Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday, moving from the Embankment to Whitehall in one of the largest rallies the capital has seen in recent months. Organizers estimated attendance at around 250,000, days before the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
The Metropolitan Police used Public Order Act powers requiring demonstrators to remove face coverings and made 20 arrests. Six arrests were for climbing the Battle of Britain memorial, and two involved placards expressing support for the proscribed group Palestine Action, according to police.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed the rally at Whitehall. A small counter-protest by the group Stop The Hate gathered outside New Scotland Yard, but the two demonstrations remained largely separate.
The march is expected to intensify debate over protest policing in the capital as the anniversary approaches and commemorations for the October 7 victims are planned.
