Mass solidarity protest for detained Palestinian medics to take place outside St Thomas' Hospital
Royal Street, opposite A&E entrance of St Thomas’ Hospital, London UK. Friday 30th August.
173 health workers in medical scrubs knelt down in a powerful vigil to highlight the plight of Palestinian healthcare workers detained by Israeli forces. There was a call for the release of Dr Khaled Al Serr, a surgeon detained by Israeli forces at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in March 2024. Medical workers also called for an immediate suspension of UK arms transfers to Israel. Amnesty international UK and Health workers 4 Palestine staged a mass solidarity protest outside St Thomas’ Hospital in Central London on Friday 30th August to highlight the ongoing ordeal of 173 Palestinian medical workers being held without charge or trial by the Israeli authorities, the majority from Gaza. The stunt, held on International Day of the Disappeared, saw 173 people in distinctive medical scrubs kneeling down - a visual allusion to disturbing images which have emerged from Gaza of Palestinian detainees. The healthcare workers held aloft A4-sized letters spelling out “FREE GAZA MEDICS” and also displayed the names and professions of some of the detained Palestinians. Medics at the protest called for an immediate suspension of UK arms transfers to Israel, holding aloft “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” placards. Other placards said “Free Dr Khaled Al Serr”. Like most of the medical health professionals currently held, the Israeli authorities have refused to reveal Dr Al Serr’s whereabouts or explain the legal basis on which he is being detained. Amnesty considers that Dr Al Serr is being held in circumstances amounting to enforced disappearance and has called for his release.