Pro-Palestine march through Bournemouth town centre

The march, organised by BCP Palestine Solidarity Campaign, saw hundreds gather in Horseshoe Common, before heading through the town centre to the Triangle.

Along the way, the group stopped outside Starbucks, McDonalds and Zara to call for a boycott of the retailers, before returning to the common.

The march comes among growing international concerns about the Israeli operation.

The offensive in Gaza was triggered when Hamas massacred some 1,200 Israelis on October 7.

The Israeli military response has flattened much of northern Gaza and driven 85 per cent of Gaza’s population from their homes, resulting in a spiralling humanitarian crisis.

Dina Williamson's aunt is currently in Gaza.

“I was born in Bournemouth, I’ve lived here all my life, but my auntie is in Gaza. She fled the north because her home had been bombed," she said.

“Then her place of refuge in the south, where they said it was safe, they bombed.

“She’s now hiding in a hospital in Khan Yunis.

“The Western news probably hasn’t seen the hospitals or the states that they’re in, but there are just bodies everywhere. My auntie is in there somewhere, hiding.

“She’s hoping to get out through the Egypt border, if and when they finally open it. But it brings up the point that she’ll never be able to return to Palestine.

“I just worry for her safety every day.”

Dina said she is doing everything she can to stop what is happening in Gaza, sharing on social media, speaking at the university, petitioning, lobbying and donating. As part of the protest, parts of the group wore shrouds.

Dina said: “We’re dressing up as some of the martyred from Gaza, just as a visual representation of what’s happening there.

Marc Hoyle is part of BCP Palestine Solidarity.

He said: “We’re here because we think what’s happening is beyond any race, any religion, any ethnicity. We’re not here to make anyone feel unsafe.

“We do have Jewish people, Muslims, just white guys like myself that are here, to represent the fact that genocide is not acceptable.

“The atrocities on October 7 were awful, there’s no denying that, but so were the ones on October 8 and October 6, and every day before and after that.

“At the end of the day, innocent children and people shouldn’t be slaughtered in mass because of the actions of one small group that don’t represent.”

He said that the group has seen good turnouts each week for its marches, and added that he thinks everyone has a responsibility to say something.

James Bancroft said the group is demanding peace.

“I think we’re doing something because our government, the British, Italian, American, and other big European countries, aren’t doing enough to help Palestine. I think Israel is disproportionately trying to punish the civilians of Gaza, again and again.

“There’s apparently no limits to what’s happening, the number of civilians, kids that were being killed. I think it’s very untargeted.

“If they want to attack Hamas, I understand that, but it seems to be much more indiscriminate, just bombing the whole area, the north, the south, all of it.

He said the group aims for a ‘really peaceful vibe’, informing the police about protests to ensure they remain peaceful.

He added: “Ceasefire is what we call for. Peace.”