Over a hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on King’s Parade today (10/11) for a remembrance rally to mourn the lives of dead Palestinians.

The protest was promoted by Cambridge for Palestine (C4P) as an opportunity to honour those “murdered by Israel in this genocide”.

The majority of the protesters were dressed in black and held photos of Palestinian children killed in the war. The march focused on women and children, who made up 70% of casualties in the war in Gaza last year according to a UN report.

In a statement posted to Instagram by Cambridge for Palestine and other groups, activists said: “We refuse to accept the dehumanisation of Palestinians and will remember the names and stories of all those who have been killed and continue to suffer.”

Leading the march, pro-Palestinian protesters held signs reading “war is not family entertainment”, and “stop the genocide”.

Starting on King’s Parade, the protesters marched through Peas Hill, into Lion Yard shopping centre and the Grand Arcade. Protesters read out the names and ages of the deceased, followed by drumming.

In the Grand Arcade, banners were hung outside Starbucks which read “107 years of genocide” and listed the names of some Palestinians killed by Israel.

Stopping in front of the coffee shop, a speaker condemned the franchise, saying: “Starbucks, you are complicit in this genocide.”

“Costa Coffee you are complicit in this genocide […] our government is complicit in this genocide. We have the power, we will not be silenced,” she continued.

A healthcare worker at the University said: “No real institute has taken any significant stance in order to condemn in a clear way what’s happening in Palestine. Not the UN, not the United States, not the UK, no western power, including our University.”

“It’s heartbreaking to think that even the ones that we do remember are such a minority […] so many more have died nameless, so many more are under the rubble,” he continued.

“Please also keep in mind it’s not just a fight for Palestinians. This is a fight for basic human morality, which has been disappearing over the last decade […] It’s up to us to try and remind the world that human dignity, human suffering, and human rights should be at the forefront of our minds,” he added.

A second speaker then read a section of Naomi Shihab Nye’s ‘Jerusalem: A Trilingual Poem’ before continuing the march back to King’s Parade. The poem depicts a child’s objections to war and its expansion.

This action follows numerous pro-Palestine protests in Cambridge in recent weeks, including a burning of a replica Balfour declaration and a protest at a conservative event with MP Suella Braverman.

Cambridge for Palestine have been calling for the University to cut ties with Israel since the group set up an encampment in May. The camp was dismantled in July, after Cambridge agreed to review its investments in arms. Progress on this review, which involves a working group formed by some students from C4P, is ongoing.

All relevant parties were contacted for comment.