17 arrested at pro-Palestine demo as Met attempt to identify Hezbollah supporters
Among 17 arrested at Saturday's demo in central London, two are alleged to have supported a banned organisation, while four were allegedly racially motivated
Seventeen people were arrested on Saturday at the latest pro-Palestine demo in London – with the Met confirming they were seeking to identify the two women exposed by Jewish News for openly supporting the proscribed terror group Hezbollah.
The Met confirmed two people were arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation, one of which included a protester wearing a parachute. Eight arrests were made on suspicion of public order offences, with four of them allegedly racially aggravated.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper responded to a Jewish News report revealing open. support for Hezbollah on Saturday’s demo organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign by posting on X :”Hezbollah is a proscribed terrorist organisation. Promoting it in Britain is a criminal offence.
“Extremism has no place on Britain’s streets. The police have our support in pursuing those breaking the law today.”
Jewish News revealed two female attendees held aloft self-made pro-Hezbollah banners close to Russell Square tube station on Saturday.EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Hezbollah placards openly displayed at latest Palestine demo
One read “Hezbollah are NOT terrorists” – even though the Lebanese Shia Islamist group, who have repeatedly launched barrages of missiles into Israel has been proscribed as a terror organisation in this country since 2019.
Another banner praised the group’s late secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an airstrike in Beirut last month. It declared: “Nasrallah is NOT a terrorist!”
When Jewish News confronted the females holding the banners to ask why they were showing support for a terror organisation a women replied: “All Shia around the world are Hezbollah.”
She also denied Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation, adding: ”Israel is the terrorist.
”When faced with the charge that Hezbollah and Hamas are responsible for the murder of innocent people, she replied: “You kill innocent people.”
A Met spokesperson said officers were continuing with their attempt to identify the two women, and would likely launch an appeal to seek their names later on Sunday.
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