The Met Police has vowed to take ‘swift and decisive action’ as pro-Palestine protesters are set to return to London this Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
Expected among the thousands of protestors is outspoken Palestinian activist and Crown star Khalid Abdalla who is predicted to give a speech.
The actor, 42, who plays Princess Diana’s late boyfriend Dodi Fayed in the Netflix show, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.
The announcement of yet another protest comes after earlier this month the Met revealed the repeated pro-Palestine demonstrations have cost the force £32.2 million so far due to the 35,464 officer shifts required.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said ‘swift and decisive action’ will follow any criminal activity at the march on Saturday which is planned to start in Russell Square around midday and ends at Trafalgar Square.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said ‘swift and decisive action’ will follow any criminal activity at the march on Saturday which is planned to start in Russell Square around midday and ends at Trafalgar Square. Pictured: A pro-Palestine protest on February 3
Expected among the thousands of protestors is outspoken Palestinian activist and Crown star Khalid Abdalla who is predicted to give a speech. Pictured at the The Crown finale celebration at The Royal Festival Hall on December 5
The actor, 42, who plays Princess Diana’s late boyfriend Dodi Fayed in the Netflix show, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire as the Israel-Hamas war rages on
His statement comes after the Met has been undergoing heavy criticism for its ‘light touch’ policing of the dozens of pro-Palestine marches that have taken place since the Hamas terror attacks on October 7.
Outspoken Conservative MP Lee Anderson defected to Reform UK earlier this month over a row following his claim that Islamists had ‘control’ of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The previous Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the demonstrations as ‘hate marches’ after there were multiple instances of anti-Semitic banners and slogans.
She was sacked after she accused the Met of bias for letting a pro-Palestinian rally go ahead on Armistice Day.
Now the Met has published an extensive policing plan which it will put into place across London over the Easter bank holiday weekend to ensure religious, sporting and protest events can take place safely, whilst causing minimal disruption to local communities.
On Good Friday, officers were present at the Rolling Thunder military veterans’ motorcyclist protest which went past Whitehall.
The group of HM Forces Veterans and civilian supporters, predominantly bikers, advocate against the prosecution of veterans in Northern Ireland.
Pro-Palestine protests have cost the Met Police £32.2 million so far as thousands more marchers are set to take to London streets this weekend. Pictured: Police officers during a Pro-Palestinian demonstration on January 6, 2024
Supporters of the Rolling Thunder group take part in a minute silence during a protest over the prosecution of Northern Ireland veterans, in Parliament Square on March 29, 2024
Retrospective cases against these veterans now worry many, prompting Rolling Thunder’s support through marches and rides, aiming to highlight the injustice of soldiers facing interrogation and court appearances without a jury
One sign seen at the rally accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the ‘mastermind’ behind ‘all evils’
During a protest two men were pictured wearing alleged Hamas-style headbands on their balaclava and scarf-covered faces
Other events over the weekend include the historic Oxford versus Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames on Saturday, in addition to three Premier League games and the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign’s (PSC) ‘Stop the Genocide’ rally.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine, who is overseeing policing across London for the Easter weekend said: ‘We expect this weekend in London to be extremely busy, with families and communities celebrating Easter and other religious festivals, as well as a mix of major sporting events and various protests taking place in the capital.
‘We also know that many people – particularly those from Jewish and Muslim communities – remain concerned about hate crime and are worried about their safety and we recognise the cumulative impact of frequent protests.’
Pro-Palestine protesters have been taking to the streets of the capital, and other large cities across the UK, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza since the October 7 attacks last year, where thousands of people have now been killed in the conflict.
During their rallies protesters have brandished banners and chanted ‘from the river to the sea’ – a song deemed anti-Semitic and a direct call for the state of Israel to be destroyed.
The Met’s Easter plan comes after Britain’s counter-terrorism tsar warned that London is becoming a ‘no-go zone for Jews’ during weekend pro-Palestinian marches.
Protesters take part in a sit in at Victoria station in November holding a sign with the controversial slogan: ‘From the river to the sea’
The Socialist Worker’s Party contingent joined a march on October 14
Suella Braverman was sacked after she accused the Met of bias for letting a pro-Palestinian rally go ahead on Armistice Day
Robin Simcox (pictured) slammed the Government for letting extremists go ‘unchallenged for too long’, allowing extremist groups to fester
Robin Simcox, the Home Office’s independent advisor on extremism also accused the Government of letting extremists go ‘unchallenged for too long’.
Writing in the Telegraph earlier this month, Mr Simcox said Britain has a ‘permissive environment for radicalisation developing that needs urgently addressing’.
He added that the Government needed to take a ‘leading role’ in tackling all types of extremism.
The counter-extremism tsar said Downing Street now had a chance to take charge of the situation while championing ‘respect for the rule of law, civility, and decency’ – which he said had been in ‘short supply’ since October 7.
It is believed that Mr Simcox hopes there will be tougher restrictions on protests that could include forcing marches to be static demonstrations instead.
Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mr Valentine added: ‘We have maintained a good dialogue with event holders, including protest organisers who are aware of our expectations in terms of how individuals and groups conduct themselves and how their stewards can help us.
‘We continue to provide them with information about what kind of activity would constitute a criminal offence and have made it clear that we will take swift and decisive action where crimes occur.
‘Local officers continue to meet with community representatives and we will have presence at places of worship right across London through the weekend and beyond.
‘While we have an extensive plan in place to police the various major events, we also have plenty of officers who will be on duty to provide a local policing presence across all of our boroughs.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made an address at Downing Street on March 1 about the rising levels of extremism in Britain
The words ‘From the river to the sea’ were beamed on to the Elizabeth Tower during a Commons debate in February in which MPs warned threats from ‘Islamist extremists’ were stifling democracy
One placard on display during a protest showed a snake in the colours of the Israeli flag, encircling the world, which allegedly is a direct link to Nazi Germany
Concerns over police resources were also raised by Home Secretary James Cleverly when he told pro-Palestine protesters to stop their Gaza rallies claiming they have ‘made their point’ and are putting a ‘huge pressure’ on the force
‘This is possible, in part, because we are once again being supported by colleagues from other forces across the UK and I’d like to thank all of the officers and staff who will be working this weekend to keep London safe.’
The Met added it will continue to police without ‘fear or favour, remain independent, impartial and uphold the law’ so people can exercise their democratic right to protest.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has previously called for the Met Police to take tougher action against protesters.
Sunak promised to deal with the ‘root causes’ of the problem and ensure that ‘no extremist organisations or individuals are being lent legitimacy by their actions and interactions with central government’.
Concerns over police resources were also raised by Home Secretary James Cleverly when he told pro-Palestine protesters to stop their Gaza rallies claiming they have ‘made their point’ and are putting a ‘huge pressure’ on the force.
He said: ‘I think the organisers should recognise that they’ve made their point, they’ve made it loudly and they’re not adding to it by repeating themselves.’
A home affairs committee said the Government should consider legal changes so demonstration organisers are required to give police more than the current six days’ notice. It also calls on ministers to urgently set out a response to hate crime, amid soaring levels.