Thousands brave Storm Darragh to march against antisemitism in London

Thousands of Brits braved Storm Darragh to march through London on Sunday in a rally against the torrent of antisemitic incidents that had flooded the United Kingdom since the October 7 massacre last year.

The March Against Antisemitism, organized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, saw Jews and non-Jews waving Union Jacks and Israeli flags from the Royal Courts of Justice to Parliament Square, where they heard from a variety of political and cultural leaders demanding action from British authorities.

CAA chief executive Gideon Falter called on officials to stop extremism before it was too late and appealed for broad unity from across the UK to combat antisemitism.

“The fight against antisemitism puts Jews on the frontlines of the battle for the future of the West. It is a long frontline with many flash-points, but should any part of it fail, the entire defense fails,” said Falter. “We owe it to future generations to raise our voices against this tide of extremism and bigotry, and reject appeasement so that we might bequeath them the bright future that once was ours.”

Falter noted on social media after the march that apart from himself, none of the speakers were Jewish, but all were “brave, principled allies of our community who stand shoulder to shoulder with us, because they know that this is their fight just as much as it’s the fight of the Jewish people.”

Recalling British history

Former British paratrooper and defense analyst Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox recalled the history of the UK as a country that knew how to right its wrongs, like the antisemitism that had flourished in the country. Like the UK’s stand against fascism and to end the slave trade, Fox demanded an end to a “cowardice” that saw antisemitism as the same problem as others.

“When I turned on the television on 7th October and saw extremists celebrating the attacks in Israel – on UK streets – I could not believe my eyes. Since then, we’ve seen weekly marches in London keeping extremism in the public eye. This is not just a fleeting moment or an isolated problem. It is a movement of hatred that threatens the very fabric of our society,” said Fox.

“The pockets of society that organize these marches don’t stop in the streets, they infect our National Health Service with extremism and monopolize discourse on our university campuses,” he said. “These people have absolute disdain for our country and its values.”

The former serviceman decried how anti-Israel activists marched on Armistice Day, introduced a Remembrance Day poppy initiative for Palestinians, desecrated war memorials, and cheered on the same Ansar Allah maritime terrorists shooting at British sailors.

FOX AND CAA noted on X that in contrast to the anti-British sentiment expressed in anti-Israel protests, the March Against Antisemitism saw participants sing “God save the King!” in front of the Cenotaph and Downing Street.

Christian Action Against Antisemitism co-founder Rev. Hayley Ace told the audience that the outbreak of anti-Jewish behavior in the wake of October 7 was difficult to see as a Christian, also calling for cross-community solidarity.

“We have to try and reach people who don’t realize [that] this ideology that is coming for the Jews is coming to attack everyone,” Ace said according to CAA.

Druze nurse Lorin Khizran reportedly told the crowd that the people who were expressing antisemitism were doing nothing to change the Middle East, and only revealed themselves as racists.

Musician Aviv Geffen performed for the participants, recalling that he had marched with Jews and non-Jews alike in solidarity with the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. He expressed hope that others would now show solidarity with Jews in the face of rising antisemitic violence.

“Hitler is not dead – he just changed his name,” said Geffen. “He’s still on the streets, walking freely in your streets – in London, Berlin, Paris, and New York.”

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, Our Fight UK, Stop the Hate UK, and British Friends of Israel were among the many organizations that joined the march.

British Friends of Israel co-founder and Telegraph Columnist Allison Pearson said in a video published by CAA that she was upset that many British Jews didn’t feel safe in the country’s capital.

“It’s not just the Jew’s fight, it’s our fight; it’s everyone’s fight because we are in a struggle – the West is in a struggle for civilization against barbarism,” said Pearson.

The Metropolitan Police said the march passed with no incidents or arrests.