Given that Armistice Day falls on a Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said it is dealing with a difficult scenario in London due to a sizable pro-Palestinian rally. It is anticipated that hundreds of thousands of demonstrators will join the march in support of a cease-fire in Gaza. Authorities have established an exclusion zone surrounding the Cenotaph due to the possibility of conflicts with far-right organizations.
The pro-Palestinian march's timing has been deemed insulting by the prime minister. In addition, Rishi Sunak asked everyone who participated to do so quietly and considerately toward those who were attending events honoring the conclusion of World War One.
It is due to individuals who fought for this us of and for the liberty we cherish that those Who want to protest can achieve this, however they have to achieve this respectfully and peacefully
Delivered Mr. Sunak.
Remembrance weekend is sacred for us all and has to be a second of unity, of our shared British values, and of solemn reflection
A two-minute silence was observed at the Cenotaph war memorial before a ceremony, and the Met said that officers encountered some
Aggression from counter-protesters who are in the area in significant numbers
The police said that the two minutes of quiet were kept "respectfully" there. According to the Met, officers are currently following "different groups" as they leave Whitehall and head into other areas of central London. Before Remembrance Sunday's main ceremony, the King and Queen will later attend the Festival Of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall with different participants of the Royal Family.
👉 The Battle of Haifa: Fought in Modern Israel
The Metropolitan Police is deploying up to 2,000 police around central London for what it anticipates to be the biggest pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday since weekly marches started in early October. Police have issued a warning that the use of force is "likely" in light of far-right organizations' counter-marches.
The march's organizer, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has always emphasized that their route does not pass the Cenotaph and has turned down requests for a postponement from the Met and political figures. Around midday, protesters assembled at Hyde Park; the demonstration was scheduled to proceed from there to the US embassy in Vauxhall before coming to a conclusion at 16:00 GMT.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the officer in charge of policing the protest on Saturday, stated that the role of the Met is to police "without fear or favor," balancing the rights of all. He continued, saying that although it would be a
Very difficult weekend,
the officers' main goal was
to ensure that people are kept safe
The US and Israeli embassies, Whitehall and Parliament, an exclusion zone surrounded by metal barriers, and a 24-hour police presence at the Cenotaph are among the additional security measures that the Met has outlined. To discourage unplanned gatherings, a dispersion zone encompasses north Westminster, part of Soho, and Trafalgar Square.
Protests at the train stations at Waterloo, Charing Cross, and Victoria have also been outlawed by the police. Additionally, there are preparations to stop a "convoy of cars" that is anticipated to arrive from elsewhere in the UK and prevent pro-Palestinian demonstrators from reaching Jewish areas.
Remembrance Sunday is not expected to see any significant protests, but 1,375 police officers will still be in the city as part of ongoing policing activities. Earlier this week, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley stated that he had not reached the legal threshold necessary to request permission from the Home Office to prohibit the march. He also emphasized that no static demonstration can be prohibited by UK law.
Since the confrontation between Hamas and Israel broke out on October 7, the Met reported that it had made 188 arrests for hate crimes. Suspected antisemitic offenses were the reason for most of the arrests. This week has been overshadowed by a political spat over Home Secretary Suella Braverman's remarks against the Met that she made in the Times newspaper.
She accused the police of utilizing "double standards" by claiming that although militant right-wing Demonstrators were
rightly met with a stern response," "pro-Palestinian mobs" were "in large part ignored
Later, it was revealed that she had disregarded a request from Downing Street to soften the piece, which included a parallel between marches in Northern Ireland and pro-Palestinian protests, according to the Times. Critics of Mrs. Braverman claim that by disagreeing with her statements with No. 10, she has compromised law enforcement and maybe violated the ministerial code.
A close source of the home secretary said that she met with the commissioner of the Met on Friday, during which she
expressed confidence that any criminality will be dealt with robustly
and
emphasized her full backing for the police in what will be a complex and challenging situation
A home secretary's "public attempt to tamper with the operational independence of policing" is "unacceptable," according to Steve Hartson, national chair of the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers. According to Downing Street, the prime minister was "still looking into what happened with [Mrs. Braverman's] op-ed" and maintained confidence in the home secretary. Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer stated that despite the carnage in Israel and Gaza, Armistice Day should act as a reminder "that peace is possible".
👉 Israel-Palestine Conflict History
Also, Read our below Category 👇👇👇:
Join us for Regular Update:
👉 Whatsapp Group 👉 Whatsapp Channel
👉 Telegram 👉 Linkedin
👉 Telegram
Post a Comment