Europe’s largest Palestinian heritage event has opened its doors despite attempts by pro-Israel lobbies to have it cancelled by all means according to al-Jazeera.
Palestine Expo bills itself as a celebration of Palestinian culture history and food and is expected to draw more than 10000 people on Saturday and Sunday.
Whether the event would go ahead was uncertain as recently as last week as the British government considered complaints by pro-Israel groups.
Officials eventually decided to let the event proceed but not before threats of legal action by the events’ organizers Friends of Al Aqsa (FOA).
The event which is spread over five stories of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center in central London includes art galleries augmented reality tours of Palestinian landmarks and food stalls serving Palestinian dishes.
FOA’s chairman Ismail Batil said a number of pro-Israel British MPs tried hard to have the event shut down.
“The message that we want to send out to the British people is that the Palestinians have been enduring an abject situation under the Israeli occupation” said Batil.
