The annual Al Quds, anti-Israel demonstration took place Sunday afternoon in London, where Hezbollah terror organization flags were permitted to fly.

Despite a petition signed by more than 20,000 individuals calling for a ban on the march, London Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to stop an anti-Israel event that included Hezbollah flags.

The petition stated, “After the terrible recent terrorist events in Manchester and London, this display of extremism has no place on the streets of the UK.”

In a written response to the petition, Khan stated, “As is the case for any group, protesters have the right to march as long as they do so within the law. The mayor does not have the power to ban a march in London.”

On their website, the IHRC (Islamic Human Rights Commission), responsible for organizing the march, stated that participants “are welcome to bring flags that show solidarity with the Palestinian cause,” but flags of proscribed or illegal organizations are not allowed. The group added, “You can bring a Hezbollah flag to show support for the political wing of Hezbollah. This is because the political wing of Hezbollah is not a proscribed organization.”

Both the political wing and the military wing of the terrorist Hezbollah organization use the same flag.

Accompanying the Hezbollah flags were placards supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and accusing the Jewish state of war crimes, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. Marchers delighted in chants such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which signals the true intent of the organizers: the total destruction of the Jewish state. In previous years, chants also included, “we are all Hezbollah” and “we are all Hamas,” where self-proclaimed peace activists had no problem proclaiming their support for terrorist organizations openly committed not just to the destruction of Israel, but also to the killing of Jews.

Jewish and pro-Israel groups organized a counter-demonstration, and a significant police presence ensured the sides were kept apart. The counter demonstration was addressed by Kay Wilson, victim of a horrendous terror attack in 2010.

Wilson told the crowd, “It is a racist slur to say that all Muslims are terrorists. However, it is deluded, dangerous and disingenuous to claim that terrorism has absolutely nothing to do with Islam.”

Al Quds Day was established in Iran, in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution, in support of the Palestinians and condemning Israel. The IHRC’s are closely connected to the Iranian regime and hold an annual march in London on the weekend after Al Quds Day, which takes place in Iran on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

In 2012 the current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended the march and spoke in support of the Palestinians and condemned Israel. In the past, Corbyn has referred to both Hamas and Hezbollah, as his friends. Since becoming leader of the Labour Party, Corbyn has been accused of ignoring a rise in anti-Semitism in the party.

By: Gary Cohen/World Israel News