Eleven arrested at pro-Palestine march as anti-Semitic signs seen
POLICE arrested 11 people as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched near the Israeli embassy on Saturday, amid claims many activists were brandishing anti-Semitic banners.
Scotland Yard said one arrest had been made “on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation in relation to a placard”, with further arrests made during an incident at Hyde Park Corner.
A man was reportedly arrested for inciting racial hatred after being seen in the crowd with an anti-Semitic placard. When officers went in to make the arrest they were assaulted, leading to more arrests for assaulting an emergency worker.
Others were held for refusing to remove face coverings when required to do so by officers under Section 60AA of the Public Order Act.
Officers also made a further arrest at the march in connection with an anti-Semitic placard, bringing the total held to 11 by 4pm.
As the demonstration made its way to the embassy in Kensington, police in Neasden, north west London, stopped a pro-Palestinian car convoy over fears it was heading to areas with a large Jewish community.
Scotland Yard said: “In previous years, similar convoys have driven through areas with significant Jewish communities causing fear for residents. Specialist traffic officers, with the support of the police helicopter, are now monitoring the convoy to ensure there is no repeat of that today.” Many of the estimated 200,000 marchers held placards proclaiming “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which is widely seen as a call for the destruction of the state of Israel. Others brandished banners accusing Israel of genocide and compared the government of Israel to Hilter’s Nazi regime.
There were also claims that some of the marchers held placards with symbols showing support for Hamas gunmen, such as one appearing to show a V on a red background in imitation of the terror group’s red triangle symbol.
Another placard, held up by a young woman, read: “I thought Hitler was dead”, next to the star of David, in what some considered an anti-Semitic reference to the Holocaust.
In an anti-Semitic trope about Jews controlling the media one man held a homemade placard reading: “Wake up our media TV, Radio and Government are controlled by Zionists. Zionist are ruthless, brutal, heartless.” Several marchers also chanted their support for Houthi rebels in Yemen firing missiles at freight ships in the Red Sea.
The Met said: “Officers in the operations room are also monitoring the images being shared on social media and details are being passed to officers on the ground as required.”
Among the speakers on the march was Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, who said: “Hang on to your anger, hang on to your enragement, hang on to your horror and use it, use it in the pursuit of justice.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, also spoke, telling the crowd: “We’ve got to carry on. This is the 14th national demonstration and there’s going to be as many more as it takes until there is a ceasefire, until there is justice for the Palestinian people. We’re witnessing something globally horrific in real time on our televisions.”
The Metropolitan Police had earlier intervened to prevent the march to the Israeli embassy starting until after a religious service at a synagogue along the route had concluded,although hundreds of pro-Palestine activists gathered nearby before the demonstration set off.
Protesters were kept 100 metres away from the embassy grounds and faced arrest if they moved any closer.