Everything we know about the appalling terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, and the ongoing killing and suffering of Palestinian civilians, is beyond distressing — it’s horrific and heart-breaking.
Many Londoners understandably not only feel passionately about these issues, but want to voice their views and exercise their democratic right to lawful, peaceful protest.
Emotions are running high, but all of us — and especially senior politicians — have a duty to calm not inflame the situation.
In this country, the Remembrance period is rightly regarded as sacrosanct. We wear the poppy as a symbol both to acknowledge those who laid down their lives for us and to show our enduring hope for a more peaceful future.
I know the overwhelming majority of people at the march tomorrow will share this vision, and it’s right that the organisers have said they will not protest near the Cenotaph. I urge everyone attending to co-operate with police and make sure to be respectful on Armistice Day. I’m proud that London is famous around the world for not just tolerating people of different faiths and backgrounds, but for actively embracing and celebrating them.
We know our diversity isn’t a weakness, but our greatest strength. It’s why, along with the police, I’ll continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of hate crime, whether it be antisemitism or Islamophobia. It’s also why, as Londoners, we all have a responsibility to pull together and reject hateful narratives, ensuring our city feels — and is — welcoming and safe for everyone.
We simply cannot let events overseas come between us. Rather, as others seek to stoke tensions and divide, we must stand together and unite. It’s what London has always done and what I know we will continue to do.
Because unity isn’t just an abstract concept for Londoners, it’s a way of life — and the most precious of values upon which a more peaceful and prosperous future for all rests.
Sadiq Khan is London Mayor
