Get the free Morning Headlines e mail for information from our reporters the world over
Sign as much as our free Morning Headlines e mail
Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators have marched by means of London to demand a direct ceasefire in Gaza.
The march, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), set off from Parliament Square shortly earlier than 1pm on Saturday and handed by means of Whitehall earlier than ending at Hyde Park.
A counter-protest by pro-Israel Enough is Enough additionally went forward at Pall Mall with law enforcement officials and limitations separating the 2 teams.
Just minutes earlier than the march started in Parliament Square, a person was arrested for holding a placard displaying a swastika, the Metropolitan Police stated.
The march got here after Jewish marketing campaign group Campaign Against Antisemitism stated they have been cancelling a deliberate “Walk Together” demonstration over security issues.
Throughout the march, chants of “stop bombing Gaza, stop bombing children” have been sung by demonstrators, a few of whom held placards saying “hands off Gaza colonisers”.
Protesters appeared to walk previous the pro-Israel counter demonstration peacefully – the place Israeli and British flags could possibly be seen subsequent to banners saying “Hamas are terrorists”.
On Friday, the Campaign Against Antisemitism cancelled an occasion the place folks would have walked “where they please” after claiming it had acquired “numerous threats” from “hostile actors” meant to point out as much as assembly areas.
A spokesperson stated: “The risk to the safety of those who wished to walk openly as Jews in London as part of this initiative has therefore become too great.”
It urged “concrete measures” on how the pro-Palestine marches are policed – citing issues over antisemitic chants, placards, the glorification of terrorism and violence.
But the Met’s assistant commissioner Matt Twist stated pro-Palestinian protests had “never” reached the brink the place there was a “risk of serious public disorder” and stated it could police the occasions “without fear or favour”.
The CAA introduced its Walk Together plan after its chief government, Gideon Falter, was prevented from crossing a street close to a pro-Palestinian protest by a police officer final week as a result of he was “openly Jewish”.
Footage confirmed a tense, prolonged stand-off between police and Mr Falter as one Met officer described his presence as “antagonising”.
The campaigner then spoke to a different officer who stated if he remained within the space, he can be arrested. However, completely different footage appeared to point out Mr Falter attempting to walk in the other way of the group – not simply by means of it as he claimed.
After the incident, Mr Falter was vital of the Met and stated there have been “no-go zones for Jews”, whereas Scotland Yard apologised twice for the officer’s selection of phrases.
The Met Police stated 450 arrests have been made for the reason that pro-Palestinian marches started, with 193 of these being for antisemitic offences, the bulk involving placards, chanting or expressions of hate speech.
There have additionally been 15 terrorism-related arrests, totally on suspicion of supporting proscribed organisations, notably Hamas.
The cost of policing the protests – which first started in November final yr – stands at roughly £38.5m, in line with police.
Saturday’s demonstration was the 13th nationwide protest organised by the PSC since its first protest on 9 October, along with a lot of native protests.
The major protests have ranged in measurement from 300,000 on the highest level, to round 5-10,000 in recent months, police stated.
