Pro-Palestine protesters clash with police as Israel steps up Gaza offensive
Police made nine arrests as around 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in London to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, as ITV News Political Correspondent Harry Horton reports
A man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill as at least 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of London to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Rallies took place across the UK on Saturday, including in Manchester and Glasgow, after Israel knocked out communications in the Gaza Strip, largely cutting off the 2.3 million population from contact with each other and the outside world.
Counter demonstrations also took place, with dozens of people with Union flags standing close to the Cenotaph on Whitehall, drawing chants of “shame on you” from pro-Palestinian marchers. Around 1,000 officers policed the event in London, which saw nine arrests.
One arrest in London was made after a police officer was assaulted and taken to hospital.
A man was detained on Whitehall after the police officer suffered a laceration to the head, while punches and kicks were thrown and officers ordered the protesters to move away.
The Metropolitan Police said on X, formerly known as Twitter, the injured officer will remain in hospital for treatment but is in "good spirits".
The Met also declared stop and search powers in parts of central London as the demonstration took place. Police also issued an appeal to identify two women in connection with an alleged hate crime incident in Trafalgar Square, while the nearby Earl Haig Memorial statue was covered in the words "God save Gaza".
Some protesters chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, despite controversy around the slogan’s meaning. Home Secretary Suella Braverman has previously branded the slogan antisemitic and claimed that it is “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel. However, pro-Palestinian protesters have contested this definition.
Also in London, a woman was knocked over by a police horse that had been startled by fireworks let off at the protest.
A number of the horses bolted at the sound of the fireworks near the Houses of Parliament.
The woman was knocked to the floor and trampled on but appeared to be fine when brought back to her feet.
Red and green flares were also let off by protesters.
As the Palestinian death toll mounts, with the Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry saying more than 7,000 people have been killed, demands for a ceasefire are growing among UK politicians.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said “calls for a ceasefire in the abstract aren’t going to help the situation”.
He added: “It is perfectly possible to support the Palestinian people but also to condemn Hamas.
The UK government’s position, backed by Labour and Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, has been to push for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid into Gaza and to allow people, including 200 trapped British nationals, to escape the territory.
Sir Keir is facing pressure to change tack after a number of senior Labour figures, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, came out in support of a ceasefire.
'We have reiterated our support for Israeli's self-defence but also an adherence to international law'
The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters: “We have consistently sought to bring about pauses to facilitate the inward passage of humanitarian aid that we are providing and the release of hostages and the evacuation of British nationals in Gaza, so that has been our position from the start.
“Of course we want to see this resolved, we want to see Israel safe, peaceful and secure.
“But, as yet, I have seen or heard nothing from Hamas that gives me any confidence that they desire or would abide by calls for a ceasefire.”
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