Saturday’s demonstration against Israeli military operations in the Gaza started in a cold and frosty Hyde Park. And with light snow falling as the march shivered its way down London’s Bayswater Road it was hard not to be impressed by the volume people who had turned out. Police put the numbers at some 4,000 though it was obvious many tens of thousands were marching.

Considering the volume of people, the seriousness of the issue, and the strong feelings aroused, the march was mostly peaceful, though there were skirmishes between police and protesters, which continued into the evening. The Starbucks on Kensington Church Street had a hole in its window, and Starbucks, opposite the private road in which the Israeli embassy is situated, was ransacked.

The insanity, and seriousness of the situation in Gaza was surely why so many people turned out on Saturday. Though I personally have been left wondering what on earth we, as ordinary people, can do to help to end this craziness and feel that marching is not enough. For me violence is not a solution as that avenue seems only likely to create more violence. This is why I think the action against taken by activists against the Ahava a company is interesting. Activists claim that Ahava’s products are manufactured in factories located in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and therefore that the sale of their products is illegal under international and British law. This is why they locked onto the Central London store on the morning of the march. The case will be in court soon.

The not buying of Israeli goods might be a planification for us ordinary people. But at the state level perhaps our government could follow Venezuela and Bolivia in kicking out of the Israeli ambassador? A long term arms embargo against Israel would not seem unreasonable either. Maria Gallastegui, founder of the Peaces Strike, has started a hunger strike in solidarity with the people of Gaza and to protest against the military offensive against them. The throwing shoes also seems like an interesting strategy. And has given rise to a new name for an ordinary shoe “the bushwacker”.