People in Kent were among those who took part in weekend protests calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.

Around 70 people gathered in Tunbridge Wells town centre for a protest demonstration on Saturday, while others attended protests in London.

Maidstone Green party transport spokesman, Ian McDonald, of Douglas Road, Maidstone, was one of 20,000 people at the London protest.

He said: "Both sides need to stop the violence, but this week’s actions by Israel are atrocious.

"Since December 27, when Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza, four Israelis have been killed by Hamas’ home-made rockets, while more than 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli action.

"In seven years from 2001 to 2008 only 14 Israelis were killed by Hamas’ rockets, compared to many hundreds by Israeli forces’ air and tank attacks.

"Gaza has been under siege for the past three years and occupied for 50 years prior to that, with 1.5 million oppressed people living in a narrow strip of land that is about the size of the Borough of Maidstone."

Meanwhile, Joshua Carroll, organiser of the Tunbridge Wells protest, said he was overwhelmed with the number of people who turned up at Saturday's protest.

Mr Carroll, of the group Tunbridge Wells Stop the War, said: "The day saw 166 people sign petitions and 82 people took away letters to give to their MPs, urging them to call on the Government to end support for Israel immediately and call for a ceasefire."

He added: "Protests themselves are not always effective. Around one million demonstrated against the war in Iraq and that still happened.

"The protests will not have an immediate impact but they do give people optimism and we should capitalise on that."