Demonstrators took to the streets across the world in protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

In the UK, 10 people were arrested when a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy in London descended into chaos.

Kensington High Street was closed off with police vans blocking the street as the number of protestors swelled throughout the afternoon to about 2000.

Campaigners were seen being handcuffed and dragged away by officers after events boiled out of control.

Among the protestors were Respect MP George Galloway and former MP Tony Benn, who both addressed the rally.

After his speech, Mr Galloway said: "Israel has killed hundreds and maimed hundreds more - many of whom are women and young children - yet Gordon Brown is blaming the victim rather than the aggressor." More than 500 attended a candlelit vigil in Glasgow's George Square and there was a demonstration at The Mount in Edinburgh which aimed to show support for the victims of the ongoing violence in Gaza.

Labour's Glasgow Central parliamentary candidate Anas Sarwar, one of the organisers of the vigil, said: "It was a massive turnout when you consider there was just 24 hours' notice."

Mr Sarwar, who was part of a Scottish delegation invited by Medical Aid for Palestinians to assess the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the region earlier this year, added: "What we wanted to show was that all faith communities - people of all faiths and no faiths, people of all political parties, all community organisations, all peaceful organisations - are coming together in Glasgow, in Scotland, to say we stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Gaza at this difficult time and we call as one united voice for a peaceful resolution where no innocent lives on either side are lost."

In the West Bank, one Palestinian protestor was killed in clashes with police. A demonstration in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was also marred by bloodshed when a suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself up among the crowd, killing one person and wounding 16, police said.

The largest single protest of about 8000 people took place in Egypt on the streets of the southern city of Assiut.

Some 4000 protestors rallied in the capital Cairo, while a demonstration in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria drew a similar number, a security official said.

In Damascus, Israeli and American flags were burned as thousands of people demonstrated in the city centre.

Security was tight around the US embassy, which lies a mile and a half from the scene of the protest in the Syrian capital.