Pro-Palestine march held just miles away from Manchester synagogue attack scene

A pro-Palestine march is taking place at Manchester Piccadilly station in protest at Israel’s interception of a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and the detention of hundreds of activists.

The pre-planned protest is happening about four miles from the scene of this morning’s terror attack outside Heaton Park Synagogue, drawing criticism online.

The march - one of numerous taking place across the globe - was called in solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian aid convoy intercepted by Israeli forces in the early hours of Thursday.

Demonstrators were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding placards reading "Stop starving Gaza", "Freedom for Palestine" and "All eyes on the Sumud Flotilla. Break the siege on Gaza".

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But the protest, which is one of several held across the country today, has sparked backlash online after a car and stabbing attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester left two people dead and four others with "a variety of serious injuries". Police declared the incident, which happened after 9.30am, an act of terror. The attacker, named as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by armed officers within seven minutes of the first emergency call, according to police.

Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, said the marches were "tone deaf" and an "unacceptable state of affairs that needs to be stopped for the public order".

One person posted on X: "How disgusting to allow this to go ahead today. Imagine how every Jewish person living in Manchester feels, absolutely abhorrent!"

The Manchester protest is part of wider action across the UK, with activists gathering inside major train stations. Crowds were also seen at Edinburgh Waverley and in Glasgow as demonstrators targeted the railway network in response to Israel’s detention of flotilla activists.

The Global Sumud Flotilla - around 40 aid boats carrying more than 500 people including politicians, activists and lawyers - set sail to deliver food, water and medicine to civilians in war-torn Gaza, which is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Israeli naval forces have since stopped most of the vessels, detaining hundreds of people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zwelivelile Mandela. Israel’s foreign ministry said just one boat remained at sea. Footage released by the ministry and verified by Reuters showed Thunberg on a deck surrounded by soldiers.