HUNDREDS of 'free Palestine' campaigners marched through Bournemouth town centre and gardens on Saturday.
Organised by the Palestine Solidarity BCP Campaign and Bournemouth Islamic Centre and Central Mosque, demonstrators showed their "solidarity with Palestinian people" amid ongoing conflict with Israel.
Demonstrators gathered at Bournemouth Square before 2pm, where many speakers took to the stage and spoke about the conflict.
A march through Bournemouth Lower Gardens then took place after 2pm.
Organiser Bilal Yasin, 33, said: "Today, members of the community in Bournemouth, from all different faiths, religions, colours and backgrounds have gathered in Bournemouth Square to demonstrate for the Palestinian people against the Israeli aggression that is currently taking place in Gaza, in East Jerusalem and, on the whole, in the Middle East.
"We hope to raise awareness and inform people on what is going on and show our solidarity with the Palestinian people that have suffered so much in the last 75 years.
"We also want to bring to light the humanitarian crisis and the lack of humanity that is currently taking place."
This demonstration, along with many others that have taken place across the UK, follow renewed violence in Israel and Gaza which has seen many residents flee their homes after more than a week of sustained conflict.
A ceasefire was agreed on Friday, May 21 between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Despite this, demonstration attendee Pete Wearden, 68, says people need to work together in order to see changes.
He said: "This is about raising awareness, but it’s also about pushing back. Britain is complicit, so we have to change the narrative.
"The discrimination against Palestinians within Israel and the treatment of those outside of Israel is an embedded form of discrimination. I think Israel itself is built on a racist idea.
"They are trying to make Gaza unliveable. I think the whole project is a colonial project and the damage it’s done to generations of young people in that part of the world is appalling.
"We really need Jewish people, Arab people, black people and more to fight together against racism."
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