CENOTAPH PROTECTORS ARE NOBS

London protests: Met condemns 'extreme violence' of far-right


Thomas Mackintosh - BBC News
Sun, November 12, 2023 

The Met Police has condemned "extreme violence from right-wing protesters" who it says set out to confront Saturday's pro-Palestinian march.

Nine officers were injured and 126 people arrested - the "vast majority" of whom were counter-protesters.

Police added while the march itself did not see such physical violence, serious offences relating to antisemitic hate crimes were being investigated.

The PM said those involved in crimes must face the full force of the law.

Rishi Sunak said: "I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen today from the EDL (English Defence League) and associated groups and Hamas sympathisers attending the National March for Palestine.

"The despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully."

He added that "EDL thugs attacking police and trespassing on the Cenotaph" war memorial had disrespected the honour of the UK's armed forces.

The pro-Palestinian demonstration - which coincided with Armistice Day - saw some 300,000 people march through central London calling for a Gaza ceasefire.

It was the biggest UK rally since the war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October.

Yousaf calls on Braverman to resign over protests

Armistice Day silence marked around the UK

In a statement on Saturday, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the march had taken place in "unique circumstances", against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, remembrance events and a "week of intense debate" about protest and policing, which "all combined to increase community tensions".

It comes after Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the pro-Palestinian protests as a "hate march" and accused the police of bias. She later emphasised her full backing for the police.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused her of "demeaning her office", adding that "few people in public life" had recently done more to "whip up division".

And Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called for the home secretary to resign or be sacked.

But former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries disagreed, telling the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg she believed any woman who reached high office faced a backlash "steeped in both misogyny and sexism".

Downing Street said Mr Sunak still had "full confidence" in the home secretary.

A police officer chases a man through streets close to the 'National March For Palestine' in central London on November 11, 2023, as counter-protest groups are monitored by police close to the route of the main march

Assistant Commissioner Twist said the violence directed towards officers on Saturday was "extraordinary and deeply concerning", with nine injured after counter-protesters clashed with police along Whitehall and in Chinatown.

"They arrived early, stating they were there to protect monuments, but some were already intoxicated, aggressive and clearly looking for confrontation," he said.

Officers protecting the Cenotaph faced abuse and chants of 'you're not English any more'.

Many in these groups, who were "largely football hooligans from across the UK", were stopped and searched, with weapons including a knife, baton and knuckleduster found, as well as class A drugs.

Most arrests were made to "prevent a breach of the peace".

The assistant commissioner continued that while the pro-Palestinian march "did not see the sort of physical violence carried out by the right wing", it was clear that for Jewish communities "the impact of hate crime and in particular anti-Semitic offences is just as significant".

He said "a number of serious offences identified in relation to hate crime and possible support for proscribed organisations" during the protest were being investigated.

Police issued five photos of six individuals suspected of hate crimes.

One shows a woman carrying a placard on which the Jewish symbol, the star of David, is shown to incorporate a Swastika.


Elsewhere, footage shared on social media showed Michael Gove ushered through London's Victoria Station by police officers, as crowds waving Palestinian flags shouted: "Shame on you."

A source close to the levelling up secretary said he had been returning from his constituency and was taken away in a police van.

During the protests, BBC News was given rare access to the Met Police's control room in south London, which includes thousands of cameras.

One live feed from a police helicopter was powerful enough to show a man sitting in a pub window and how much he had left in his drink.


On the pro-Palestinian march, chants of "free Palestine" and "ceasefire now" could be heard as crowds began marching from London's Hyde Park.

At one point the march, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, extended from the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane to the US Embassy in Nine Elms - a distance of roughly 2.5 miles.

One demonstrator told BBC News: "We want a ceasefire. People are suffering, children are dying under the rubble, and no-one seems to care about them."

Another protester said: "I think it is the perfect day to actually do it on. Because that's what Armistice is, it is a call for ceasefire and a call for stopping war."

No major protest is scheduled to take place on Remembrance Sunday, although the policing operation will continue with some 1,375 officers deployed amid commemoration events in the capital.

Police Arrest Counter-Protesters as London Stages Anti-War March

Irina Anghel, Ilya Arkhipov and Jack Ryan
Sat, November 11, 2023





(Bloomberg) -- More than 300,000 people gathered in London for a pro-Palestinian march as police arrested dozens of mainly far-right counter-protesters seeking to disrupt what had turned into a hot political issue.

Demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war have been held the past four weekends, but Saturday’s event sparked more controversy because of the timing and the reaction to it within the government. It coincided with Remembrance Day when the UK marks the end of World War I and honors military personnel who have died in conflict.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman called for the march to be banned and accused London’s police force of political bias over how it approached public demonstrations. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, said the timing was disrespectful, but called for calm as the protest went ahead.

In a statement after the event, Sunak condemned the “violent, wholly unacceptable scenes” from English nationalists, their associated groups and what he called Hamas sympathizers. “All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law,” he said, adding that he will convene with the head of the Metropolitan Police in coming days.

The march avoided the Cenotaph in central London, the focal point of the Remembrance commemoration where politicians and the public stood together at 11 a.m. A crowd holding English red-and-white flags scuffled with police as they tried to reach the area. The Press Association reported a large number of people holding the St. George flags walked up the Embankment next to the Thames River shouting “England till I die.”

The Metropolitan Police said later that 82 people were arrested in a nearby street, “part of a large group of counter-protesters we have been monitoring who have tried to reach the main protest march.” There were more than 100 arrests in total, most of them counter-protesters.

Elsewhere, marchers convened near Hyde Park holding placards such as “End the Siege” and “Gaza Stop the Massacre,” along with ones referring to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam.

“The British government and the official opposition are both declining to support a ceasefire,” Andrew Murray, 65, vice president of the Stop the War Coalition, one of the organizers, said as people gathered at Marble Arch in the bright autumn sunshine. “They’re both supporting what Israel is doing in Gaza and we want to make it clear that position is not in our name.”

The war has reverberated across Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this week called recent incidents of discrimination and violence against Jews a “disgrace.” In France, home to the continent’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, pro-Palestinian protests have been limited by the authorities. In Britain, though, it’s weighed more on party politics.

The opposition Labour Party, which is leading in the polls a year or so before an election, has seen prominent figures cleave from leader Keir Starmer’s line by calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The past week, meanwhile, has been more about the division that’s been exposed within Sunak’s governing Conservatives.

The protesters are seeking an end to Israel’s military action in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has left more than 10,000 Palestinians dead. Israel is attempting to overthrow Hamas after an attack by the militant group, which the US, UK and European Union designates a terrorist organization, killed more than 1,400 Israelis.

Some people chanted “Rishi Sunak, shame on you, Suella, shame on you, Keir Starmer, shame on you.” Others shouted “From the river to the sea,” a phrase that critics have said implies the dissolution of Israel.

One counter-protester, Joshua Lynch, said he came to the Cenotaph with a group of friends to stop Remembrance Day from being hijacked by pro-Palestinian groups. “We are trying to remember people who fought to save the Jews in the World War II,” said Lynch, with the British union flag over his shoulder. “These people must be turning in their graves knowing that there’s 100,000-plus Palestine supporters that are supporting Hamas.”

The Metropolitan Police said it recognized the “cumulative impact” of the protests and the anxiety in the Jewish community in London. It said 1,850 officers would be deployed across the capital on Saturday and 1,375 on Sunday. The crowd was expected to be far bigger than 100,000, it said. Unofficial estimates put it at three times that.

“There is no doubt this is going to be a very tense week,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said at a briefing on Friday. “It comes on the back of a four-week period of tensions across communities and fear across communities. Narratives throughout the week clearly play into that,” he said of the comments by some politicians.

Freya Ruane, a young protester at Marble Arch with a pro-Palestinian badge, said she was concerned there would be violence because of Braverman’s criticism of the police. “They’re so shocking they’re so divisive, and they’re not what our country is about,” Ruane said. “She’s incited other people to come today and cause trouble.”

--With assistance from Ruth David.

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Former Scottish minister booed as pro-Palestinian activists rally

Craig Paton, PA Scotland Deputy Political Editor
Sat, November 11, 2023 

Scotland’s former justice secretary was booed by pro-Palestinian activists at a rally in Glasgow after saying Israel has a right to “defend itself against terrorism”.

Keith Brown, who served in the position under Nicola Sturgeon, spoke at the event on Saturday in front of a large crowd at the city’s Buchanan Street steps.

The rally – which also saw an emotional speech from an eight-year-old Palestinian girl – coincided with others in Scotland’s cities, including in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, as well as a highly publicised march in London.

The SNP depute leader, Keith Brown, was loudly booed by attendees (Jane Barlow/PA)

The first speaker during the rally, Mr Brown said he was speaking in a personal capacity, as opposed to as the SNP’s depute leader and a former minister.

“We need to be clear, collective punishment is a war crime, and it’s wrong that the Palestinian people are currently being collectively punished for the actions of a terrorist group,” he said.

“The only way that we’re going to end the perpetual cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine is by addressing the root cause.

“That’s why we stand for a two state solution, which recognises the sovereignty, the independence, the territorial integrity and the right to self determination of both Palestine and Israel.”

Following a good initial reception from the hundreds-strong crowd, boos began to ring out after the former minister said: “As I say, Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorism.”

Despite the response, Mr Brown continued: “But that response must be proportionate.

“The actions of the Israeli government in recent weeks have been anything but.”

Eight-year-old Jeewan Wadi addressed the crowd (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Brown continued his speech against the backdrop of boos which made his remarks difficult to hear.

The crowd was also addressed by eight-year-old Jeewan Wadi, who was born in Gaza in 2014.

Through tears and being held up by her father, Jeewan recounted how, while pregnant with her, her mother was forced to hide from bombs.

“Listen everybody, I only care about the children, babies, women and men that are getting bombed in their own homes,” she said.

Ending her remarks, Jeewan led the crowd in a chant of “ceasefire now”.

The demonstration, which was planned deliberately by marchers to avoid the nearby George Square to allow veterans and the public to commemorate Armistice Day, came against a background of political tension.

Comments from the Home Secretary and Prime Minister in relation to the London march sparked the ire of activists in Scotland, with Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak invoked repeatedly by speakers at the rally.

Mrs Braverman accused the Metropolitan Police of political bias after they resisted pressure to cancel the march, while the Prime Minister urged those protesting to do so “respectfully and peacefully”.

Hundreds attended the rally (Jane Barlow/PA)

Jonathon Shafi, who was representing the Stop the War Coalition but was also the leader of the Radical Independence Campaign north of the border, called for the resignation of both, as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during his speech.

“(Suella Braverman) tried to stop us from marching, but in London today, I can report that the largest demonstration for Palestine in British political history is now taking place,” he said to one of the biggest cheers of the event.

Mr Shafi went on to call for a motion in Holyrood in support of a ceasefire.

The Scottish Greens have already submitted such a motion, while former SNP MSP Sandra White told the crowd on Saturday current member Ivan McKee would submit another one.

Reports have also suggested that the Alba Party, through newly defected MSP Ash Regan, plans to submit a motion as well.

“There must be a ceasefire motion put to Scottish MSPs to vote on, because if we do that we will isolate, we will expose the leadership of the UK, who can’t bring themselves even an ounce of compassion, of humanity for the disaster unfolding in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli state and backed by their American partners,” Mr Shafi added.

Despite a heavy police presence – with eight riot vans parked just yards from the demonstration and attendees forced to pass through lines of officers – the event was overwhelmingly peaceful.

Numerous times the crowds broke into chants of “ceasefire now”, “free Palestine” and the controversial phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Police Scotland said seven people had been arrested in Glasgow.

“In total there were seven arrests, five men and two women, made in separate incidents linked to the demonstrations, all in Glasgow city centre,” a spokesperson said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters snarl Manhattan traffic and limit Grand Central access as they call for ceasefire Friday


Aya Elamroussi and Rob Frehse, CNN
Sat, November 11, 2023 

Hundreds of pro-Palestinan protesters snarled Manhattan traffic and curtailed people’s access to Grand Central Terminal as they demonstrated in New York City on Friday night, in part demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Demonstrators, some waving Palestinian flags and holding signs with messages such as “Free Free Palestine” and “End the genocide,” gathered in Columbus Circle in the afternoon before marching to Manhattan’s east side, to the area around Times Square, and eventually to Grand Central.

The demonstrations temporarily closed access to the terminal, one of the city’s largest transportation hubs, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad said online Friday night.

Six people were arrested for disorderly conduct during mostly-peaceful demonstrations, according to a spokesperson for the New York Police Department.

The spokesperson said the NYPD did not have information about whether those arrested were served with a summons and released. The NYPD estimates about 2,000 people attended the demonstrations.

The Israel-Hamas war began last month after Hamas launched a series of attacks on Israeli communities and gatherings near Gaza on October 7 – attacks that Israel says it believes killed about 1,200 people. More than 11,000 Palestinians have died in subsequent Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, based on figures from Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protesters in New York on Thursday. - Fatih Aktas/Anadolu/Getty Images

Amin Jaludi was one of the protesters who swarmed the streets Friday – the second straight day demonstrators in Manhattan called for an end to attacks on Gaza.

“It’s important for us to stand up for equal rights for all humans, and right now, we see a double standard going on between the Palestinians and the Israelis,” Jaludi told CNN. “What happened on October 7th was terrible, but it doesn’t justify killing 10,000-plus Palestinians.”

Jaludi and his children were born in the US and have no direct ties to the Palestinian territories, he said.

“I really have no ties to Palestine other than just basic … standing up for human rights, which that is what America is all about,” he said.

Video also showed police keeping demonstrators back from The New York Times building on Friday. One night earlier, several protesters occupied the building’s lobby, and some of them were arrested Thursday night, police said.

By 10 p.m. Friday, many of the protesters had left the Grand Central Terminal area while police officers remained for security reasons.

CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian, Zenebou Sylla, Matt Friedman and Skylar Harris contributed to this report.

Protesters in Paris call for immediate ceasefire

Issued on: 11/11/2023 - 

01:11

Thousands of people, including left-wing lawmakers, marched in a pro-Palestinian rally in Paris to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Some French leftist politicians have welcomed President Emmanuel Macron's call this week for a ceasefire and opposition to Israel's bombing campaign. FRANCE 24's Antonia Kerrigan reports.