Pro-Palestine activists call for 8 October to be declared 'Gaza Memorial Day'

Hundreds gathered last week outside the British Parliament to mark one year of genocide in Gaza and demand that the UK government adopts 8 October as "Gaza Memorial Day".

On October 8, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists gathered outside the British Parliament to honour the victims of Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, marking one year since the conflict began.

The vigil, organised by British Palestinian families who lost relatives in the war, took place in Parliament Square, near the Winston Churchill statue.

The event was a tribute to over 42,000 people who have died, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and served as a call for an end to the violence.

Activists dressed in blood-stained clothing, carried symbolic coffins and held dolls covered in red paint to represent Gaza's suffering.

Many waved Palestinian flags, lit candles, and displayed images of children and families who had been erased from civil records.

A poignant slogan distributed at the event read: "If my hand survives, this is my name", a reference to how children in Gaza write their names on their hands to help identify their bodies in case of death.

Palestinian activist and event organiser Omar Mufeed shared his personal experiences of pain and tragedy.

"The pain of losing my relatives in the war in Gaza is a wound that will never heal, but what is happening today is beyond comprehension," he told The New Arab.

"Over 400,000 people in northern Gaza are trapped without access to water, food, or medical supplies... This is why it was important for me to stand in solidarity during the Gaza Memorial Day vigil—to honor the victims and remind the world of the ongoing human tragedy," he said.

Mufeed, along with other speakers, condemned British complicity in the war, criticising the government's support for Israel. He urged continued activism to stop arms exports to Israel and called on British MPs to reconsider the government's stance.

Leanne Mohamed, a former parliamentary candidate, and Ahmed Al-Nauq, a Palestinian activist who lost family members in the war, also addressed the crowd. Both condemned the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, for its complicity in what they described as Israeli war crimes.

Several political and legal figures, many of whom had lost relatives in the conflict, called on the British government to end its military and political support for Israel.

They emphasised the need for Western governments, including the UK, to uphold their values in the face of what they called the "Gaza massacre" and the ongoing targeting of civilians, hospitals, and schools.

The vigil concluded with a pledge to make 8 October an annual day of remembrance for Gaza's victims, launching a social media campaign called Gaza Memorial Day to keep the issue in the public eye.