 27 July, the odious Tommy Robinson and his EDL goons will be demonstrating in central London. No doubt the strong showing of Reform UK will embolden them and help swell their numbers as they echo the Islamophobic rhetoric being spewed out by our political elite and the mainstream media. 

It is nothing short of an attack on our movement and that is why it is imperative that every pro-Palestinian and anti-fascist supporter should join the counterdemonstration that is assembling at Russell Square at 12.00 on that day.