A pro-Palestinian solidarity march in London paused on Saturday, October 10, to allow a newlywed couple to take photographs alongside demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags and banners on Westminster Bridge. A video capturing the moment has gone viral on social media.
The footage shows the bride, dressed in a white wedding gown, and the groom, wearing a dark suit, posing with protesters as the march passed through central London. Demonstrators made space for the couple to take photographs, with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben visible in the background.
Watch the video here
The moment unfolded during the National March for Palestine, organised by the Palestine Coalition, which drew thousands of demonstrators calling for stronger action against Israel over its continued strikes on Gaza.
Protesters demand action over Gaza
Marchers carried placards reading “Free Palestine” and “End the genocide”, calling for an end to Israeli military operations and tougher international measures against Israel.
Aimee Shalan, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told AFP that the demonstration marked three years of what she described as the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejects allegations of genocide.
Shalan called for comprehensive sanctions against Israel, arguing that existing Western measures over violence by Israeli settlers were insufficient.
The march took place amid continued Israeli strikes on Gaza despite a ceasefire that began a year earlier. Israel has continued targeting individuals it identifies as Hamas operatives, saying the strikes are intended to prevent attacks and stop the group from rebuilding its capabilities.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli strikes have killed around 1,450 Palestinians since the ceasefire began. The ministry, run by Hamas, does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties.
The wider war, which began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 74,200 Palestinians, according to figures cited by Gaza’s health authorities, and left much of the territory in ruins.
The October 7 attack killed around 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Police said they made several arrests during the London demonstration, including a man and a woman carrying placards expressing support for Palestine Action, a group proscribed in the UK.
Similar demonstrations were held in other European cities, including Rome and Warsaw, as protesters called for an end to the war and criticised their governments’ relations with Israel.
