LONDON, (PIC)
Several thousand pro-Palestinian supporters took part in a demonstration in central London on Saturday. This rally, the latest in a series of protests in the UK organized by the “Palestine Support Alliance in Britain” since the start of the recent war on Gaza, coincided with an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal.
The Palestine Support Alliance in Britain condemned the arrest of several demonstrators, notably Chris Nineham, a leader of the protests and representative of the Stop the War organization within the alliance. Acting President of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Adnan Hmidan, stated: “We, at the Palestinian Forum in Britain, strongly condemn the unjustified arrest of the prominent leader of the pro-Palestine Stop the War coalition, Chris Nineham, along with several activists and supporters, at the conclusion of the massive demonstration organized by the alliance in London. We also denounce the excessive use of force by the British police against demonstrators and call for the immediate release of Mr. Chris Nineham and other activists. We reject the police’s submission to the Israeli lobby’s baseless claims of exaggerated fear, noting that no attacks have been recorded against them in the past fifteen months, and thousands of Jews supportive of Palestine have participated in the demonstrations.”
The Metropolitan Police reported that eight people were arrested, including a man suspected of holding a placard supporting banned organizations, and four others suspected of public order offences.
The static rally in Whitehall took place after police blocked plans by organizers to hold a march from Portland Place, near the BBC headquarters.
Police prevented protesters from gathering outside Broadcasting House due to its proximity to a synagogue and concerns about the potential for “serious disruption” as congregants attended services on the Jewish holy day.
Later, a group of protesters attempted to march from the rally site but was stopped a short distance away at Trafalgar Square after breaching a police line. The square was subsequently blocked off by police vans and officers, preventing protesters from leaving.
Protesters were instructed to disperse and leave the area. However, according to the Metropolitan Police, 20 to 30 people remained and were either arrested or in the process of being arrested.
A smaller counter-protest by pro-Israel supporters also took place near Whitehall, while other pro-Palestinian protesters held gatherings elsewhere.
Posting on X ahead of the rally, the Metropolitan Police warned that any protesters entering a designated area near the BBC would “be committing a criminal offence and may face arrest.”
The police stated that three individuals were arrested on suspicion of breaching the imposed conditions.
At the Whitehall protests, demonstrators were seen holding signs reading: “Gaza. Stop the massacre” and “Stop arming Israel.” Another banner read: “Labor, Tories, BBC. You show Russia’s crimes but hide Israel’s. Why?”
The Palestine Support Alliance in Britain includes the Palestinian Forum in Britain, the British Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, the Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Stop the War Coalition, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The alliance has been leading pro-Palestine solidarity demonstrations in Britain for many years, and this marks the first time a leader of the alliance has been arrested.
