Met arrest nearly 80 pro-Palestine activists after London demo route breach
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper among those to praise police response saying those attending synagogue should be allowed to 'worship in peace'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The Metropolitan Police have arrested 77 people – including the vice chair of the Stop The War Coalition – after pro-Palestine activists breached police orders to stay away from the BBC and central London synagogues.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised officers for their action at Saturday’s demo, posting on X:”Everyone should be able to worship in peace.”
The Community Security Trust added:”Thank you to the Met Police
for ensuring the community could attend Shabbat services peacefully today. A special thanks to all of our volunteers who played a vital role in today’s security operation.”
In advance of the latest Palestine Solidarity Campaign led demo the police warned the organisers they would carry out arrests, if protesters breached the agreement for a static march in Whitehall.
It followed concerns raised by Central Synagogue and local businesses about disruption and intimidation of those attending to go to shul, and go shopping at the now regular Palestine demos.
Those attending Saturday’s demo were blocked marching up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square by a line of police who were implementing public order laws.
But some protesters broke through to advance toward the London landmark.
Footage posted on X showed the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, now an independent MP and Andrew Murray, a former political adviser turned Morning Star journalist, among the protesters passing by officers as the crowd at Saturday’s march moved towards Trafalgar Square.
One of those arrested was the Stop the War Coalition’s Chris Nineham, the chief steward of the national Palestine marches.
Police said the demonstration amounted to the most “significant escalation in criminality” in the nearly 16 months of regular pro-Palestine marches.
A statement from the Met said a “persistent group intent on continuing to breach the conditions tried to leave Trafalgar Square by other routes but were ultimately contained by officers. More than 60 of the group were arrested.”
Commander Adam Slonecki, the Met officer who led the policing operation, said: “We have policed more than 20 national protests organised by the PSC since October 2023.
“This is the highest number of arrests we have seen, in response to the most significant escalation in criminality.
“We could not have been clearer about the conditions put in place.”
Stop the War said: “This is an outrageous assault on the Palestine movement. It is an unacceptable assault on civil liberties. Chris Nineham must be released without charge. We refuse to be intimidated.”
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