Eight people were arrested at a pro-Palestine march in London on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police (Met Police) announced in a Saturday X/Twitter post. The protest is the 18th to be organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) since October 7.
Thousands of protesters set off from Piccadilly Circus and headed through central London, according to British media. Six were arrested for “racially aggravated Public Order offenses in relation to signs and a gesture,” “criminal damage,” and “assault,” according to the Met Police.
According to videos posted by PSC and other social media accounts, protesters held signs with slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “Exist, resist, return.”
Thousands now at Piccadilly Circus in London getting ready to march for Palestine. pic.twitter.com/HfyYpSOfQd
— PSC (@PSCupdates) September 7, 2024
Two counter-protesters were arrested on suspicion of breach of peace and assaulting police officers, Met Police added. According to The Telegraph, the two stood outside the Park Lane Hotel with a sign saying “Hamas is terrorist.” This allegedly led to the march being halted, and the men were detained by the police following a struggle. The Daily Mail said they were subsequently verbally harassed by the pro-Palestine crowd.
Counter-protest
A separate counter-protest was held on Kensington High Street, but police officers and barricades kept it away from the pro-Palestine protesters, The Telegraph added.
The counter-protesters played music, such as Hurricane by Eden Golan, the Israeli Eurovision contestant. They also waved UK, US, and Israeli flags.
The Daily Mail said that one counter-protester held a sign that read, “We love life more than Hamas loves death.”
Another held a flag saying, “Nova – we will dance again.”
One counter-protester told the Daily Mail, “We are proud to be Jewish. Hamas are terrorists, and we are here to stand behind Israel.”
“We are calling for the October 7 hostages to be brought home. The attack on the Nova Festival was shocking, but we want to show that it has not broken us.”
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