Hundreds of thousands expected at pro-Palestine march in London
Donna Ferguson
Good morning. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join a pro-Palestine march in London later today, as the political row over Suella Braverman’s public criticism of the policing of protests rumbles on.
Up to 1,850 police officers will be on duty for a “significant” operation across remembrance weekend, the Metropolitan police said on Friday, with 1,000 officers called up from outside the capital.
People will start to assemble at about midday at Park Lane, before beginning to march at 12.45pm.
A spokesperson for one of the organisers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “We invite all people of conscience to join us in peacefully marching,” adding that the group was working with police to ensure public safety.
“More than 500,000 people are expected to converge in London, making it one of the largest political marches in British history,” they said.
The Met police commissioner, Mark Rowley, has vowed “at all costs” to stop any disruption linked to the march, which will be held on Armistice Day.
We’ll bring you updates on the march throughout the day.
To follow the latest developments from Gaza, you can follow our other live blog.
Key events
While the march has been permitted to take place, there are a number of rules in place for people attending. The PA Media news agency reports that those rules are as follows:
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An exclusion zone will be put in place using metal barriers covering Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, to prevent those on the march from entering the locations.
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The Cenotaph will have a 24-hour police presence which will remain in place until the conclusion of Remembrance events on Sunday
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The Met 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.
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A dispersal zone will be in place covering key central London locations, including Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
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Protests planned at a number of London train stations have been banned, with orders in place prohibiting trespassory assembly at Waterloo, Victoria and Charing Cross between 10am and 11pm on Saturday.
The home secretary, Suella Braverman, remains under political pressure from all sides after accusing the police of bias when they resisted pressure to ban today’s march.
After her comments were widely criticised and sparked calls for the PM to sack her, Braverman on Friday expressed her “full backing” for the Met at a meeting with the commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley.
The officer in charge of policing London during Saturday’s protest told the PA Media news agency that the force has been “clear” on how it polices protests.
The deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said:
Our job is to ensure that we police without fear or favour, that we balance the rights of everybody, be that protesters, counterprotesters, or people living or coming into London.
And our job this weekend is to ensure that people are kept safe, and that is what my focus is on.
You can read more on the growing pressure on the home secretary here:
Counterprotest groups expected to make the trip to London
Daniel Boffey
Large groups are preparing to travel to London to “confront” a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day that organisers predict will be one of the biggest demonstrations ever seen in Britain, the Metropolitan police has said.
As many as half a million people who want a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas could take to the streets on Saturday, the coalition of organisers of the march have claimed, prompting a mobilisation of 1,850 police officers.
Laurence Taylor, the Met’s deputy assistant commissioner, warned that the Met had also received intelligence that “large numbers of counterprotesters will be coming to London with a view to confronting those taking place in the main march”.
“I do believe if the groups come together, there will be serious disorder,” he said. “We know that there is likely to be some groups from both sides … who will likely seek each other out later on in the day.”
Read more here:
What is the route for the march?
People will start to assemble at about midday at Park Lane, before beginning to march at 12.45pm. The march ends south of the river, by the US embassy.
Protesters who diverge from the agreed route from Hyde Park face a fine of up to £2,500, and exclusion zones have been set up across the capital.
No-go areas include the Cenotaph, which will have a 24-hour police presence, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance – anyone associated with the pro-Palestinian movement could be arrested if they try to assemble in these places.
Hundreds of thousands expected at pro-Palestine march in London
Donna Ferguson
Good morning. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join a pro-Palestine march in London later today, as the political row over Suella Braverman’s public criticism of the policing of protests rumbles on.
Up to 1,850 police officers will be on duty for a “significant” operation across remembrance weekend, the Metropolitan police said on Friday, with 1,000 officers called up from outside the capital.
People will start to assemble at about midday at Park Lane, before beginning to march at 12.45pm.
A spokesperson for one of the organisers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “We invite all people of conscience to join us in peacefully marching,” adding that the group was working with police to ensure public safety.
“More than 500,000 people are expected to converge in London, making it one of the largest political marches in British history,” they said.
The Met police commissioner, Mark Rowley, has vowed “at all costs” to stop any disruption linked to the march, which will be held on Armistice Day.
We’ll bring you updates on the march throughout the day.
To follow the latest developments from Gaza, you can follow our other live blog.
