Countdown’s Rachel Riley poses for selfies with Eddie Marsan, Rob Rinder and Vanessa Feltz at massive march against anti-Semitism in London – as she tells followers to ‘get serious’ about tackling anti-Jewish hate
- READ: Rachel Riley tells campaigners to ‘get serious’ about tackling antisemitism
Countdown’s Rachel Riley posed for selfies with Eddie Marsan, Rob Rinder and Vanessa Feltz at the massive march against anti-Semitism in central London yesterday.
Photographs posted on the presenter’s social media show the stars smiling and making peace signs surrounded by a huge crowd of demonstrators.
Ms Riley, 37, spoke at the protest which saw more than 100,000 people march through London to tackle hate towards Jewish people.
She called on campaigners to ‘get serious’ about fighting anti-Semitism – echoed by English actor Mr Marsan who said the UK must ‘stand up and face down extremism and bigotry’.
Ms Riley posted photos of herself speaking in Parliament Square on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside the caption: ‘Proud to have marched alongside Kurds, Iranians, Ukrainians and each and every person who gave up their time today to say NO to antisemitism.’
Her post included a copy of her speech which urged people to stop being ‘bystanders’ and join in the fight to stop antisemitism.
She said: ‘We’ve learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I’m grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders.
Rachel Riley (front left) posed for selfies with Eddie Marsan (back left), Rob Rinder (back right) and Vanessa Feltz (front right) at the massive march against anti-Semitism in central London yesterday
Photographs show Ms Riley smiling for selfies and making peace signs at the protest
Yesterday’s march saw more than 100,000 people walk through London in a peaceful protest against hate towards Jewish people
‘We’re going to have to get serious about fighting this now if we want to turn things around.
‘We’re going to start having to have tough conversations. We’re going to have to stand up to the mob and we’re going to need strong stomachs.
‘But together I believe we can and we will.’
Ms Oberman, 57, and Mr Marsan also spoke to the crowds in Parliament Square today, after thousands attended a march in central London.
Mr Marsan questioned why there ‘were many who were hesitant to acknowledge or condemn the actions of Hamas’.
He told the rally: ‘At a time when our country is tearing itself apart and racist attacks are on the increase because of a conflict that has two just causes, surely our job is to tell both stories – not just tell one and deny the other because it’s fashionable.’
Ms Oberman called antisemitism an ‘incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide’ and argued that bigotry was on the rise.
Ms Riley’s post included a copy of her speech which urged people to stop being ‘bystanders’ and join in the fight to tackle antisemitism
She said: ‘We’ve learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I’m grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders’
Ms Riley called on campaigners to ‘get serious’ about tackling anti-Semitism
Countdown star Ms Riley (centre) called on campaigners to ‘get serious’ about tackling antisemitism as she joined more than 100,000 protesters at a rally in central London
‘We’re seeing a frightening and swift rise in antisemitism, Jewish attacks on our children not being able to go to school wearing their blazers with a Jewish insignia or skullcaps, our children and ourselves advised to take off any sign of being Jewish,’ she told the rally.
‘I have so many friends and neighbours and people who contact me on social media saying they will take their mezuzahs off their doors, that they feel frightened, they feel isolated and alone.
‘But we are not alone. We are a successful and flourishing multi-ethnic and multi-faith capital city of a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.
‘A tolerant democracy where all racism, including racism against Jews, is not tolerated. We have to call out antisemitism for what it is, it is an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide.’
Tens of thousands attended yesterday’s demonstration, which came a day after crowds also gathered in the capital to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
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