Dozens of school children took part in a pro-Palestine demonstration in Tower Hamlets, east London.
Social media footage shows kids in their school uniforms marching with red, white, green and black flags holding "free Palestine" posters on Thursday afternoon.
In one clip a man can be heard leading chants on a megaphone, shouting "Israel is a-" before the young crowd responds "terrorist state".
Multiple adults are with them, with many appearing to be parents. It is not clear whether teachers were involved, whether the protest was sanctioned by schools, or whether it was a walkout. Organisers said at least 300 pupils had taken part.
Muslim outlet 5Pillars reports that a message was widely circulated on Thursday morning, inviting "students of all ages" in the borough to "leave classrooms at 12pm" and march to Whitechapel Town Hall.
The message says the reason for the demonstration is "to demand an end to the siege and bombing in Gaza, extend solidarity to Palestinian families and mourn the lives of 10,000+ Palestinians killed in cold blood by Israel with support from the UK and US government", to call for a ceasefire and to push for "politicians supporting Israel's genocide be held accountable".
Thursday's march forms part of Friday's "National School Strike for Palestine" initiative, which has been organised by the campaign group Stop the War Coalition.
Tower Hamlets students now marching to @rushanaraali’s office after she shamefully refused to vote for a ceasefire last night. #SchoolStrikeForPalestine #FreePalestine 🇵🇸 #CeasefireNOW pic.twitter.com/MGGpeNlPo6
— Shabbir Lakha (@ShabbirLakha) November 16, 2023
The following message is being widely circulated in Tower Hamlets.
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) November 13, 2023
*TOWER HAMLETS STUDENT STRIKE FOR PALESTINE* 🇵🇸🇵🇸
📆 Thursday 16th November 2023
⏰ 12.30pm (Leave classrooms at 12pm)
📍 Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Whitechapel
*WHO?*
Students of all ages in Tower Hamlets…
Demonstrators walked to the office of Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali, who abstained from voting for the Scottish National Party (SNP)'s amendment in favour of a ceasefire on Wednesday night.
She has since said in a statement that she has "long supported a ceasefire" but does not believe the SNP motion "stands a chance" of delivering it.
The politician went on: "I will not relent in my obligation to be a loud voice within the Shadow Government, simply in exchange for a symbolic measure, important as it is".
Stop the War Coalition was founded in 2001, in response to George W. Bush's "war on terror" and is now "supporting Palestinian rights, opposing racism and Islamophobia, and to the defence of civil liberties".
The Standard has contacted the organisation for comment.
