More than half a million people expected at march demanding Gaza ceasefire

One of the organisers of Saturday’s march through central London demanding a ceasefire in Gaza has predicted that more than half a million people will attend the event.

The Stop the War coalition said coach companies across the country are reporting that all their vehicles are fully booked, with waiting lists in some areas.

John Rees, from the group, said the protest in London will be “truly historic”, exceeding the half a million he believes joined a previous protest in the capital.

“We are convinced it will be the biggest demonstration so far over Palestine,” he said.

Protesters will gather at Hyde Park, about a mile from Whitehall at midday, before marching to the US embassy in Vauxhall, finishing around 4pm.

Thousands have attended protests during the past 4 Saturdays, marching through the streets of London.

Protesters are calling for a ceasefire after Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to deadly attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas last month.

“Our local groups up and down the country have reported they’ve sold out of seats on hundreds of coaches,” John Rees added.

The event has attracted controversy after Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticized the Met Police's stance on pro-Palestinian marches.

Lindsey German, the group’s convenor, said: “Our local groups in towns and cities across the UK, along with coach companies, are telling us that every one of their coaches have been booked to bring people to London. This is comparable only to two million strong protest against the Iraq War in 2003.”

Stop the War has insisted that the focus of the march is on stopping the killing in Gaza.

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