Rishi Sunak rages at 'provocative' pro-Palestine Armistice Day march: 'The Cenotaph is at risk!'

The Prime Minister, who will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday next weekend, labelled the potential protest as both "provocative" and "disrespectful".

He said: "There is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for."

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Sunak added: "The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected."

The Prime Minister also confirmed that Home Secretary Suella Braverman will support efforts by the Metropolitan Police to "protect the sanctity" of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Sunak's statement comes after Security Minister Tom Tugendhat wrote to Scotland Yard and Sadiq Khan to ask them to stop the protests planned for next weekend.

The London Mayor accused Tugendhat of "playing politics" as he pointed out the only person with the power to prevent the demonstration under the Public Order Act was Braverman.

Khan said: "This is a textbook example of a senior politician playing party politics and posturing, with a serious issue. He must know [the Mayor cannot prevent the protest].

"If he does know, it shows he's playing party politics. If he doesn't know, it brings into question his competence."

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A City Hall source also said: “It’s concerning that the Minister of State doesn’t seem to understand Home Office legislation. As set out in law, only the Home Secretary has the power to ban a March or protest in London.”

A Westminster City Council insider added: “The Home Secretary has the existing powers to ban a march without the involvement of the local authority.

“We don’t have powers to grant or deny permission for protests.”

Despite Sunak expressing concerns about the Cenotaph, activists from Friends of Al-Aqsa vowed to avoid the Whitehall war memorial.

FOA spokesman Ismail Patel said: "We definitely will not be at the Cenotaph. We understand the sensitivity of the date."

Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal also confirmed there were "no plans" to march near Whitehall or the Cenotaph.

Jamal revealed the route would avoid areas of significance to Armistice Day and would only start after the scheduled two minutes silence at 11am.

However, the Cenotaph was previously hijacked by pro-Palestine activists in protests held in London last month.

The decision to target the war memorial was roundly criticised and a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist sparked even more outrage after attempting to torch a Union flag on the monument in June 2020.

Pro-Palestine protests have recently targeted other statues across London, including Westminster's tribute to former Prime Minister David Lloyd George and a Grade-II listed statue of First World War commander Field Marshal Douglas Haig.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers will be deployed across the capital on November 11 and 12 as part of a "significant" policing and security operation.

Scotland Yard added: "We're absolutely committed to ensuring the safety and security of anyone attending commemorative events.

"We knew that this year, there are concerns about a demonstration by pro-Palestinian campaigners.

"The protest organisers have not indicated any plans to protest on Remembrance Sunday.

"They do intend to hold a significant demonstration on the Saturday but they are engaging with our officers and have said they are willing to avoid the Whitehall area, recognising the sensitivities around the date.

"This is a weekend with huge national significance. We will use all the powers available to us to ensure anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed."