Jeremy Corbyn Joins Pro-Iran Protest in London Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, aged 76, was spotted alongside his brother Piers Corbyn, 78, at a pro-Iran rally in Parliament Square on Saturday. The event drew hundreds of activists who gathered to denounce recent missile strikes by the United States and Israel on Tehran and other Iranian targets.
Protest Details and Demonstrations
The crowds brandished signs bearing portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, with slogans such as 'Choose the Right Side of History'. Other placards read 'Stop Trump's Wars' and 'No War on Iran', while many waved the Iranian tricolour flag featuring the regime's Islamic emblem.
Chants echoed through the square, including 'Long live the resistance! Long live Iran!' and 'USA are war criminals! USA are baby killers!'. Additional slogans targeted Zionism, with cries of 'Zionism is a crime, get your hands off Palestine' and 'Zionism is terrorism', accompanied by Palestinian flags.
Organisers and Supporting Groups
The rally was organised by the Stop The War In Iran Coalition, which urged attendees to gather under the banner 'Hands Off Iran'. In a statement, the coalition warned that American and Israeli strikes would lead to death and destruction in Iran and threaten wider regional conflict with unimaginable consequences.
The event received support from several organisations, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Jewish Network for Palestine, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Counter-Protest and Divergent Views
Hours earlier, a separate protest organised by the Stage of Freedom group gathered in Whitehall, calling for an end to the Iranian government. This demonstration, which included far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (known as Tommy Robinson), featured the pre-Islamic Iranian flag and displayed photographs of individuals killed by Iranian authorities.
David Polden, an 85-year-old attendee from Highgate, expressed mixed views, stating, 'It's a terrible regime - but so is America.' He argued that both governments were equally bad, but noted America's greater power allows it to inflict more damage.
Background of Military Strikes
The protests coincided with a large-scale attack by the US and Israel on Iran early Saturday morning. Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and other cities, with President Donald Trump announcing major combat operations and urging Iranians to overthrow the regime.
Iran retaliated by launching missiles at Israel and four Gulf states hosting US military bases: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. This escalation prompted airspace closures across the Middle East.
Unconfirmed Reports and Official Statements
Multiple Israeli officials claimed that Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in the strikes, with reports suggesting his body was recovered from rubble. However, Iranian authorities denied this, stating the supreme leader and president were safe and sound.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at Khamenei's demise in a televised address, saying 'there are signs' he was dead, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the strikes as unprovoked and illegal.
Police Measures and Arrests
The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on both protests, limiting the Stop The War event to a specific section of Parliament Square and requiring the Stage for Freedom demonstrators to disperse by 5:30 PM. It remains unclear whether any arrests were made during the rallies.
As tensions continue to mount, these London protests highlight the deep divisions and complex geopolitical stakes surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
