The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) strongly condemns the annual Al Quds Day march held in central London this past Sunday – a parade of pro-Iranian extremism that has no place on British streets, especially in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of October 7. The NJA has consistently expressed its opposition to Al Quds Day.
Originating from the Iranian regime and first declared by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, Al Quds Day has always served as a rallying point for Islamist ideologues who seek not peace, but the violent destruction of the State of Israel. The slogans, banners, and speakers on display this year made that agenda clear once again. With chants in support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the event represented not a protest for Palestinian rights, but an unapologetic celebration of terrorism and antisemitism.
That such an event was permitted to proceed in the heart of London, under the banner of “resistance,” is a national disgrace. This is not a peaceful demonstration; it is a pro-terrorist mobilisation that openly promotes Islamist violence, calls for the annihilation of Israel, and advances the fantasy of a global caliphate ruled from Jerusalem. Its ideological foundation is rooted in the same genocidal ambition that led to the mass murder, rape, and abduction of Israelis on October 7. To allow it to take place is a shameful dereliction of moral and civic duty.
NJA Chairman Gary Mond stated: “Al Quds Day is not a civil rights protest – it is a theatre of hatred orchestrated by a regime that funds terrorism across the world. To see British streets used to legitimise calls for Israel’s destruction, while invoking the language of religious war and jihad, is utterly indefensible. The government’s failure to ban this march emboldens extremists and endangers Jewish communities across the UK. Enough is enough. No democratic society should tolerate events that glorify terrorism and promote theocratic totalitarianism.”
The NJA calls on the British government to immediately proscribe the IRGC, clamp down on extremist incitement, and ban future Al Quds Day marches in the UK.
