HUNDREDS of people joined a School Strike for Palestine rally in Glasgow on Friday, with schoolchildren among those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Rallies were held on Friday in Glasgow, London and Bristol - coming as part of a number of school walkouts expressing anger over Israel's bombardment of Gaza in recent weeks.
School pupils were joined outside the Royal Concert Hall, Buchanan Street, by parents, workers, trade unionists and higher and further education students.
One young pupil told Clyde News: “You can see that there’s kids even younger than me, or my age – just any age really – all these kids being killed, it makes me really sad.”
Another added: “Killing civilians who’ve done nothing, it’s horrible."
Former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, expressed his solidarity with the young Scots.
Solidarity with #SchoolStrikeForPalestine in Glasgow and across the UK. Students calling for a #ceasefirenow are an inspiration. 📷 @GlasgowStopWar pic.twitter.com/TiIYfqCfRS
— Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) November 17, 2023
"Students calling for a ceasefire are an inspiration," he added.
The war, now in its sixth week, was triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack in southern Israel, in which the militants killed more than 1200 people, mostly civilians, and captured some 240 men, women and children.
At least 11,470 Palestinians have been killed since the war began while about 2700 people are reported missing, according to figures from Gaza's health authorities.
UK Government Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said she is “deeply concerned” over the sight of children taking part in pro-Palestine demonstrations during the school day.
In a post on Twitter/X, Keegan expressed concern about the protest and warned it should be treated with the “utmost seriousness”.
Keegan said: “I’m deeply concerned that some children are attending political protests during the school day – even more so if they’re taking part in, or being exposed to, antisemitic chants.
“This should be treated with the utmost seriousness – missing school for activism is unacceptable.”
Earlier, schoolchildren in Bristol handed in a petition calling for a ceasefire to representatives at City Hall.
The signatures, many written in felt tip pen, were collected by youngsters who have attended the school strike for Palestine outside over the past three weeks.
Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party and councillor for Clifton Down ward in the city, collected the petition during the event on Friday morning.
Speaking in Bristol, Denyer told pupils and protesters: “Thank you for taking a stand for Palestine and for calling for a ceasefire.
“The abhorrent situation in Palestine and Israel must end.
“I know we are all horrified by the Hamas attacks and we all want the immediate release of the hostages.
“Those atrocities do not in any way justify the level of bombardment of civilians, including many Gazan children, that has shocked the world.”
