Four people have been arrested at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on suspicion of terrorism offences, police have confirmed.
Officers arrested a 34-year-old man, a 58-year-old woman and another woman, 36, at about 4pm on Saturday before they were taken into custody at a west London police station.
Officers later arrested a 49-year-old from south London on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation at approximately 3pm on Sunday.
All four people have been bailed to return to a west London police station in late March.
Officers arrested a 34-year-old man, a 58-year-old woman and another woman, 36, at about 4pm on Saturday before they were taken into custody at a west London police station
A pro-Palestine protester holding a placard advocating for boycotts of a range of products during the march on Saturday, January 13
Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters waved flags and carried placards, including a ‘Stop Bombing Yemen’ sign
Police carried out searches of four addresses in south-east Kent, South Yorkshire, west London and south London.
Thousands of people are believed to have taken part in Saturday’s rally, which left Bank Junction in the centre of London at midday before heading via Fleet Street and Victoria Embankment and onto Parliament Square.
The Met reportedly deployed 1,700 police officers for the event – the first major Pro-Palestine march in the city this year.
Met Counter Terrorism Command detectives worked with policing colleagues to detect and deal with suspected terrorism offences over the weekend.
This new investigation is one of around 30 launched by the Met Counter Terrorism Command into suspected criminality at protests – the majority of which relate to potential terrorism offences.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met Counter Terrorism Command, said: ‘The vast majority of people attending protests are doing so peacefully. There are consequences for those who are not and where officers see people supporting proscribed organisations we will take action, as we did this weekend.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.