Downing Street has condemned protesters for projecting “from the river to the sea” onto Big Ben during a pro-Palestinian rally on Wednesday night.
The demonstration took place in Parliament Square as MPs debated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which led to chaotic scenes in the Commons.
Politics live: Why Speaker appears safe for now
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said it was “wrong” for the controversial phrase to be used, though stopped short of saying police should have acted over it, adding: “It is rightly a decision for the independent police to make operational decisions on the ground.”
Other words were also projected onto the Elizabeth Tower, including “stop bombing Gaza,” “ceasefire now”, and “stop war now”.
But the use of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has drawn anger from some pro-Israel supporters, who argue the phrase calls for the eradication of the Israeli state.
Some pro-Palestinian supporters reject this, saying it is simply expressing the need for equality for all inhabitants of historic Palestine.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘From the river to the sea’ explained
The Campaign Against Antisemitism called it “genocidal language”, and said the incident on Wednesday was “a wake-up call for Britain”
A spokesperson told Sky News that…
