Outbreaks of disorder marred Armistice Day as hundreds of football fans and members of the far right gathered by the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
A number of them explicitly stated that they had come because of the home secretary Suella Braverman’s comments over pro-Palestinian “hate marches” and that police treated them unfavourably compared with “politically correct minority groups”.
The former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was among a number of far-right figures present.
In the buildup to the two-minute silence elements of the crowd broke down metal gates to get closer to the Cenotaph.
Later, dozens of those present could be seen – some holding Israeli flags – attempting to reach the pro-Palestine march with the Met’s Territorial Support Group intercepting them.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has joined the Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, and blamed Suella Braverman for protesters’ clashes with police.
He tweeted:
The scenes of disorder we witnessed by the far-right at the Cenotaph are a direct result of the home secretary’s words. The police’s job has been made much harder.
The Met have my full support to take action against anyone found spreading hate and breaking the law.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has called for calm, with a thinly veiled swipe at Braverman for inflaming tensions ahead of protests on Armistice Day.
She tweeted:
Some disgraceful scenes this morning. We urge everyone to respect the police & each other & exercise calm.
Everyone must reflect on the impact of their words & actions. It is the responsibility of all of us to bring people together over this weekend not divide and inflame.”
Many of the marchers are holding ‘Free Palestine’ signs.
Thousands of people have started marching from Park Lane, near Hyde Park in London, as part of the pro-Palestinian demonstration.
The route will take them to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames.
Chants of “free Palestine” and “ceasefire now” could be heard as the protesters set off.
The Met Office has posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing the “violence and abuse” police have suffered today at the hands of counterprotesters, who threw bottles and other missiles.
Officers have detained a “large group” of counterprotesters near Westminster Bridge, the Met said.
The force added: “It is believed they are part of the group involved in the disorder earlier.”
People have been taking part in a “die-in” ahead of a Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstration in Glasgow.
Counter-protesters have clashed with police near Westminster underground station, according to a report from the PA news agency.
Reporters from the agency saw the group running from the statue of Winston Churchill on Parliament Square towards police vans that were blocking the route towards Westminster Bridge.
They reportedly chanted “England till I die” and “we want out country back” before clashing with officers, many of whom had to deploy riot helmets.
About 20 officers were seen trying to control the situation.
The Guardian was not at the scene and so has not independently verified this reporting.
An image showing police at a demonstration in 2020 was mistakenly added to this post. It has since been removed.
The Met has said the march and all speeches must end at 5pm, and a section 60 and 60AA power will be in place covering Westminster and parts of Wandsworth and Lambeth between 10am on Saturday and 1am on Sunday.
This provides officers with additional powers to search anyone in the area for weapons, and requires people in the area to remove face coverings that are believed to be concealing their identity.
A woman carrying a sign saying “Netanyahu: Hitler would be proud” and comparing the Israel-Gaza conflict to the Holocaust has been spotted by PA reporters at the march.
The agency says the woman, who did not give her name, was holding the placard in Hyde Park. The other side of the sign reportedly said:
In Auschwitz there is a plaque that says ‘those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it’ – George Santayana. Israel it’s clearly showing
The woman, who said she had visited Auschwitz, defended the comparison between the Nazi leader and Israel’s prime minister, telling the PA news agency: “At the end of the day we have put it in a way to compare both leaders. I think it’s a pretty fair comparison.
“At the end of the day let’s keep it to the facts. Hitler, what he did was outcasted people, he killed them …
“Netanyahu’s doing the same thing, even if you listen to the things he said so outright like trying to flatten Palestine.”
Outbreaks of disorder marred Armistice Day as hundreds of football fans and members of the far right gathered by the Cenotaph on Whitehall.
A number of them explicitly stated that they had come because of the home secretary Suella Braverman’s comments over pro-Palestinian “hate marches” and that police treated them unfavourably compared with “politically correct minority groups”.
The former leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson was among a number of far-right figures present.
In the buildup to the two-minute silence elements of the crowd broke down metal gates to get closer to the Cenotaph.
Later, dozens of those present could be seen – some holding Israeli flags – attempting to reach the pro-Palestine march with the Met’s Territorial Support Group intercepting them.
In an update on X, the Met said: “A group of counter protesters who left Whitehall and moved into Chinatown confronted and threw missiles at officers who tried to engage with them.
“Additional officers have been deployed to the area to identify, locate and deal with those involved. Our priority is keeping the public safe. We will not tolerate disorder in central London today.”
The Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, has been commenting on the scuffles that have broken out between counterprotesters and police. He wrote on social media that Suella Braverman had “emboldened” far-right protesters to attack police officers:
The far-right has been emboldened by the home secretary. She has spent her week fanning the flames of division. They are now attacking the police on Armistice Day. The home secretary’s position is untenable. She must resign.
Counterprotesters have clashed with police in Chinatown, according to PA Media.
The agency reports:
Violent clashes broke out, with protesters chanting: “You’re not English any more” towards officers.
Police managed to disperse the crowd, splitting them into two smaller groups. The protesters were last seen running through Chinatown in the direction of Piccadilly Circus.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS93b3JsZC9saXZlLzIwMjMvbm92LzExL3Byby1wYWxlc3RpbmUtbWFyY2gtbG9uZG9uLWlzcmFlbC1oYW1hcy13YXItZ2F6YS1hcm1pc3RpY2UtZGF50gEA?oc=5
2023-11-11 13:15:22Z
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