Armistice Day pro-Palestine march: mounting calls to 'sack Suella' as hundreds of thousands march in London
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Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital to demand Palestine's freedom, in what may have been one of the largest political marches in British history.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had issued a plea for “unity” amid tensions over the pro-Palestinian march, set to go ahead on Saturday (11 November) - the same day the UK marks the end of the First World War. There had been concerns about the risk of counter-protests, with areas like Whitehall and the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance fenced off to prevent protesters getting in - while police were given additional powers to search people for weapons.
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Hide AdThe Met Police say there were 126 arrests total, many of them counter protesters who tried to confront people taking place in the march. A number of pro-Palestine protesters who hid their faces and repeatedly set off fireworks - despite organisers asking them not to - were also detained, while nine officers were injured.
However, the march was largely peaceful, with organisers estimating around 750,000 people were in attendance at the biggest demonstration since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on 7 October. Floods of protesters travelled from Hyde Park to the US embassy in Vauxhall, before speeches by both MPs and Palestinians were made on a stage set up near the end of the march.
Scotland Yard said it was a major policing operation, and it deployed nearly 2,000 officers across central London over the weekend, while hours before the demonstration was set to begin, Sky News reports police officers could be seen guarding the Cenotaph - although the march did not go near the monument.
On the eve of the mass protest, the Prime Minister urged those taking part to do so “respectfully and peacefully” and to respect Armistice Day commemorations. “This act of remembrance is fundamental to who we are as a country, and I want to reassure those wishing to pay their respects, attend services and travel that they can and should do so,” Sunak said in a statement.
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Hide AdThere were also other pro-Palestine demonstrations across the UK on Saturday, while there have been reports far-right group the National Front is also planning a march to the Cenotaph on Sunday afternoon.
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London braces for Armistice Day Pro-Palestine March
Jeremy Corbyn addresses pro-Palestinian protesters
Delivering a speech to pro-Palestinian protesters from the top of a fire engine near Vauxhall, Jeremy Corbyn said: “It seems that there’s one million of us here today in London showing our solidarity with the people of Palestine, so Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak’s attempt to stop this has been shamed for what it is.
"They should be ashamed also (of) their vote on the United Nations when they wouldn’t even support a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Shame on them."
The former Labour leader added: “But it’s also a global movement of people like ourselves, young, old, black, white, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, no particular religion, people from all walks of life marching together to try and bring justice for the people of Palestine. And I’ve just got news that a very effective demonstration in Australia has prevented a ship from travelling to Israel taking (arms there)."
Talking about next week's vote in Parliament on an amendment to the King’s speech which calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, he said: “I will be voting for that amendment and a few others will as well but I want all of you to write to your MP and say this is not a time for some shabby, shoddy political calculation of what personal advancement you’ll get by voting against this motion or abstaining… On Armistice Day, we say ceasefire now.”
Dozens arrested protesting against the pro-Palestinian demonstration
Dozens of people have been arrested protesting against a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London.
A total of 82 people were arrested in Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, to “prevent a breach of the peace” as the march passed through the capital, the Met police said. They were part of a “large group” of counter-protesters who had “tried to reach the main protest march”, a spokesperson added.
Reports suggested some people were detained and prevented from leaving the nearby White Swan pub with a heavy police presence outside, including officers on horseback. A further 10 arrests were made throughout the day for offences including possession of offensive weapons, affray and possession of drugs, police said.
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