A peace vigil will be among the pro-Palestine protests being held in the coming week as campaigners call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In Accrington, on Thursday a "silent protest" will be held inside Accrington Town Hall. 

Organiser Zaed Hussain said: “The primary objective of the protest is to speak out and pressure the councillors, Conservative-led council and Conservative MP to call for an immediate ceasefire and end the current plight and suffering of civilians trapped in Gaza."

The Blackburn 4 Palestine Group which organised a march through the streets of the town on Saturday said they were looking at options to host another protest.

They have held three consecutive protests in Blackburn including the largest event in Lancashire involving a march involving 3000 people over the weekend.

In a statement the group said: “Our only objective is to raise our concerns about Palestine and killings taking place in Palestine.

“We shall do this by using all legal avenues such as, lobbying, protests and social media. 

“We have no political agenda, nor any aspirations to become local politicians or leaders in any way, shape of form.

“We shall continue to raise awareness of the current political climate with regards to the humanitarian issue at hand in Palestine and advocate for a Free Palestine because that is what we all want.”

A further protest organised by a separate Northwest group was cancelled on Sunday.

The demonstration had asked drivers to meet at near Bolton and drive slowly and to bring the M61 and M60 to a standstill.

However, the protest was called off as it was felt it would cause unnecessary delays for workers and members of the public and this bring unwarranted attention to the pro-Palestine campaign.

This week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has faced a number of resignations from councillors, including seven from Blackburn, said his party was "united".

Asked by reporters what the mood in the party was at the moment, Sir Keir said: “You saw the mood in the Labour Party at our Labour Party conference. United, confident, putting a positive case before the country for a decade of national renewal after 13 years of decline.

“We are absolutely united in that and even in the difficult question of what is the appropriate response to the events that are unfolding, there is unity about what we want to achieve in the short-term and the long-term.”

Sir Keir said he was concerned about incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the UK triggered by conflict.

He said: “Of course I’m concerned. The numbers have gone up hugely.

“And it shocks me that Jewish schools have had red paint painted on their walls, that Jewish families are having to – or feel they have to – hide their identity, that Muslim women are telling me they don’t feel safe going on public transport, that mosques are telling me ‘we are having to ramp up our security’, that Muslims are saying ‘we are being held to account for things that others have done that had nothing to do with us’.

“I am worried about that. And I think that all of us, but particularly politicians, have a duty to work in all of our communities, to ensure that we tackle that sort of hate crime, that sort of hate, head on.”