Pro-Palestine London protests turn violent, protesters clash with police

Protesters at a demonstration against Israel’s war in Gaza clashed with police in London as Metropolitan Police officers attempted to break up the march while hundreds of people gathered at St James’s Park.

Scuffles broke out as officers advanced towards the protest leader who was giving a speech. Police also prevented demonstrators crossing Westminster Bridge.

Some protesters were heard chanting “shame on you” and “who do you serve, who do you protect?” while others were seen waving Palestinian flags and holding placards condemning Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Free Palestine Coalition (FPC) made up of “grassroots organisations in London, including Sisters Uncut, Black Lives Matter UK, London for a Free Palestine, and the Palestinian Youth Movement” called for the protest and said that they will be “blockading a well-known location in London”.

“The FPC has chosen this date, in advance of Parliament returning, to send a strong signal to the UK Government that Palestine is a political priority and that there can be no business as usual,” it said after which the police said that a large number of officers will be in central London “to minimise disruption and deal with any offences”.

“Various protest groups, including Sisters Uncut and Black Lives Matter, are planning to hold a protest in central London today. Officers have attempted to speak with the organisers, however they have not shared any information with us about their proposed route. This has an impact on how we plan our policing response and means more officers have to be deployed to central London to ensure we can respond quickly,” the police said.