Jeremy Corbyn faces police interview after 77 pro-Palestine protesters arrested over 'serious disruption'

Corbyn, whose brother Piers was among 10 pro-Palestine protesters charged after allegedly "coordinating" efforts to cause disruption, joined the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's rally yesterday over the agreed Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal.

Scotland Yard confirmed that 77 protesters were arrested yesterday after activists were accused of breaking conditions of the march.

One protester was arrested for brandishing a placard suggesting support for Hamas and Hezbollah, while another paired a Nazi swastika with the Israeli Star of David.

The Metropolitan Police imposed measures to prevent protesters from forming in the vicinity of a synagogue located near Portland Place.

Further conditions were imposed to require protesters to form up Russell Street and follow a specific route to Whitehall.

Corbyn, who was photographed delivering a speech to pro-Palestine protesters in Whitehall, vowed not to "rest until Palestine is free".

In a later post, the Independent Islington North MP accused Scotland Yard of not fairly reflecting the actions of activists at yesterday's demonstration.

He said: "This is not an accurate description of events at all. I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed.

"This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through. When we reached Trafalgar Square, we informed police that we would go no further, lay down flowers and disperse."

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He added: "I urge the police to release all bodycam footage and retract its misleading account of events."

The Metropolitan Police had claimed that protesters "forced" their way through the police line, later urging demonstrators to "dispere and leave the area".

McDonnell, who also sits as an Independent MP after losing the Labour whip for rebelling on an SNP amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap, echoed Corbyn's comments in his own post.

He said: "I spoke at demo and was part of a procession of speakers aiming to go to BBC to lay flowers commemorating the death of Palestinian children. We did not force our way through, the police allowed us to go through and when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down and dispersed."

The Hayes & Harlington MP added: "Regrettably, soon after I had explained to the police officer our intentions and we awaited the arrangements to lay the flowers, bizarrely the police violently arrested one of the march stewards, who was organising the presentation of the flowers and the dispersal of the crowd."

A total of 77 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested yesterday following the demonstration, with 24 being bailed and 48 remaining in custody.

Sixty-five protesters were arrested for breaching the conditions of the protest, while another five were accused of public order offences and a further two concerned allegations of obstructing the police.

Other arrests centred around support for a proscribed organisation, inciting racial hatred, common assault, assault on an emergency worker and sexual assault.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who led the policing operation, said: “We have policed more than 20 national protests organised by the PSC since October 2023.

“This is the highest number of arrests we have seen, in response to the most significant escalation in criminality.

“We could not have been clearer about the conditions in place. Protesters were to remain in Whitehall with no march towards the BBC.

“Our relationship with protest organisers has to be based on trust and good faith. If they say they will act responsibly and lawfully we need to be able to know those are genuine assurances.

“That is why it was so deeply disappointing to see a deliberate effort, involving organisers of the demonstration, to breach the conditions and attempt to march out of Whitehall.

“Officers responded bravely and decisively, ensuring they got no further than Trafalgar Square and certainly nowhere near their target.

“I am quite confident this was a coordinated breach with the intention being to reach the BBC at Portland Place in defiance of the conditions. There is video footage of one of the organisers clearly inciting the crowd to join a march and one of the organisations involved has released a statement this evening confirming as much.

“At the same time as the group was attempting to force its way past police lines, camera crews were seen arriving in Portland Place. It is unlikely that the timing was simply a coincidence.

“We are in possession of footage from officers’ body worn cameras, from CCTV and from social media. We know who was involved in leading the movement of so many people through police lines. Investigations are now underway and we will make every effort to bring prosecutions against those we identify.”