'Imagine this town with no children' - Protest on Shrewsbury bridge highlights lives lost in Gaza conflict

The protest on the English Bridge on Saturday aimed to raise awareness about the number of children killed in Gaza. 

Around 15 people took up positions on the town’s historic bridge over the Severn holding nine placards. 

The message spread out over the placards read: "Last year Israel killed 17,000 children in Gaza. There are 15,000 children in Shrewsbury. Imagine this town with no children. Stand up, speak out. Stop the genocide."

The protest was inspired by a similar protest in Hastings last year that went viral. 

Shrewsbury resident Naomi Yates, who joined the protest, said: "More than 17,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the events of 7 October 2023, a figure that is likely to be a huge underestimate since it doesn’t include those who have died from starvation, cold, and disease, nor those whose bodies have yet to be recovered from the rubble. 

"Such a huge number is hard to comprehend. But to put it in perspective, the death toll is higher than the number of children who live in Shrewsbury. 

"As the signs say, imagine this town with no children. I am ashamed that the UK is complicit in this genocide."

Last month UNICEF reported that 2024 was one of the worst years for children’s rights in modern history, while Save The Children stated that the Occupied Territories were the deadliest place in the world for children, with thousands under five killed in the conflict. 

In June, Israel was placed on a United Nations list of violators of children’s rights.

Kris Welch, who was also at the protest, said: "In the first week of 2025 Israel killed at least 75 children including in attacks on Al-Mawasi, a designated safe zone in the south. This cannot continue. 

"As ordinary citizens we face a choice: turn a blind eye to what’s happening and be complicit in it; or stand up and speak out."