Pro-palestinian march set to start in London - where is it and what will Met Police give to protestors?

Protestors will take to the streets again today in support of Palestine. It is the seventh weekend in a row that demonstrators have gone on a march.

The march, on Saturday 25 November, will take place after a temporary truce was suggested in Gaza and agreed between Israel and Hamas. The two sides agreed to a hostage exchange, with the militant group agreeing to release 50 Israeli hostages in return for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. On Friday 24 November, 24 hostages were released in exchange for 39 Palestinians detained in Israel. More hostagers could be released today.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to walk the streets of London. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), said the rallies were organised to show that “ordinary people” support a ceasefire. He said: “This Saturday, ordinary people across the UK will come out again to show the vast majority of them support a ceasefire,” he said.

He continued: "They will show their solidarity with Palestinians who are suffering unimaginable harm. They will also demand the root causes are not forgotten – Israel’s decades-long military occupation of Palestinian territories and its system of apartheid against Palestinians. We demand justice for the Palestinian people – their right to self-determination and to live in freedom, safety, and with full human rights.”

According to the PSC, around 800,000 people joined previous marches and a similar number of people are expected to join again today. The national march, organised by the PSC, alongside Stop the War, the Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa and others, will take place later today, with organisers saying they will continue until there is a complete ceasefire.

There have been demonstrations around the UK every weekend since war broke out between Israel and Hamas after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7. But, when exactly will it take place and what will the Met Police give to protestors? Here's what you need to know.

When is the London Palestine protest this weekend?

The pro-Palestine protest will take place on Saturday November 25 at 12.30pm. It is expected to end at around 4.30pm. The march must end no later than 5pm and any participant must not enter the area around the Israeli embassy, the Met Police have said.

Where is the London Palestine protest this weekend?

The march will begin at Park Lane, and end outside the Houses of Parliament. People may join when and where they wish. There is also an accessible bloc for anyone who would like a shorter version of the march.

This is primarily for wheelchair and mobility-aid users, families with buggies and anyone wanting a quieter space to assemble, as well as any non-disabled people who’d like to join this shorter version. The acessible bloc assembling point will be at the junction of St James’ Street and Pall Mall at 1pm. For more information, visit the PSC website.

What will Met Police officers give to protestors on the London Palestine protest?

People have been arrested during previous pro-Palestine marches, including two women who were arrested for terrorism offences earlier this month. It's clear that the police are keen to avoid any criminal issues again.

Metropolitan police officers are to hand out leaflets to demonstrators to provide “absolute clarity” on what will be deemed an offence during the protest. More than 1,500 officers will be on duty as the protest against the Israel-Hamas conflict takes place. The Met police also said 500 officers from outside London would be on duty.

Officers will be giving out leaflets to protestors, warning them aagainst using racist abuse and promoting terrorism. They state that “while the majority of people are complying with these rules, a minority have crossed the line”. The leaflet says to “avoid ending up in our cells”, people should not use words that “are racist or incite hatred against any faith”, that “support Hamas or any other banned organisation” or “that celebrate or promote acts of terrorism – such as the killing or kidnap of innocent people”. They are also warned to bin any placard or sign that may break the rules, if in doubt.

In addition, protestors are also told that they must not "cause fear or be violent" or "use threatening words or aggressive behaviours that could be considered intimidating". They must also not "deface or damage statues, monuments or other property".

What have the Met Police said about the London Palestine protest this weekend?

The Met deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation this weekend, said: “We know a lot more about the cumulative impact of these protests than we did seven weeks ago and that is reflected in our approach. The Met supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully. However, the law also protects people from racist and religious abuse and prohibits the promotion of terrorism.

He added: "While the majority of protesters have complied with these rules, a minority have crossed the line.” He also said the Met had been been “working positively” with organisers, including the PSC, to ensure everyone understood the police’s expectations. We are very pleased that the PSC have brought in extra stewards and that they’ve agreed to be clear in their communications about how supporters must behave.”

The Met said it would deploy trained spotters looking out for criminal activity, including placards and clothing with incendiary wording and identifying those responsible.