VICTORIA Square was transformed into a sea of placard-waving demonstrators demanding justice for Palestinians following the recent Israeli attacks in Gaza.

More than 1,000 protesters of all races and religions gathered for a rally at the town hall steps on Saturday afternoon to show their anger at the treatment of Palestinians.

Israel was criticised internationally for its heavy-handed response to rocket attacks from inside Gaza, before a recent truce was called.

Earlier, two sets of protesters had walked from the Zakarriyya Mosque in Derby Street and Noor ul Islam Mosque in Halliwell Road.

Some carried boxes resembling children’s coffins to symbolise the young who had been killed in the conflict, while others carried shocking images of the horrific injuries suffered by children in the war.

Among those showing their support for the demonstration was the leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, and Bolton South East MP Brian Iddon, who addressed the crowd.

He criticised the BBC’s recent decision not to run an appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee to raise money for the people of Gaza.

He added: “Israel belongs to people and that includes the Palestinian people.

“We have to continue the fight. This is the longest occupation of any country in my lifetime. Enough is enough.”

His address was greeted with shouts of “God is Great” in Arabic.

The large numbers at the march had forced numerous road closures around the town centre.

One of the organisers of the march, which involved a number of different organisations, including the Bolton branch of the Stop The War Coalition and Bolton Council of Mosques, as well as individuals, said protests did have an impact.

Dr Ghulam Ashraf said: “I am pleased with the amount of people of different faiths who have turned out to show their support. This is a humanitarian campaign.

“Protests like this, which have been going on across the country and globally, send out a message that can bring about change, like it did in South Africa.”

One of the protesters, Tasneem Ghisa, aged 21, said: “We are angry at the innocent lives lost and want peace in the region and for the conflict to stop. This is not about religion, but justice.”

Another demonstrator, University of Bolton student John Woodman, aged 25, said: “It was important for me to be here today to show my support for the people of Palestine.

“We have set up a group called Free Humanity and it is against oppression, which the Palestinian people are suffering from.”