Charlotte Church snaps selfies with pro-Palestine protesters in London

Charlotte Church joined a pro-Palestinian march by means of central London weeks after glowing a backlash by attending a live performance in assist of Gaza and singing a lyric that critics claimed might be construed as anti-Semitic.

The 38-year-old singer is amongst an all-woman line-up of audio system set to name for a ceasefire within the occupied territory following the march from Park Lane to the US Embassy in Nine Elms south of the river.

Wearing a brown coat, a inexperienced leopard-print prime and a black and white Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, she was seen posing for selfies with different marchers on the entrance of the procession within the newest march organised by a gaggle of anti-war organisations.

The newest march comes days after the Board of Deputies of British Jews claimed Jewish individuals really feel central London is unsafe for them in the course of the protests – including that some felt the rallies had been meant to ‘intimidate’ Jews.

Thousands are believed to be in attendance on the rally, organised by a coalition of teams together with Stop the War, Friends of al-Aqsa and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with a route agreed with the Metropolitan Police. 

Speaking to the PA information company, Church mentioned she joined the pro-Palestine protest to ‘present solidarity with the individuals of Palestine for all that they’re struggling by means of’.

She mentioned: ‘I’m right here in the present day to name for an instantaneous ceasefire, to ask our Government and governments all around the world to ship as sturdy message as we probably can. 

‘But a powerful, a peaceable a loving message, that is what each single march that I’ve been on for Palestine has been about.

‘There’s been singing there’s been drumming, sure, there’s been emotion, however within the majority that emotion has been love, has been compassion as a result of that is why we’re all right here.

‘We’re all right here as a result of we can’t bear what we’re witnessing. We can’t bear to see civilians, kids, girls slaughtered.

‘And so we’re right here as a result of our hearts are so full of affection for the Palestinian individuals.’

Church was criticised for singing a track construed as anti-Semitic throughout a pro-Palestine live performance final month.

The Sing for Palestine occasion featured a track with the lyric ‘from the river to the ocean’ – which some opponents of the slogan declare is a name for the destruction of Israel.

But the singer later mentioned she would ‘do it once more 100 instances’ and denied being anti-Semitic, criticising Israel for creating ‘hell on Earth’ with its concentrated navy bombardment marketing campaign in Gaza since October. 

The gathering assembled on the backside of Park Lane for midday earlier than starting its procession behind Buckingham Palace, alongside Grosvenor Place. 

Demonstrators chanted ‘Free free Palestine’, ‘What do we would like? Ceasefire; when do we would like it? Now’, and the controversial slogan ‘From the river to the ocean, Palestine shall be free’.

They additionally waved Palestine flags and carried banners which learn ‘Stop the struggle on Gaza’, ‘30,000 lifeless’ and ‘Ceasefire now’ as they set off from Hyde Park Corner.

The route will run alongside Vauxhall Bridge Road and over Vauxhall Bridge itself earlier than continuing alongside Nine Elms Lane and stopping exterior the US Embassy close to Battersea Power Station.

Speakers in the course of the occasion embody Church, British-Palestinian activist Leanne Mohamad, Labour MP Beth Winter and Fran Heathcote, basic secretary of commerce union PCS.

A major police presence has assembled at Hyde Park Corner, near the beginning of the procession route. The meeting is required to disperse by 5pm.

The Met says it’s asking all attendees to ‘adjust to orders and requests from our officers’, vowing that ‘those that are discovered to be breaking the regulation shall be handled accordingly’.

But Daniel Sugarman, the director of public affairs on the Board of Deputies, mentioned: ‘Many British Jews do really feel that the centre of London is unsafe for them throughout these marches. This contains Synagogues within the space.

‘Many really feel that the purpose of those marches is to intimidate, and that in the end that is to intimidate those that consider Israel has a proper to exist – which most Jews do.’

It comes after Britain’s counter-terrorism tsar warned that London is turning into a ‘no-go zone for Jews’ throughout weekend protests. Robin Simcox, the Home Office‘s unbiased advisor on extremism accused the Government for letting extremists go ‘unchallenged for too lengthy’.

But responding to Mr Simcox’s feedback, Mr Sugarman mentioned he doesn’t ‘really feel significantly comfy with the language of ‘no-go zones’,’ however added: ‘I additionally do not feel significantly comfy with non-Jewish people who find themselves presently mocking that language.’

Mr Sugarman mentioned: ‘Many British Jews really feel extraordinarily disturbed by the weekly marches by means of the centre of London.’

He mentioned he that many are ‘extraordinarily disturbed by the weekly marches by means of the centre of London’ which all function ‘extraordinarily disturbing slogans’ and antisemitic indicators‘.

Pro-Palestine protests have value the Met Police £32.2 million as far as 1000’s extra marchers are set to take to London streets this weekend. 

Britain’s largest police pressure is bracing for eleven main occasions within the capital his weekend, together with march in help of International Women’s Day, six soccer matches and a fifth pro-Palestine demonstration.

The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, is the fifth main demonstration of the yr up to now.

They have required 35,464 officer shifts, and greater than 5,200 officer relaxation days to be cancelled with a purpose to handle the disruptions, police mentioned on Friday.

Commander Karen Findlay, who will oversee policing throughout London on Saturday, mentioned: ‘We are clearly working in a context the place we perceive our Jewish and Muslim communities proceed to be extremely involved about anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crime and their very own sense of security in London.

‘We recognise the very actual anxiousness and concern of people who’re nervous about perceived or precise threats they’re topic to.’

Writing within the Telegraph, Mr Simcox mentioned Britain has a ‘permissive atmosphere for radicalisation growing that wants urgently addressing’.

He added that the Government wanted to take a ‘main position’ in tackling all varieties of extremism.

The counter-extremism tsar mentioned Downing Street now had an opportunity to take cost of the state of affairs whereas championing ‘respect for the rule of regulation, civility, and decency’ – which he mentioned had been in ‘brief provide’ since October 7.

It is believed that Mr Simcox hopes there shall be harder restrictions on protests that might embody forcing marches to be static demonstrations as an alternative.

A spokesman for the Board of Deputies added: ‘The common weekend marches in central London are considered by many within the Jewish group as intimidatory, elevating questions concerning the type of society we need to foster. 

‘Surely all components of London ought to be open to everybody, with no sense of ‘no-go’ zones primarily based on political affiliations or expressions of help for particular causes. Jewish Londoners are happy with their metropolis and won’t be frightened away from the place they name residence.’

During Saturday’s protest there will even be a counter protest led by Itai Galmudy, nonetheless he’s solely anticipating 50-100 individuals most to attend as ‘persons are afraid and never everyone’s prepared to take the chance’.

Mr Galmudy mentioned he organised Saturday afternoon’s counter-protest with a ‘collective of people who share the identical frustrations’ with the pro-Palestine marches, which he argued had ‘ballooned into anti-Israeli hate marches’.

He mentioned he was ‘very involved’ that counter-protesters may encounter violence, including that it could ‘in all probability mirror’ within the variety of individuals attending the demonstration in Victoria, central London.

‘We will simply not settle for that Jews cannot exit on the street as a result of anyone desires to protest.

‘Those marches have ballooned into anti-Israeli hate marches and we expect it is sufficient. We do not need to dwell in concern and we is not going to settle for it.

‘We need to train our democratic proper to face up and inform them that it isn’t okay.

‘There is not any room in our society for protests that do not permit different individuals to dwell subsequent to them.’

He continued: ‘We know that these (pro-Palestine) protests should not as peaceable as some individuals inform us they’re.

‘I’m involved for this nation as a result of letting the mob run a rustic shouldn’t be the way in which. There is a regulation and we must always all be held accountable to it.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has beforehand referred to as for the Met Police to take harder motion in opposition to protesters.

Sunak promised to cope with the ‘root causes’ of the issue and make sure that ‘no extremist organisations or people are being lent legitimacy by their actions and interactions with central authorities’.

Pro-Palestine protesters have been taking to the streets of the capital, and different giant cities throughout the UK, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza because the October 7 assaults final yr, the place 1000’s of individuals have now been killed within the battle.

During their rallies protesters have brandished banners and chanted ‘from the river to the ocean’ – a track deemed anti-Semitic and a direct name for the state of Israel to be destroyed.

Concerns over police assets had been additionally raised by Home Secretary James Cleverly, when he instructed pro-Palestine protesters to cease their Gaza rallies claiming they’ve ‘made their level’ and are placing a ‘large stress’ on the pressure. 

He mentioned: ‘I believe the organisers ought to recognise that they’ve made their level, they’ve made it loudly and so they’re not including to it by repeating themselves.’

A house affairs committee mentioned the Government ought to contemplate authorized adjustments so demonstration organisers are required to present police greater than the present six days’ discover. It additionally calls on ministers to urgently set out a response to hate crime, amid hovering ranges.

Committee chairman Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson mentioned: ‘It is obvious that the present calls for on policing resourcing and the extent of complexity in policing protests are unsustainable with out correct reinforcement.’

Police had been pressured to shut Tower Bridge when protesters shut it down final month. 

The bridge grew to become utterly engulfed in smoke as activists, some sporting masks and shouting into megaphones, let off inexperienced flares in help of Palestine.

The protests have continued to be a supply of rigidity in Westminster with MPs divided over how finest to deal with the state of affairs.