300,000 join pro-Palestinian rally in London as scores of counter-protesters arrested

Approximately 300,000 individuals gathered for a sizable pro-Palestinian rally in London on Saturday. During the event, police arrested numerous counter-protesters who attempted to confront the marchers. Heavy police presence was evident at Hyde Park Corner in central London, where protesters chanted slogans such as “free, free Palestine” and “ceasefire now,” as well as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” The demonstration coincided with annual Armistice Day commemorations, known as Veterans Day in the US. The Metropolitan Police in London estimated that 300,000 people attended the rally and arrested 82 counter-protesters to prevent disturbances, citing aggression from the counter-protesters who arrived in significant numbers as the rally was taking shape. Some of the pro-Palestinian protesters expressed frustration with what they perceived as hypocrisy in supporting Ukraine but not Palestine, and they called for more politicians to speak out on the issue. Another protester praised the turnout, emphasizing the need to advocate for those without a voice.

Far-right scuffle with police

When counter-protesters confronted the pro-Palestinian march, the police vowed to stop them using “all the powers and tactics available to us.”

A CNN crew on the ground earlier in the day reported hearing screaming and seeing a lot of police presence as a group of far-right demonstrators attempted to rush the war memorial, which was secured by being placed in an exclusion zone.

Tommy Robinson, an activist from the far-right, organized a brief but boisterous protest aimed at getting close to the Cenotaph, a significant landmark situated in Whitehall, the London neighborhood home to the prime minister and many government agencies.

The UK has historically observed a two-minute silence on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to remember the moment guns silenced in 1918, signaling the end of World War I.

The anti-racist organization Hope Not Hate released footage from the scene that shows far-right demonstrators donning black clothing pushing the police lines at different locations throughout Whitehall.

This week’s pro-Palestinian protests sparked a political controversy when British Home Secretary Suella Braverman deviated from her script and charged that the police had been too soft on the protesters.

At first, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tried to prevent the pro-Palestinian demonstration from taking place.

Sunak maintained his position that protesting on this specific weekend is “not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today,” even though he eventually acknowledged that the march would occur.

The chaos that occurred at London’s Cenotaph on Saturday, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan, was a “direct result” of Braverman’s remarks.

“The far-right’s spectacles of chaos at the Cenotaph are directly related to what the Home Secretary said. Khan posted on social media that “the job of the police has been made much harder” and that he “fullly supports the London Metropolitan Police to take action against anyone found spreading hate and breaking the law.”

The chaos that occurred at London’s Cenotaph on Saturday, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan, was a “direct result” of Braverman’s remarks.

“The far-right’s spectacles of chaos at the Cenotaph are directly related to what the Home Secretary said. Khan posted on social media that “the job of the police has been made much harder” and that he “fullly supports the London Metropolitan Police to take action against anyone found spreading hate and breaking the law.”