Chants of “intifada revolution” rang out and a smoke bomb was set off at a large pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday.

The latest pro-Palestinian march in the capital had been expected to attract unusually large numbers, with the date marking the 76th anniversary of the “Nakba” – the word, meaning “catastrophe”, used by Palestinians to describe Israel’s settlement on their land.

A static counter-demonstration in Piccadilly, organised by the Enough is Enough group, was due to meet the main march, which started near the BBC’s central London headquarters.

Pro-Palestinian protesters carried placards including one depicting Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer with blue horns and Israeli flags across their mouths. One held a sign saying “Anti-Semitism is a label to silence the truth and justify evil.”

The term “intifada” has been interpreted by some as a call for violence, but others defend it as a call for solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The march went ahead despite months of complaints from the Jewish community and some MPs that Jewish people do not feel safe in central London while the protests are taking place.

This week, the Metropolitan Police said it only had the power to ban demonstrations where there was a risk of serious disorder. The force is having to police the protest on the same weekend as four Premier League football fixtures in the capital, two Wembley play-off finals and a demonstration at the Eritrean Embassy.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which organised the protest, said the march commemorated “ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians, three-quarters of Palestinian population, from their homeland in 1947/8, and the subsequent denial of their right to return”.

Chief Superintendent Colin Wingrove, who is leading this weekend’s policing operation, said: “All Londoners have a right to have their voices heard, just as they also have a right to go about their lives without fear or being subject to serious disruption.

“Ahead of the weekend, we have been in regular discussions with the PSC as well as religious leaders, community groups and businesses. 

“The conditions placed on the location and route of the PSC event take into account the impact these marches are having in London, the right to protest, and seeks to minimise the disruption they cause.”