"Welcome to Londonistan": Netizens react to pro-Palestinian protesters projecting "From the River to the Sea" on Big Ben

On February 21, protestors projected the pro-Palestine slogan "From the River to the Sea" on Big Ben as they gathered outside the Parliament, where the MPs were engaged in a chaotic debate over a Gaza ceasefire in the House of Commons.

Thousands of people gathered outside the parliament to stage a demonstration in support of calling a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which Israel is currently targeting as retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack which left 1200 people dead.

The slogan "From the River to the Sea", deeply rooted in the pro-Palestinian movement, is perceived to be anti-semitic and controversial by Jewish people. Netizens were outraged as the slogan flashed across Big Ben, with one user coining a portmanteau of London and Pakistan to post sarcastically:

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Netizens react to Big Ben projecting a pro-Palestine slogan

As the Israel-Gaza conflict continues for more than 135 days, massive protests have been seen all around the world, rallying for a ceasefire. When the UK political parties gathered in the House of Commons on Wednesday to vote on a Gaza ceasefire motion, thousands of protestors gathered outside the Parliament, holding banners that said "Free Palestine" and "Cease Fire Now."

The activists took a step further and beamed the universal pro-Palestine slogan "From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free" on the iconic Big Ben. This move spiralled into a sea of controversy as Jewish people in the UK condemned the use of what they dubbed an anti-semitic slogan.

Netizens took to social media to claim that Big Ben projected "a genocidal call against Jews." Here are some of their reactions from X:

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"Not a criminal offence": Metropolitan Police about the pro-Palestine slogan projected on Big Ben

The Metropolitan Polie issued a statement on social media on February 22, following the outrage caused by Big Ben showcasing a pro-Palestine slogan.

The tweet stated:

"While there are scenarios where chanting or using these words could be unlawful depending on the specific location or context, its use in a wider public protest setting, such as last night, is not a criminal offence."

Other phrases like "ceasefire now", "stop bombing Gaza", "end the war now", and "stop war". were also projected on Big Ben. According to the Guardian, the slogan is rife with history that extends as far back as the 1960s. The slogan, in its entirety, is:

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

This refers to the land between the Jordan River, which borders eastern Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Hamas, in their 2017 constitution, deemed the slogan to be a liberation of Gaza, saying:

“Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.”

Some people assert that the tagline contains derogatory remarks about Jews. Big Ben's tagline has been dubbed a "genocidal call" by Jewish MP Andrew Percy, according to GB News. He said,

“Last night, a genocidal call that 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' was projected onto this building, that message says no Jew is welcome in the state of Israel. This is going to continue happening because we're not dealing with it."

This incident took place just minutes after pandemonium ensued in the House of Commons after Speaker Lindsay Hoyle broke convention over the Gaza ceasefire vote, citing the safety of the MPs as his reason. His decision resulted in several MPs walking out of the debate amid calls for his resignation.