Stop the War coalition newsletter, 10.10.25
Posted: 10th October 2025
We welcome the end to the bombardment of Gaza, but whilst a ceasefire is a huge relief, this ceasefire deal and the plan on which it is based is tenuous and gives the Palestinians in Gaza no agency over their future.
There is therefore every reason to continue to demonstrate. Now more than ever the pressure we put on our government matters: to stop arming Israel, to ensure access to aid across Gaza, to end the settler expansion and violence in the West Bank, and to push for the ceasefire to be made permanent. We demand a peace based on justice and freedom for Palestinians.
Saturday’s protest promises to be one of our largest ever. The movement has come under criticism in the wake of the appalling attack at the Manchester synagogue for continuing to demonstrate. We reject this weaponisation of the Manchester attack. The right to protest is fundamental in any democratic society and must be defended. It is important we continue to march. Read our statement here.
And clearly protest works. Trump and the Western powers could have reined in Netanyahu anytime, they did it now partly because of the mounting wave of protests. “You can’t take on the whole world Bibi,” said Trump. That world was not the Western political leadership, which turned a blind eye to Israel’s horrors, but the masses on the streets.
So make sure you join us tomorrow. As StW’s Lindsey German said:
“This peace deal may bring short term relief to the starving Palestinian people but no one should be fooled that this is anything approaching a just or lasting peace.
“The apartheid state will continue, oppression will continue, illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem will continue. Arms sales to Israel will continue as will its impunity internationally. While a ceasefire is a first step, justice and freedom for the Palestinians remains our goal. Which is why Saturday’s demonstration is so important.”
Be on the demonstration on 11 October. Assemble 12 noon, march from Victoria Embankment to Whitehall for a rally.
Speakers include: Ahmed Alnaouq (Palestinian journalist), Brian Eno (artist & President of StW), Denise Gough (actor), Fran Heathcote (General Secretary PCS union), Kieran Andrieu (journalist and member of Global Summed Flotilla), Dr Nick Maynard (surgeon working in Gaza) and Zarah Sultana, independent MP.
Coaches have been booked, car conveys have been organised, cyclists are coming from Luton, and some are even sailing up the Thames. The Deen Riders have arranged a motorbike convoy and will be joining us in Westminster. Watch their moving video about why they are taking part on Saturday.
Every additional person amplifies our message. Last weekend delegations from 19 countries met in Paris to discuss the genocide in Gaza, rearmament in Europe and the strategy for the anti-war movement across the continent. Delegates committed to coordinate action across countries and borders and for a follow-up conference in London on 20 June 2026. The conference ended with an electrifying mass rally of 4,000 people at the Dôme de Paris. You can read an account of the rally here or watch the rally and hear contributions from leading activists from Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, USA and across Europe, by clicking on the button below. Stop the War played an important role in the conference and will be central to organising the London event next June. Keep an eye out for details. This week’s anti-war briefing
