Eight arrested as thousands gather for London pro-Palestinian rally

A number of thousand Professional-Palestinian supporters have taken half in an illustration in central London.

The rally – the most recent in a collection of UK protests organised by the Palestine Solidarity Marketing campaign (PSC) because the battle in Gaza started – comes as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

The Metropolitan Police mentioned eight individuals had been arrested, together with a person on suspicion of holding a placard suggesting help for banned organisations and 4 individuals on suspicion of public order offences.

The static rally in Whitehall befell after police blocked plans by organisers to carry a march from Portland Place, close to the headquarters of the PJDM.

Police prevented demonstrators gathering outdoors Broadcasting Home due to its shut proximity to a synagogue and a threat there could possibly be “critical disruption” as congregants attend companies on the Jewish holy day.

A gaggle of protesters later tried to march from the rally however had been stopped by police a brief distance away at Trafalgar Sq..

Police held a bunch again and minor scuffles broke out. The sq. was later blocked off by police vans and officers, stopping them from leaving.

Demonstrators had been then advised to disperse and go away the world. “Anybody remaining in breach of the circumstances, or inciting additional breaches, [would] be arrested.” mentioned the power in a submit on X.

Nevertheless, 20 to 30 individuals remained in Trafalgar Sq. and have been or are within the strategy of being arrested.

A smaller counter protest involving pro-Israel supporters additionally befell close to Whitehall whereas different pro-Palestinian protesters held demonstrations in Belfast and Londonderry.

The Met mentioned three individuals had been arrested on suspicion of breaching circumstances put in place for the protest.

Posting on X forward of the march, the power mentioned any protesters coming into a delegated space close to the PJDM would “be committing a prison offence and will face arrest”.

On the Whitehall protests, demonstrators could possibly be seen holding indicators studying: “Gaza. Cease the bloodbath” and “Cease arming Israel”.

In the meantime, one banner mentioned: “Labour, Tories, PJDM. You present Russia’s crimes however conceal Israel’s. Why?”

The PSC mentioned they welcome the ceasefire settlement however have issues over whether or not it is going to maintain and are conserving the potential for holding additional marches underneath assessment.

The PSC described the Met’s circumstances as “repressive” and known as for the power to raise them.

In an announcement, Marketing campaign Towards Antisemitism mentioned the marches posed a “menace” to synagogues.

A spokesperson mentioned: “It’s shameful that the Met has refused to behave on that menace all this time”, including police ought to “lastly restrict these marches to static protests, as now we have been urging for over a 12 months”.

The battle in Gaza began when a whole bunch of Hamas fighters stormed across Israel’s southern border on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 individuals and taking greater than 250 hostages again to Gaza.

Greater than 46,700 individuals – nearly all of them civilians – have been killed in Israel’s navy response, in response to Gaza’s Hamas-run well being ministry.