Hundreds of Palestinian supporters dance, light flares and chant in the street outside Israel’s embassy in London as Israelis gather outside Downing Street to hold a vigil for the dead

Hundreds of protesters have filled the streets outside the Israeli Embassy in London chanting ‘free Palestine’ and lighting flares.

There were reports of fireworks being launched on Kensington high street and people unable to push through heaving crowds, as parts of the Israel embassy were boarded up.

Hundreds gathered in Kensington on Monday afternoon, chanting ‘Israel is a terrorist state’ and ‘Allahu akhbar’, with stalls set up touting ‘Free Palestine’ merchandise in the popular shopping district.

Earlier in the evening, large groups of police officers watched on as placards calling for Israel to ‘end the occupation’ were waved, but their presence appeared to subside as the busy area was taken over by a wave of protesters.

Meanwhile, Israelis have gathered outside Downing Street to hold a vigil for the victims and hostages taken by Hamas after the terror group launched its violent assault over the Gaza border on Saturday.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the Israel Embassy in London chanting ‘free free Palestine ‘ and lighting flairs

Makeshift stalls were set up touting ‘Free Palestine’ merchandise in the popular shopping district

 Protesters set off red and green flares

Smoke fills the air as protesters gather on the busy shopping street in west London

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up placards near the Israeli Embassy

There was a significant police presence in the Royal borough throughout the evening

One pro-Palestine protester, Mosibur Rahman Ullah, 53, said the situation in Gaza has ‘reached boiling point’ after ’75 years of Israeli oppression’ of Palestinians.

In reference to Hamas militant’s acts of terror on members of the Israeli population, he said: ‘Sometimes you have to fight, freedom isn’t won just by words.’

He added that ‘the diplomatic means at the hands of Palestinians just hasn’t worked, so these are the steps they have had to take’.

One protester condemned Hamas’ attack, saying ‘what we want is peace’, but said that ‘what has been happening with Palestine throughout so, so many years cannot continue to happen. It is just a retaliation [to that].’ 

Israelis gathered outside Downing Street tonight to fly their country’s flag amid Hamas’ unprecedented assault

Attendees at the vigil held up placards saying ‘I stand with Israel’

As the evening went on, anger turned into jubilation among some of the pro-Palestine protesters, with music blaring and flags waving.

It comes as Suella Braverman urged police forces to step up patrols to prevent anti-Jewish disorder and violence.

Boards of wood and gates were placed around the entrance to the Israeli embassy earlier on Monday.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign, one of the groups behind the demonstration, said in a statement: ‘The offensive launched from Gaza can only be understood in the context of Israel’s ongoing, decades long, military occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land and imposition of a system of oppression that meets the legal definition of apartheid.

‘This is the context in which we need to understand the cycle of violence. If violence is to end, both that of the oppressor and the oppressed, then we must all take action to end the root cause – Israeli apartheid and oppression of Palestinians.’

This is a breaking story, more to follow. 

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