Over 300,000 people marched in support of Palestine through the heart of London on Saturday, November 11. Over 120 individuals were arrested by the police as they attempted to prevent far-right counter-protesters from ambushing the main assembly.
Police clashed with far-right protesters trying to stop the march on Armistice Day - the equivalent of Veterans Day in the United States and when Britain honors its war dead.
London's Pro-Palestinian March
On Saturday, London saw a big pro-Palestinian demonstration with an estimated attendance of 300,000. Police also detained dozens of counter-protesters who tried to confront those taking part.
London police were out in force at Hyde Park Corner as protestors shouted "Free, free Palestine" and "Ceasefire now." One of the slogans they were shouting was, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!"
A spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police told CNN that 300,000 people showed up for the march in honor of Armistice Day.
In order to maintain the peace, police reported arresting 82 counter-protesters. They said these people, who had arrived in large numbers as the event was underway, had been aggressive toward them.
Violence at Cenotaph
According to Reuters, the violence at the Cenotaph war monument was strongly criticized by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He lashed out at Hamas "sympathizers," who he said were present at the larger event and who allegedly sang antisemitic chants and brandished pro-Hamas signs and clothing on the protest.
Interior Minister Suella Braverman had previously referred to marches in favor of the Palestinians as "hate marches" staged by mobs, so tensions were already high before Saturday.
Ministerial demands to stop the event were denied by London's Metropolitan Police, who said they saw no signs of significant violence. This decision strained ties with the government.
In a statement released late Saturday, police claimed they had detained 126 persons, the vast majority of whom were right-wing protestors. The protesters were in the hundreds, and police stated the gathering included football hooligans.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told Reuters that the violence from the right-wing protesters towards the police was deeply concerning. Reportedly, a knife and knuckleduster were discovered during searches.
Twist added that neighborhood emotions had been ratcheted up by the heated discussion of protest and police tactics before the march.
There was no physical violence during the much bigger pro-Palestinian event, but according to the senior officer, small groups had split off from the main march, and some 150 individuals wearing face coverings had launched fireworks. These hit police officers in the face, resulting in arrests.
Additionally, he said that there were active investigations into a handful of hate crimes and assistance for banned organization offenses.
Sunak demanded that the authorities adopt a firm stance. Throughout the day, police in riot gear used batons to attempt to restrain demonstrators who hurled bottles during clashes with right-wing protestors.
