LONDON, (PIC)
The Arab and Palestinian community leaders in London have addressed an urgent message to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding protection for their planned Nakba anniversary march on May 16, 2026.
The message read as follows:
“We, the undersigned British-Palestinian and British-Arab community leaders, professionals, and residents of London, write to you with heavy hearts and a profound sense of inequality regarding the protection of our people.
As we prepare to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba on May 16, 2026, in London, we find ourselves in a state of high anxiety. While we observe the government’s swift commitment to addressing the fears and safety of other communities, ensuring they feel secure in our capital, we are deeply distressed by the apparent silence and disregard concerning the safety of our own.
The pain of selective concern
For British Palestinians, the Nakba is not a textbook chapter; it is a living wound. This year, we are joined by elderly survivors, refugees of 1948, and their great-grandchildren. These elders, who have already endured a lifetime of displacement, now face the terrifying prospect of far-right aggression on the streets of London. It is painful to feel that our fears are treated as secondary, or worse, that our peaceful commemoration is viewed only as a ‘policing problem’; rather than a human right to mourn and remember.
Peaceful coexistence vs. misleading rhetoric
Our marches in London are not spaces of hate; they are spaces of shared humanity. We march alongside Jewish activists and blocks who stand with us in total safety. No places of worship have been targeted by our processions, and our message remains one of justice, an end to the genocide, and the lifting of the siege.
Our urgent demands:
- Parity of Protection: We demand that the safety of British Arab and Palestinian children and elders be given the same priority and public reassurance as that afforded to any other community facing threats from extremist groups.
- Protection from Far-Right Escalation: We call for an explicit security plan for the Nakba Memorial in London on May 16th to shield our community from documented far-right threats.
- Recognition of our Trauma: We ask that the government acknowledges the Nakba anniversary as a legitimate period of national mourning for a significant part of the British fabric, rather than ignoring our suffering.
Equal citizenship requires equal protection. We urge you to ensure that London remains a safe space for all its residents to remember their history without fear of violence or state neglect.”
