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London Marathon plea for peace amid threat of Palestine and Israel protests
Quick Facts
- The London Marathon urges unity on the streets of London on Sunday for over 50,000 runners.
- Event director Hugh Brasher stated mitigations are in place for potential disruptions.
- This year is expected to surpass the record for most finishers and charity fundraising.
The London Marathon have urged unity on the streets of London on Sunday when more than 50,000 people will run the London Marathon for charities that include both **Palestinians** and **Israelis** impacted by the conflict in the Middle East. Event director Hugh Brasher said that mitigations were in place for potential disruptions that could also include environmental protesters but, after Extinction Rebellion made a point last year of not targeting the 26.2 mile spectacle, there is hope that the event will again not be impacted.
“We are a force for good in society,” said Brasher, whose father Chris co-founded the event in 1981. “There are people running for Palestinians that have been affected. There are people that are running for Israelis that have been affected. There are so many people running for so many different causes. What we’ve always tried to do is bring people together.”
This year is expected to surpass both the 48,000 record for most finishers and last year’s £66.4 million charity fundraising record. “Coexistence and togetherness is what the London Marathon is all about,” said Brasher. “And we hope that that message will resonate with anyone who thinks it is a good thing to disrupt the race. I can’t really talk about the mitigations but there are numerous ones that we have.”
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