At least 1,500 police officers to cover London protests over Israel-Hamas war | London #police #officers #cover #London #protests #IsraelHamas #war #London

More than 1,500 officers will be on duty this weekend in London as police prepare for further protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Metropolitan police said 500 officers from outside London will be on duty.

Officers will be distributing leaflets warning demonstrators against the use of racist abuse and promoting terrorism, which state that “while the majority of people are complying with these rules, a minority have crossed the line”.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign will hold a march from Park Lane to Whitehall on Saturday.

The Met said under section 12 of the Public Order Act, the procession must not start until 12.30pm and participants must not assemble at Park Lane before this time.

Any person participating must not deviate from the designated route.

The PSC-organised assembly must end no later than 5pm and any participant must not enter the area around the Israeli embassy, the force added.

On Saturday afternoon, there will also be a static protest at the Egyptian embassy in South Street organised by the Hizb ut-Tahrir group, from 1pm to 3.30pm.

Participants have been told to remain in a designated area throughout the protest.

On Sunday, there will be a march against antisemitism, organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, beginning at 1.30pm outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand.

Met deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation this weekend, said: “We know a lot more about the cumulative impact of these protests than we did seven weeks ago and that is reflected in our approach.

“The Met supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully. However, the law also protects people from racist and religious abuse and prohibits the promotion of terrorism.

“While the majority of protesters have complied with these rules, a minority have crossed the line.

“We’ve been working positively with organisers, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), to ensure everyone taking part in protests clearly understands our expectations.

“We are very pleased that the PSC have brought in extra stewards and that they’ve agreed to be clear in their communications about how supporters must behave.”

The Met added it will deploy trained spotters looking out for criminal activity including placards and clothing with incendiary wording and identifying those responsible.

There have been demonstrations around the UK every weekend since war broke out between Israel and Hamas after Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October.

#police #officers #cover #London #protests #IsraelHamas #war #London

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *