Thousands of people descended on Downing Street on Thursday 2 October to protest over the Labour Party government’s inaction over Israel’s illegal assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and its kidnapping of those on board. However, things quickly turned ugly as cops unleashed violence on the assembled demonstrators.
Global Sumud Flotilla
Updates on the Global Sumud Flotilla now show that Israel has likely illegally intercepted the majority of the vessels sailing to Gaza to break the violent colonial occupier’s siege on the Strip. Currently, it’s displaying that Israeli naval ships and speedboats have committed the blatant act of piracy against 21 ships in the 44-strong fleet. A further 19 are presumed to have been intercepted.
However, despite abducting more than 400 peaceful activists from 44 countries, carrying urgently needed food, baby formula, and other basic necessities to Gaza, governments around the world have so far done nothing to protect their citizens from the terrorist state.
Across the world, people have responded with protests to show solidarity with the flotilla. Also, they are demonstrating their government’s complicity with Israel. From the US and France to Germany and Italy, ordinary people have come out in their thousands to take action. And in the UK, Downing Street was the focal point of people’s disquiet and protest over the flotilla:
Out for the flotilla protest at Downing Street
At around 5:30pm on 2 October, protesters (and the Canary’s on-the-ground team) were blocked from using Westminster Tube station due to a reported “fire alert”. Seems legit just as a pro-Palestine protest was about to happen, right?
So, many activists made their way from Green Park station and Piccadilly- chanting and holding banners as they went:
Scores of people descended on Downing Street:
People were chanting “Free, free Palestine” at Downing Street. Little wonder, when Israel has now killed at least 66,000 people in Gaza – most of them women and children:
“Shut It Down” was also ringing out:
However, complicit cops – always eager to ‘shut down’ left-wing protest while enabling far-right ones – soon turned violent:
BREAKING: Police in Westminster react VIOLENTLY to protests against the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Where was this energy for the far-right protests? pic.twitter.com/gPQj9qrmOA
— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) October 2, 2025
Cops then kettled protesters along Whitehall:
As one teacher pointed out, she was going to tell her pupils about events:
The scale and noise of the protest over the flotilla was clear – as was people’s strength of feeling:
Arrests soon followed:
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Across the country, other protests were planned at multiple train stations. However, it seems that in the wake of the Manchester terrorist attack at a synagogue, where an attacker killed two people and injured others, many of the protests did not happen.
There was some activity at Leeds:
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With Defend Our Juries planning another huge protest on Saturday 4 October, it seems that the anti-Israel, pro-Palestine sentiment in the UK shows little sign of diminishing.
Featured image and additional images/video via the Canary
By Steve Topple
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