HUNDREDS of protestors have gathered in Bolton Town Centre in solidarity with Palestine.

A group marched from Queen's Park to the town hall steps at around 3pm, where the crowd heard from a range of speakers.

Barriers outside the building were daubed with Palestinian flags and messages of support, along with photos of children killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Both sides have been criticised for actions during the decades-long fighting, which has seen thousands of people killed.

The Middle Eastern conflict intensified last month, although tensions cooled following a ceasefire between both combatants.

Neil McAlister, chair of the Greater Manchester Mental Health UNISON Branch, organised the event and he said it was "important" to speak out for Palestine.

He said: "Although it's gone off the national news, what's happening in Palestine now, both in Gaza and Jerusalem and across the West Bank, is the ongoing turning of the screw.

"The building of homes and the forceful demolition of Palestinian homes and moving them out and then building new Jewish settlements against all international law is going on apace."

A previous protest last month saw a significant police presence, although numbers were somewhat muted at the latest one.

While several thousand people are estimated to have attended last month, there was a diminished turnout this time around.

There were chants of 'Free Palestine' throughout the afternoon and literature on the conflict was handed out to attendees.

Kevin McKeon, a Labour Party councillor from Horwich, spoke at the event and said it was a "privilege" to have been invited to give his thoughts.

He said: "I feel very privileged to have been asked to speak at this demonstration because I think that the plight of the Palestinians is something that affects me greatly. The suffering that has gone on for 70 years - hundreds of thousands of refugees created and we know that Israel has taken over land.

"We know now that in the West Bank there are settler colonies and more and more settlers from Israel are establishing large communities. I fear now that the idea of a two-state solution is getting harder and harder."

Pictures by Danny Crompton