Palestinian supporters marched peacefully through central London on Saturday, November 11, even as right-wing counter-protesters clashed with police, after a week of angry debate over whether to permit the demonstration on a day when Britain honored its war dead.
The day unfolded amid a backdrop of tensions fueled by Home Secretary Suella Braverman who earlier this week characterized pro-Palestinian demonstrations as "hate marches" and called for Saturday's event to be blocked out of respect for Armistice Day events marking the end of World War I.
The skirmishes between police and counter-protesters carrying the Union flag of Great Britain and the red-and-white flag of England confirmed the concerns of many who feared that Braverman's comments would attract right-wing elements looking for an excuse to confront the pro-Palestinian marchers.
The march was apparently the largest in London since the start of the war, with hundreds of thousands walking through the city from Hyde Park to the US Embassy about 3 miles away. London's police arrested 82 people to prevent a breach of the peace. The force said they were part of a group of counter-protesters trying to reach the main protest march.
Fights broke out near the national war memorial, known as the Cenotaph between police and right-wing protesters chanting "England till I die." Police used batons to stop the protesters, and ceremonies at the memorial weren't interrupted. Other clashes took place in other parts of the city, including Chinatown and near the Houses of Parliament.
More than 2,000 officers, some called in from surrounding forces, were to be on the streets of the capital this weekend to ensure marchers obey the law and to prevent potential confrontations with counter-protesters, the Metropolitan Police Service said. The law enforcement operation comes after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley resisted pressure from political leaders to ban the march.
Police are also taking steps to reassure the Jewish community, which has been targeted by a surge in anti-Semitic incidents since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. "We know the cumulative impact continued protest, increasing tensions, and rising hate crimes are having across London and the fear and anxiety our Jewish communities in particular are feeling," the police said in a statement. "They have a right to feel safe in their city, knowing they can travel across London without feeling afraid of intimidation or harassment."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Braverman have also expressed concern that the protests could spill over into Sunday, when King Charles III and the prime ministers of Commonwealth nations will lay wreaths at the Cenotaph.