Over 80 counter-protesters arrested during pro-Palestinian march

Details

Written by northsouth

Category: Europe

Published: 11 November 2023

Hits: 747

LONDON - More than 80 counter-protesters have been arrested as hundreds of thousands of people took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London.

A total of 82 people were arrested in Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, to “prevent a breach of the peace” as the march passed through the capital.

Police said those arrested were part of a “large group” of counter-protesters who had “tried to reach the main protest march”.

Reports suggested that some people were detained and prevented from leaving the nearby White Swan pub with a heavy police presence outside, including officers on horseback.

A group of about 100 people were earlier held near Westminster Bridge under police powers to prevent a disturbance.

Two arrests were made among that group, including one for assaulting a police officer and a second for possession of a controlled substance.

Counter-protesters had earlier clashed with police near the Cenotaph, ahead of a service to mark Armistice Day.

Scuffles broke out as police attempted to stop a crowd of people carrying St George’s flags marching along Embankment towards Whitehall, where the Cenotaph is located, shortly after 10am.

The group, which had been chanting “England ’til I die” pushed through the police barrier, with some shouting “let’s have them” as officers hit out with batons.

Further clashes with police took place in Chinatown with counter-protesters chanting: “You’re not English any more” towards officers.

Police managed to disperse the crowd, splitting them into two smaller groups which were seen running in the direction of Piccadilly Circus.

One man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife and another for possession of a baton.

An Armistice Day service took place at the Cenotaph on Whitehall at 11am, which passed off peacefully with a two-minute silence being observed.

The Met Police posted on X, formerly Twitter: “While the two minutes’ silence was marked respectfully and without incident on Whitehall, officers have faced aggression from counter-protesters who are in the area in significant numbers.”

The force added: “Officers have prevented those not involved in getting on to Whitehall so it can take place without disruption, as we committed.

“They have faced unacceptable violence, including people throwing missiles and a metal barrier.

“Anyone genuinely wishing to observe the event could do so from behind barriers on the pavement which is open along one entire side of Whitehall. Officers’ efforts are on keeping the road itself clear around the Cenotaph.”

The force added that it “will use all the powers and tactics available to us to prevent” the counter-protesters from confronting the main march.

Tommy Robinson, founder and former leader of the far-right English Defence League, was seen among the crowds of counter-protesters.

Thousands of people began marching from Park Lane near Hyde Park shortly before 1pm as part of the pro-Palestinian demonstration.

The route will take them to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames.

Chants of “free Palestine” and “ceasefire now” could be heard as the protesters set off.

A Palestinian flag was wrapped around a First World War memorial near London’s Wellington Arch.

The statue commemorating those in the Machine Gun Corps was seen with the flag hanging from its waist.

Protesters were later seen climbing the statue, with one holding a megaphone and shouting: “Free, free Palestine”.

Hundreds gathered around the Wellington Arch as the pro-Palestine march filed past and there was a heavy police presence in the area.

On the eve of the mass protest, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement: “It is because of those who fought for this country and for the freedom we cherish that those who wish to protest can do so, but they must do so respectfully and peacefully.

“Remembrance weekend is sacred for us all and should be a moment of unity, of our shared British values and of solemn reflection.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman remains under pressure from all sides after accusing the police of bias when they resisted pressure to ban the pro-Palestinian march.

After her comments were widely criticised and sparked calls for Mr Sunak to sack her, Mrs Braverman on Friday expressed her “full backing” for the Metropolitan Police at a meeting with Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

On Saturday, Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf called for Mrs Braverman to resign after violence broke out ahead of the march.

He posted on X: “The far-right has been emboldened by the Home Secretary. She has spent her week fanning the flames of division. They are now attacking the Police on Armistice Day. The Home Secretary’s position is untenable. She must resign.”

And London Mayor Sadiq Khan pinned the blame of the violence on the Home Secretary’s comments.

He posted on X: “The scenes of disorder we witnessed by the far-right at the Cenotaph are a direct result of the Home Secretary’s words. The police’s job has been made much harder.

“The Met have my full support to take action against anyone found spreading hate and breaking the law.”

The officer in charge of policing London during Saturday’s protest told the PA news agency that the force has been “clear” on how it polices protests.

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, counter-protesters, 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.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said he had granted consent for transport police to make orders banning protests at three London railway stations so that people can travel “free from intimidation”.

The number of officers on duty in London will be double the usual amount, with 1,850 officers on Saturday and 1,375 on Sunday.

An exclusion zone is 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.

The Cenotaph also has a dedicated 24-hour police presence which will remain in place until the conclusion of Remembrance events on Sunday.

The Met said the march and all speeches must end by 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.

A dispersal zone will be in place covering key central London locations including Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that hundreds of counter-protest demonstrators had arrived this morning and “seemed intent on confrontation and intent on violence”.

He said: “There are a number of groups within this counter-protest who are split off and seem intent on seeking confrontation with the main Palestinian march and the policing operation at the moment is being effective in preventing that happening.”

Mr Twist said the main march involved tens of thousands of people and added: “This is the biggest march that we’ve seen in this phase and at the moment there are no issues with it.

“It’s being closely monitored by police and also we have police looking out for any troublemakers that might be intent on causing disruption or seeking a confrontation with people on that main march.”

Pro-Palestinian march organiser claims demonstrators ‘being demonised’ ahead of London protest

Details

Written by northsouth

Category: Europe

Published: 26 October 2023

Hits: 639

LONDON - Protesters attending pro-Palestine rallies are being “demonised”, according to the group organising another march through London this weekend.

Demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of central London again on Saturday after an estimated 100,000 people marched through the capital last weekend demanding an end to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.

Protesters will call for an "immediate ceasefire and an end to Israeli apartheid", as the IDF continues to bombard Gaza in a bid to wipe out Hamas.

The organisers of the march, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), have said it will start at Victoria Embankment in central London at 12pm.

Former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who spoke at last week’s rally, confirmed to Yahoo News UK that he will be addressing crowds again on Saturday.

Ben Jamal, the PSC director, said ahead of the protest that there had been a previous attempts ”to demonise those who are marching”.

Speaking to Novara Media, he said: ”Before we even began, before we called the first big march, we have the home secretary [Suella Braverman] suggesting that the police should look with suspicion, anybody raising the flag of Palestine, that it wasn’t inherently support for terrorism, but it may well be, so look with suspicion.

“There were people concerned, ‘are we going to be arrested if we’re carrying the flag of Palestine?’”

There was some criticism of the chanting of ’from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, but Jamal said this was “a legitimate slogan of liberation”.

He added: “They attempt to say no, that’s a genocidal call for the elimination of all Jewish people."

Following protests earlier this month, Suella Braverman said the slogan was "widely understood as a demand for the destruction of Israel. Attempts to pretend otherwise are disingenuous".

She added in a post on X: "The slogan was taken up by Islamists, including Hamas, and remains a staple of antisemitic discourse."

The march comes at a time of confusion between police and ministers over some demonstrators' use of the word 'jihad' during last Saturday’s march through London.

To many, it's a word associated with extremism and terrorism, but it can also mean "struggle" or "strive" and is open to interpretation, putting police officers at the scene in a difficult situation.

Braverman questioned the Metropolitan Police over its decision not to take action over the use of the word.

However, the force's chief commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, appeared to shrug this off as he said officers could only enforce the law and not “taste and decency”.

Rishi Sunak said that calls for jihad being made in the UK are not only a threat to the Jewish community but also a threat to “our democratic values”.

However, speaking to the Commons on Monday, he stopped short of saying he would toughen up laws on potentially extremist speech, instead saying the government would "clarify" guidance to "officers on the ground".

Sunak told MPs: “But we do believe at the moment the police do have the powers to arrest those who are inciting violence or racial hatred, there is no place on our streets for that type of behaviour and we will work extensively to clarify the guidance to officers on the ground so they are aware fully about the powers and tools that are available to them to make sure these people feel the force of the law.”

The controversy comes from one particular clip from a smaller protest organised by the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist group, which was running separately from the main rally organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Officers reviewed a video from the rally, where a man could be heard chanting "jihad, jihad". The Met said it was also aware of photos from the same protest showing signs and banners referring to "Muslim armies".

Jihad: A call to arms, or a misunderstood word?

The word jihad can have a number of meanings, which is why it has been so difficult for police to make an assessment.

Former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, Nazir Afzal, told The Times: “As a Muslim, I can tell you that jihad has a very peaceful meaning, namely personal struggle. However, that’s my context.

"In the context of Israel, it’s difficult to find … a non-nefarious motivation [for what was said]. That’s the difficulty that police have."

The word literally means "exerted effort", according to Maher Hathout, author of Jihad vs. Terrorism, who told National Geographic: "In the Quran, it's projected as exerting effort to change oneself, and also in certain situations physically standing against oppressors if that's the only way."

He adds: "It is quite clear that if there is any other option to resolve an issue without violence it is preferred no matter what."

It is clear that the use of the word is heavily dependent on context, but given the background of Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Germany, Bangladesh, Turkey and a number of other countries over fears of extremism, many believe the Met Police made the wrong call.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has long been accused of making antisemitic statements, but in a statement on its website, the group said this was a "lie" claimed by "those who wish to deny the Palestinians the right" to end their oppression.

It added: "We do not support the Hamas group, but support the people of Palestine."

King Charles calls for climate action in historic address to French Senate

Details

Written by northsouth

Category: Europe

Published: 21 September 2023

Hits: 647

PARIS - King Charles on Thursday used a historic speech in France to call for more action to combat climate change – describing it as “the greatest existential threat of all”.

Charles told the Paris Senate on Thursday morning: ‘We must stand together to protect against global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature.’

It came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak watered down Britain’s commitments to tackle climate change, delaying targets for the British public switching to more ecological-minded cars and domestic heating.

While there was no direct criticism of his own government, Charles called for a reform of the Entente Cordiale – the name of the traditional ‘cordial alliance’ between France and Britain – so it can become a green “Entente of Sustainability”.

The King’s speech was the first by a British monarch inside the debating chamber of the Senate – the Upper House of the French Parliament.

The highlight of His Majesty’s ongoing State Visit to France with Queen Camilla came exactly 231 years since the founding of the French republic – an anniversary that is traditionally devoted to revolutionary triumphalism.

But, speaking in French and English inside the Luxembourg Palace on Thursday morning, Charles was determined to impress a combined audience of Senators, and MPs from the nearby National Assembly.

“I am very touched by your presence here today because the longevity of your democracy is embodied by this august chamber, and it is reflected in the enduring friendship between our people,’ said Charles.

“Our partnership is formed through shared experience. Quite simply, the United Kingdom will always be one of France’ s closet allies and best friends.”

Dressed in a lounge suit with tie, the King was roundly clapped during a lengthy standing ovation in the Chamber, when he entered at 11am.

Elizabeth II, King Charles’s mother, made a speech in a conference room inside the Senate in 2004, but did not actually appear inside the hemicycle debating chamber.

Referring to President Emmanuel Macron’s glowing tribute to her after she died last September, Charles said: ‘President Macron described my mother as “the golden thread that binds our nations.

“We were moved beyond measure by the tributes that were paid to her across France…She embodied the dignity of our democracies. I can hardly describe how much these words meant to me and my entire country.

“In the rich and complex tapestry of the relationship between France and Britain, my mother’s golden thread will always shine brightly.

“Let it inspire us all to continue the relationship between the two countries with determination, hope and love.”

An etiquette note had been prepared for all French parliamentarians attending the speech, saying they were not obliged to bow or curtsy.

The founding of the First French Republic in 1792 also saw France abolish its monarchy.

This was the year before the country beheaded its last legitimate King, Louis XVI, along with Queen Marie-Antoinette, at the height of the French Revolution.

Following the historic speech the King and Queen have continued to carry out engagements on the second day of their state visit to France.

Queen Camilla and President Macron's wife, Brigitte, tried their hand at table tennis at a sports centre outside Paris.

Charles received a football shirt from French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain, bearing his name and the number three, in a nod to his title King Charles III.

Club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi presented the shirt to the king, as he continued his visit in Saint-Denis.

Camilla also tried her hand at weaving at French luxury house Chanel's 19M workshop, with Brigitte Macron and Chanel CEO Leena Nair watching.

The King and Queen also visited the central Paris Flower Market, named after her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The couple also visited Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to view restoration works following a massive blaze in 2019 that destroyed its roof.