Middle East protest in Kensington

Last Thursday, High Street Kensington found itself overwhelmed with protestors. At 5:30pm, crowds gathered to protest against the violence in the Middle East.

Imperial students were amongst these protestors, campaigning with members of the public. Protestors could be found carrying signs, chanting and making speeches in front of the Israeli Embassy on High Street Kensington.

The main advertising for the protests was done through Facebook, with events created to include the pre-planned details of the protest. Other students were told by word of mouth last minute and still decided to go.

Around 800 people turned up for the protests, ranging from young Imperial students through to elderly members of the public. Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Laura Booth had also been spotted at the protest.

The demonstration featured both pro-Israelis protestors and pro-Palestine protestors. There were Imperial students protesting for each side.

Imperial students have described their accounts of the protests, mentioning that the closeness of the protest made it easy for them to join in. Some students were said to be using megaphones or microphones with speakers to spur the crowds on. One account describes students climbing onto a bus with a flag whilst the bus drove down the road.

One Imperial student stated that the student voice can be the most powerful of them all and that it is important for today’s generation to get involved and get their voices heard.

The protests were said to last till 9pm, with some students staying on afterwards to help clear up the mess.

The police had placed barriers on the street so that cars could pass through but High Street Kensington was partially closed and the road towards the Israeli Embassy had been closed off. As more and more people arrived, the police were forced to put up more barriers.

In recent weeks, the unrest in the Middle East has caused a great stir in the media. Activists have accused media outlets of being biased and one-sided. Articles published have been deemed unreliable as sources about the events in Israel and Palestine.

The on-going conflict has been a source of debate for many years. The most recent attacks were said to have started at the end of October. Reports have been made of continual attacks from both sides resulting in numerous casualties from both Israel and Palestine.

The violence in the Middle East is to such an extent that people felt the need to demonstrate their disapproval of the situation. Many were there simply to call and end to the death and destruction.

There are more protests planned during the next week with many Imperial students enthusiastic to take part.