London Pro-Palestine protest: Met Police make 335 arrests

London Pro-Palestine protest: Met Police make 335  arrests

A significant number of individuals were taken into custody by the Metropolitan Police in central London during a pro-Palestinian rally supported by Defend Our Juries, the authorities announced. The event, which was organized in solidarity with Palestine Action – a faction that was prohibited by the government in July for any form of backing or affiliation, drew hundreds of participants. Despite calls from government officials and law enforcement to postpone the protests after the fatal synagogue incident in Manchester on Thursday, the demonstrations proceeded as planned.

Various Jewish figures, including Defend Our Juries member Zoe Cohen, expressed their mixed emotions during the protest. Cohen mourned not only the recent synagogue attack but also the multitude of Palestinians who have suffered in Gaza. The Metropolitan Police, in an official statement, reported that a total of 355 individuals were apprehended for supporting a banned organization. The law enforcement agency clarified that most of the remaining individuals in Trafalgar Square were spectators showing support by holding placards for Palestine Action.

Protests spearheaded by Defend Our Juries were met with opposition from the Metropolitan Police, who voiced concerns over the disruption of crucial security measures needed to safeguard communities during the rally. Although the police had priorly conveyed their reservations to the organizing group, they decided to proceed with the planned demonstration. A similar rally organized by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine witnessed a gathering of nearly 100 supporters outside Manchester Cathedral. The demonstration aimed to mark what was described as “two years of genocide in Gaza.”

The demonstration took place in the backdrop of the tragic incident in Manchester where two Jewish individuals lost their lives in an attack outside a synagogue. The Community Security Trust criticized the protests as insensitive, stating that they diverted police resources from ensuring the safety of the Jewish community. The group urged the Metropolitan Police to prioritize community protection over the arrest of peaceful protesters showing solidarity with Palestine Action. Palestine Action was outlawed by the government under anti-terrorism laws following an incident where activists breached an RAF base and caused damage to military aircraft. Since then, several individuals have been apprehended at different demonstrations for expressing support for the group, which has successfully contested the ban

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