Twelve people arrested as 'hundreds of thousands' march in pro-Palestine rally to Israeli embassy

Twelve people arrested as 'hundreds of thousands' march in pro-Palestine rally to Israeli embassy

WATCH NOW: Thousands gather to call for a ceasefire in

GB News
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 17/02/2024

- 15:09

Updated: 18/02/2024

- 08:50

Over 200,000 had signed up to the demonstration, a spokesperson for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said

Police have arrested 12 pro-Palestinian demonstrators taking part in the rally in central London today.

One person was arrested before the march kicked off on suspicion of support for a banned organisation.


Scotland Yard said the arrest had been made “on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation in relation to a placard” before the march kicked off from Marble Arch at 1.30pm.

A further nine were then arrested shortly after, following an incident at Hyde Park Corner.

People take part in a pro-Palestine march in central London, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign10 people have been arrested by the Met Police as demonstrators march towards the Israeli embassyPA

One was a man who was seen in the crowd with an antisemitic placard.

When officers tried to arrest him, they were assaulted, which led to the arrest of six others for assaulting an emergency worker, according to the Met.

Two others were arrested for refusing to remove face coverings when asked to do so by police officers.

At around 4pm, the Met announced one further arrest “for an antisemitic placard”, bringing the total number of arrests so far to 11.

Between 200,000 and 250,000 had signed up for the march calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, a spokesperson for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said.

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Jeremy Corbyn taking part in the pro-Palestine march

​Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is part of the 'hundreds of thousands' demonstrating 

PA

Around 1,500 police officers from forces across the UK are on duty on the streets of London. Police pushed for the start time, which would allow for a synagogue event to finish before the rally began.

Organisers had initially advertised a kick-off time of 12.30pm before the Met Police intervened, the Campaign Against Antisemitism stated.

Just before 1.00pm today, the force posted on social media, saying: “The march is forming up at the south of Park Lane. It will not set off until 1.30pm.

“There has been one arrest so far on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation in relation to a placard.”

Police

Met Police pushed for a start time of 1.30pm for the march

PA

Later today, speakers will address crowds near the Israeli embassy. The police have said they must stop by 5.00pm, while protesters must leave by 6.00pm.

Ahead of the protest, Commander Kyle Gordon, who is lead the policing operation, said: "We are there to ensure protests take place lawfully, minimising disruption to the life of the wider public and in a way that gives due consideration to the cumulative impact on London's communities and those who feel most vulnerable in the current climate.

"The protests we have seen since October have thankfully been largely peaceful and we must take this into account in our policing approach. I hope the same will be true this Saturday.

"Unfortunately, despite this, we have regularly seen officers having to deal with offences related to placards and other hate speech.

"We do not underestimate the fear this causes, nor the impact of such criminal and unacceptable behaviour on wider community relations.

"I would appeal to all those attending the protest on Saturday to act within the law and to consider the impact of their actions on the safety and security of others. We will not hesitate to take action against those who fail to do so."

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