Police have appealed to pro-Palestine activists to postpone a planned march this Remembrance Day over ‘risk of violence and disorder’.
From Rishi Sunak to Suella Braverman, Tory politicians have been putting pressure on the Metropolitan Police to ban the now weekly demonstrations in London that have been attended by hundreds of thousands of people calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Concerns have been raised about the protest due to take place this Saturday – even though the route will not go past the Cenotaph, but instead from Hyde Park to the American Embassy.
Police warned it would use ‘all powers and tactics’ to prevent disruption, including Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, which allows the banning of a procession when there is a risk of serious disorder.
Deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan said in a public appeal: ‘The risk of violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups is growing.
‘This is of concern ahead of a significant and busy weekend in the capital.
‘Our message to organisers is clear: Please, we ask you to urgently reconsider. It is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend.’
Since the conflict began on October 7, protests erupted across the UK, including in Oxford, Manchester, Glasgow and London.
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Those in the capital have been largely peaceful, with families with young children seen attending.
Metro.co.uk attended the very first event outside Israel’s Embassy in High Street Kensington on October 10.
Participants were seen waving Palestinian flags and chanting against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a ‘terrorist’, but no clashes with police were observed.
The Met has so far arrested about 160 people for a range of offences, including racially motivated public offences, violence and assaulting officers.
An escalation in violence and disorder linked to protests has also been observed, but the force said it is often perpetrated by breakaway groups with interest in the causes.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, organisers of the planned demonstration, has pledged to avoid the Whitehall area where the Cenotaph is located.
In a statement, they said: ‘We have made clear that we have no intention of marching on or near Whitehall, in order not to disrupt events at the Cenotaph.’
They added that ‘we are alarmed by members of the government, including the prime minster, issuing statements suggesting that the march is a direct threat to the Cenotaph and designed to disrupt the Remembrance Day commemorations’.
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