Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat Faces Large Demonstration in London

By an ISM London activist

On Monday 22nd March, ISM London joined over 100 pro-Palestine activists gathered to protest against Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who had shamefully been invited to speak at London’s Chatham House.

A lively demonstration ensued from 5pm until 7pm. The crowd loudly sent a message that the mayor, who is heavily involved in policies such as house demolitions and settlement building that amount to the ethnic cleansing of occupied East Jerusalem, was not welcome in London.

At a previous demonstration against Ahava on the 13th March, members of the Zionist Federation had expressed their intention of launching a counter demonstration against the Chatham House protesters. On the day, only one Zionist Federation member was spotted in the vicinity of the demonstration. This person soon left when it became obvious no others were coming.

Barkat himself was snuck in through a side door and was never visible to the crowd, but delegates filed out past the demonstration as they were leaving.