As an old anti-war protester I'm pretty upset about the events in Israel and I thought that I'd share my protesting tips.

First track the organisers of the march you want to go on. I recommend http://www.stopthewar.co.uk/ myself as they were the people that organised the biggest political march in British history. Their events tend to be well organised and marshalled.

Find the location and the time. The time generally isn't all that accurate as marches generally needs clearance from the police before they start so delays can creep in.

Pack an A-Z, some food and drink as if you were going to be walking over desolate moorland. For once you join a march the police can restrict your movements and popping into a fast food joint when you get a bit peckish might not be an option.

There will generally be placards there, so you don't have to make your own. Bringing an instrument can be a good idea as impromptu bands often spring up.

Expect a kind of carnival spirit, complete with a market place near the start, where you can buy badges, sign up to organisations and buy tea towels with witty anti-war slogans.

You also will be leafleted to death, as people will constantly hand you all kinds of flyers. These range from the practical to the downright bizarre. This includes people trying to sell you the Socialist Worker and other far-left newspapers.

I go because they offer a civilised way to protest about rather uncivil things. I'd rather protest than just sit and moan any old day!

I'll probably be there for the 10th of Jan.

Very interesting, I'm also anti-war, thanks PG
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When I went to the Big One I actually travelled from your neck of woods, Fire, because that's where I was living at the time.

At least this time I'll be marching to strengthen the hand of our government, showing that their own people are serious about peace in Israel and Palestine. It will do Brown some good to speak in favour of peace this time round.

i dont want to offend anyone who makes these efforts, but what difference will a anti war protest in britain do to another countries war?
although i am also against the happenings in the gaza strips

but if students from another school said anything, about someone kicking someones ass in a different chool, theyd probaly be ignored..?

protesting against wars which involve us, i can see making a difference, just no this, but thats my personal view

u know? so many guys, muslins, mostly, have gone in Gaza,or Afganistan,Irak, to fight over there, to do a change.....
maybe ,their courage is close to the madness, but they think that they help theirs muslin brothers, sisters......
here,media try to make them look like terrorists, evils.......
imagine, how would u survive the feeling that your whole family have been killed, or your sisters, have to be touched by all the assholes at the checkpoint for the reason of "cheking for unwanted items"
imagine that u can't make a move, a step, without being checked, put against a wall, on your knees, with your hands up, in your own country......
Dragunov....... my love, and the bulets for them. that is what I would have done....
so. if we can't do, phisical fight, or maybe we don't have the balls like these "terrorists", we shall protest, at least... and show some respect and suport

^granted you win. i see your point now

An update on Saturday's March:

I agree with djohno and I'm not saying that protests are useless just that my point is as long as Israel are backed up by the US they will continue doing whatever they want. What's Israel's right to be occupying a part of land destined to palestines? I honestly see it as a lost matter because at the end of the day the strongest wins and we know who that is.

Hi... probably you'll allow me to have a say too...
There's a lot of better ways to say what i'm about to write, but they'd involve a great excess of writing...
I think that this whole shebang is truly illogical.
Yourselves, you live in free countries, some so-called democracies.
In a time when your own government is smashing your bones to dust by taxes, regulations and abusive laws, yet you can still find time to protest about a war that has nothing to do either with you, your government, your social condition, and even distance from your home, let alone the economy.
In a time when the british government bailed out some of the most corrupt people in Britain by handing them tens of billions of pounds, simply because they were too inconsiderate and were literally gambling with your money and savings, (by even paying themselves hundreds of millions of pounds in bonuses every year!!!); you and some others can still find the time to protest against something like that.
Now, don't deceive yourself... protesting against the war in Palestine, will never make you appear more sensitive, on the contrary, you (not you as a person) will appear even dumber, because you can see and feel about something so far away, and you can't even see what's going on at your doorstep.
With only the bonuses that the big wigs of the bancrupt british banking system received for the last year (persumably the worst of years) you could feed Palestine and... pick any countries in Afrika.
People nowadays tend to be really stupid, that's why their own governments suck their blood the way they please.
I apologise if i offended you in any way. that was not my intent.

I'm sorry, you still missed the point!
I challenge you not to think of Palestine and Israel for an hour.
After this hour, i challenge you to think of anything on this earth, worth your time in this freezing cold, to go and protest somewhere.
What is the most important thing that you want to change in your country, that really and truly affects your life.
You guys don't understand even when "unwillingly" you slip into politics. Well, slip into home politics, not international politics. After all, no arab or hebrew countries ever asked for any retributions for what britain might have done in the past.
Sometimes, i wish i were a little more like you guys. I mean, i wish i had everything perfect in my life. I wish i had no issues with my government's policies, i wish, i really wish i had the time to protest about such distant events and peoples that have no connection to me whatsoever.
I'm sorry, i am not like this.
FYI, if i really had to protest in the street for the mentioned conflict... i'd be protesting on Izzi Side. Ahmadinajad is a moron... he can afford to gnash his teeth at an indifferent (uncaring) world, while his people rots in dictatorship!