London police prepare for a large pro-Palestinian demonstration.
London police are preparing for a large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstration with hundreds of thousands of participants. Organizers expect around 500,000 protesters to take part in Saturday’s rally in the British capital. That would make this one of the biggest political protest marches in British history.
Protesters planned to march from downtown Hyde Park to the US Embassy at noon, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Almost 2,000 police officers are on duty. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on protesters to behave peacefully and respect Britain’s commemoration of the Second World War on Armistice Day. On the anniversary of the First World War armistice in 1918, politicians and the Royal Family traditionally remember the war dead at the Cenotaph war memorial in the city center.
Several conservative politicians called on the London police to ban the pro-Palestinian demonstration, so as not to overshadow the celebration. But the authority rejected this, citing the law. A call to voluntarily resign from the rally was silenced.
Debate on Home Secretary Braverman
Interior Minister Suella Braverman then criticized the police for tolerating crimes committed by left-wing and pro-Palestinian protesters. The comments also sparked sharp criticism within his Conservative Party and calls for Prime Minister Sunak to sack the minister.
Tens of thousands of people had already expressed their solidarity with Gaza at rallies in London the previous weekend. There were isolated cases of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel crimes. (APA)