The BBC has apologised over its reporting on pro-Palestinian demonstrations after its characterization of campaigners provoked widespread outrage on social media.
The broadcaster spoke about “several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas” in relation to pro-Palestinian marches that took place over the weekend.
It has since backtracked on its wording of the rallies both on social media and during a live broadcast on Tuesday.
“Earlier we reported on some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the weekend,” Maryam Moshiri, the chief presenter at BBC News, wrote in a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“We spoke about ‘several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas.’ We accept this was poorly phrased and was a misleading description of the demonstrations.”
The apology was also read on the BBC’s air live Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of people gathered for pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the UK at the weekend amid growing international concern over the situation in Israel and Gaza.
Marchers filled the streets of central London on Saturday as thousands also gathered in Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and other parts of the UK.
Demonstrators carried flags and flares and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans as marchers heard calls for world leaders to condemn Israel’s actions.
The UN, human rights groups and others have been among those expressing deep concern about the impact of Israeli action on civilians as the death toll continues to rise amid airstrikes and a siege on the territory.
It comes after an attack last week by Palestinian militant group Hamas left hundreds of Israeli civilians and soldiers dead.
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