Pro-Palestine march: Police braced as hundreds of thousands of protesters to descend on London
Far-right groups have gathered outside Whitehall as the two minutes’ silence is held at 11am at the Cenotaph today. It comes as police are braced for hundreds of thousands[1] of protesters to descend on London today at a pro-Palestine demonstration, as a senior Scotland Yard chief said officers will likely have to use force in the protest. The latest pro-Palestine[2] march[3] in the capital is calling for an immediate ceasefire[4] in the deadly Israel-Gaza conflict[5] that erupted last month.
The Metropolitan Police has said exclusion zones will be imposed on Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, banning those on the pro-Palestine[6] march from these locations. “I hope we don’t, but I think it’s likely you will see police having to use force to manage some of the situations that we have to deal with. And at times that might look messy,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor.
Police will also have additional powers to search people for weapons amid fears right-wing groups could clash with pro-Palestine protesters. Counter-protesters will be allowed near the Cenotaph, police say.
Key Points
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Far-right protesters gather at Whitehall
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Pro-Palestine march route: Saturday’s Armistice Day protest in London mapped
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Police say they will likely need to use force which ‘might look messy’
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Scotland Yard announces ring of steel and 24-hour protection for the Cenotaph
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Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest amid march row
No disruption during two minutes’ silence
11:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Zander Butler reports live from the Cenotaph:
One man, standing with a beer can, starts talking before the silence. A different man shouts at him to show some respect. There is no disruption during the two minutes’ silence.
Afterwards, jeers are heard from people standing with St George flags.
(AFP via Getty Images)
Footage shows far-right protesters barging past police near Cenotaph
10:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Story continues A video posted on social media shows far-right protesters barging past police near Whitehall and the Cenotaph.
In pictures:
10:56 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Police officers monitor the crowds lining up to view the two minute’s silence near to the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London.
Live: View of Cenotaph in London as Remembrance Day silence held amid protests
10:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Far-right protesters gather at Whitehall
10:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Video footage on social media shows far-right groups gathering outside Whitehall just before the two-minute silence is to be held at 11am. This is the British far right. Police have lost control.
We feared this would happen. Fifteen minutes to 11am on Armistice Day. Absolute disgrace pic.twitter.com/DiJpN7N2Mj[8]
— Nick Lowles (@lowles_nick) November 11, 2023[9]
Up to ‘1,500 counter protestors’ including Tommy Robinson gather ahead of pro-Palestine march
10:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Up to 2,000 counter protesters have gathered ahead of today’s pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day, onlookers have estimated. It comes after English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson issued a rallying cry to his supporters to protect the Cenotaph.
Men began gathering at 10am at London’s Embankment, according to anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, before heading towards Whitehall. Footage shared on X showed Mr Robinson among crowds of men walking into central London this morning. Nick Lowles of Hope Not Hate said the police were putting Mr Robinson and his supporters behind fencing on Whitehall, opposite Horse Guards Parade.
Video shows Tommy Robinson and crowd heading to the Cenotaph
10:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Protest organisers “don’t want any flash points” with far right groups
10:22 , Amy-Clare Martin
Pro-Palestine protest organisers have said they trust the police to keep them safe with hundreds of far-right counter protesters expected to descend on London to “defend” the Cenotaph. Organisers believe up to half a million people will turn out for “one the biggest marches in British history” calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, with a major policing operation in place to keep the rally away from Whitehall and the Cenotaph. Meanwhile far right groups, including English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson issued a rallying cry for his supporters to stage counter demonstrations.
A spokesman for Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: “We have done a lot of planning with the police and we trust in their professionalism, capabilities and intelligence. “We want all of our people to stick to our plan. We are going to stay on our route.
“We don’t have any particular fears that we are going to be in confrontation because we think the police will do a good job of keeping the two bodies of people apart. We don’t want any flash points. “We believe the police have good plans in place to protect what we are doing and also to police the far right.”
10:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Watch: Inside Al-Shifa hospital as Israel continues to strike Gaza
10:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Labour: ‘Remembrance events must be protected’
10:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Labour has called for Remembrance events in London to be protected but stressed that those who died in wars “gave their lives to protect British values”.
“And one of those British values is the right to protest,” shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard said. Mr Pollard told Sky News: “It’s going to be an exceedingly difficult day for policing in London, though, and we know that emotions are going to be high. “That’s why it’s important that we back the police today, we lend them our full support, to keep people safe, to challenge hate wherever they may see it, and to make sure that remembrance events can go ahead unimpeded and unaffected by anything else that’s happening in the capital.”
And the shadow minister attacked Suella Braverman for “deliberately inflaming tensions” in the run up to a major pro-Palestine march in London. “It’s made a more difficult day for remembrance, and it potentially increases the amount of hate on our streets,” he said.
‘We are here for a ceasefire and nothing else’
09:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Brahim Ben, 52, said he is at the protest “for a ceasefire and nothing else”.
“People are here for peace. I cry for Jews who were killed on 7 October and Palestinians killed in Gaza since.”
‘I’ve come here to march for peace’
09:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Zander Butler reports from Marble Arch ahead of the pro-Palestine protest today. Around 40 demonstrators gathered at Marble Arch this morning, with the march set to begin at 12pm. Friends of Al Aqsa volunteer Omar, 29, said: “I’ve come here to march for peace.
There is no conflict between us and people commemorating Armistice Day. We are both here for peace.”
Friends of Al Aqsa volunteer, Omar (Zander Butler)
What Armistice events are happening over the weekend?
09:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain A national two-minute silence will occur at 11am. The Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall will be attended by the King and Queen and other members of the royal family.
Remembrance Sunday events will take place at the Cenotaph in Westminster the following day.
Who organised the Palestine protest in London today and how many people will be there?
09:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The coalition of groups behind the march are the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends[11] of Al-Aqsa, Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Palestinian Forum in Britain and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Trade unions, political groups such as the Socialist Worker and politicians including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn say they will be attending. Stop the War has insisted that the focus of the march is on stopping the killing in Gaza. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign says the UK Government, through its “endorsement” of Israel, has been rendered “complicit” in the deaths of people in Gaza.
Organisers predict half a million people will gather in the capital, with police also bracing for huge numbers. They believe it could be the “biggest demonstration” over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Iran President Raisi says action, not words, needed on Gaza
08:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the time had come for action over the conflict in Gaza rather than talk as he headed to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit on the war between Israel and Hamas militants. “Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action,” Raisi said at Tehran airport before departing for the summit of Arab and Islamic nations in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.
“Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important,” he added. It is the first visit to Saudi Arabia by an Iranian head of state since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March. “The summit will send a strong message to warmongers in the region and result in the cessation of war crimes in Palestine,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is accompanying Raisi, was quoted as saying by the Padolat government website.
“America says it doesn’t want an expansion of the war and has sent messages to Iran and several countries [to this effect]. But these statements are not consistent with America’s actions,” Raisi said in the televised comments at Tehran airport. “The war machine in Gaza is in the hands of America, which is preventing a ceasefire in Gaza and expanding the war.
The world must see the true face of America,” Raisi said.
Al-Shifa hospital under ceaselesss bombardment overnight
08:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain This video posted by Gaza’s Advocacy Officer in Gaza shows scenes from Al-Shifa hospital on Friday night as it was subjected to ceaseless bombardment.
Pro-Palestine march route: Saturday’s Armistice Day protest in London mapped
08:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The march’s route will take activists from the Marble Arch corner of Hyde Park at approximately 12pm on Saturday, head south through the capital down the Vauxhall Bridge Road and cross the River Thames en route to the US Embassy on Nine Elms Lane in opposition to US president Joe Biden[12]‘s unwavering support for the Israeli military’s response to the Hamas[13] attacks.
Saturday’s pro-Palestine march through London mapped[14]
Inside the most aggressive West Bank land grab in 50 years
07:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Bel Trew visits villages in the occupied West Bank and hears harrowing tales of settler violence in which Palestinian families describe being forced from their homes – in what human rights groups say is the single biggest land grab since Israel captured the region in 1967: The man in Israeli military uniform sliced off Mohamed’s clothes with a knife, urinated on him, and then, after relentlessly beating him, tried to rape him with a stick.
He details the assault that took place in the village of Wadi al-Siq, about 20 miles northeast of Jerusalem[15] in the occupied West Bank[16].
Israel revises death toll from Hamas attack to 1,200
06:59 , Andy Gregory The death toll from Hamas’s brutal attack on 7 October had been revised to around 1,200, down from a previous government estimate of 1,400, Israel’s foreign ministry has said.
“Around 1,200 is the official number of victims of the October 7 massacre,” spokesperson Lior Haiat said in a statement. The figure was updated on Thursday, Mr Haiat said. He did not provide a reason for the revision.
The death count, which includes foreigners, “is not a final number. It [is] an updated estimate. It might change when [they] identify all the bodies,” Mr Haiat said.
Israeli media advocacy group says outlets’ denials of advance knowledge of Hamas attack are ‘adequate’
06:01 , Andy Gregory
The executive director of Israeli media advocacy group HonestReporting has said he accepts as “adequate” denials by four major media organisations that they had no previous knowledge of the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, adding he was “so relieved”. Reuters, the Associated Press, CNN and The New York Times issued adamant denials after HonestReporting published an article on Thursday questioning whether Palestinian photojournalists had tipped off the four outlets, which had used their images. HonestReporting’s Gil Hoffman told Reuters his organisation had not claimed to know that there had been any prior knowledge by the news groups of the Hamas attack.
“I was so relieved when all four of the media organisations said they didn’t have prior knowledge,” Mr Hoffman said. “We raised questions, we didn’t give answers,” he added. “I still very much think that the questions were legitimate and the answers were adequate from the media organisations themselves.”
Lost contact with staff at Al Shifa hospital, says MSF
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The Canadian wing of Doctors Without Borders said it had lost contact with its medical staff at the Al Shifa hospital following an air strike. “We are currently unable to contact any of our staff inside Al Shifa hospital.
We are extremely concerned about the safety of patients and the medical staff,” the non-profit wrote in a post on X. “Patients are still in the hospital, some in critical condition and unable to move, there are caretakers still inside the facility. “We urgently reiterate our calls to stop the attacks against hospitals and for the protection of medical facilities, medical staff and patients.”
British journalist ‘forced out of pub’ over Palestinian flag
05:21 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Journalist Ash Sarkar said she and her friends were forced out of a pub by men who were threatening them with violence for wearing a Palestinian scarf and carrying a Palestinian flag. “Just been forced out of a pub by men threatening me and my friends with violence, and hurling abuse,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Staff were very apologetic about it, but the fact is the media and politicians have whipped up a frenzy of hate.”
She said one of the men threatening them had been “waving around a copy of the Evening Standard which had an image of a poppy at odds with a Palestinian flag”. “When he saw my friends, he accused them of spitting in the face of people who fought for this country,” she said.” Others joined in.
There was also a distinct undertone of racism,” she added. Just been forced out of a pub by men threatening me and my friends w/ violence, and hurling abuse, because one was wearing a Palestinian scarf and another had a flag. Staff were very apologetic about it, but the fact is the media and politicians have whipped up a frenzy of hate.
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) November 10, 2023[18]
Macron urges Sunak and Biden to join calls for ceasefire
05:02 , Andy Gregory Israel must stop bombing Gaza and killing civilians, Emmanuel Macron has told the BBC in an interview published late on Friday. The French president said there was “no justification” for the bombing and saying a ceasefire would benefit Israel.
He said that France “clearly condemns” the “terrorist” actions of Hamas, but that while recognising Israel’s right to protect itself, “we do urge them to stop this bombing” in Gaza. When asked if he wanted other leaders – including in the United Sates and Britain – to join his calls for a ceasefire, Macron said: “I hope they will.”
At least 35 Palestinian journalists killed in Israel’s war on Hamas
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The last month of Israel’s invasion of Gaza has been the deadliest yet for journalists in more than 30 years.
Retaliatory strikes in the wake of Hamas attacks on 7 October have killed at least 35 Palestinian journalists and media workers, as of 10 November, marking the deadliest period for the press since the Committee to Protect Journalists began documenting the killing of journalists in 1992. Within the past month, Gaza journalists have also reported violent threats, arrests and cyberattacks, while Israel’s ongoing bombardments have destroyed offices and homes, and food and water shortages and power and communications outages have compounded a growing humanitarian crisis in the region. Alex Woodward reports.
The ‘unprecedented’ death toll among Gaza’s journalists[19]
Death toll in Gaza crosses 11,000
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar More than 11,070 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry. Another 2,650 people have been reported missing.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Friday that “far too many” Palestinians have died and suffered. While recent Israeli steps to try to minimise civilian harm are positive, he said, they are not enough. Assistant secretary of state Barbara Leaf told American lawmakers this week that it was “very possible” the death toll was even higher than the Gaza health ministry’s tally.
At least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mainly in the initial Hamas attack, and 41 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground offensive began, Israeli officials said. The foreign ministry had previously estimated the civilian death toll at 1,400, and gave no reason on Friday for the revision.
20 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are no longer functioning, says WHO
04:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The World Health Organisation said that 20 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are no longer functioning, including a pediatric hospital that stopped operations after a reported Israeli strike in the area.”If there is a hell on earth today, its name is northern Gaza,” the UN humanitarian agency spokesperson, Jens Laerke, told reporters in Geneva.More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes since the war began.
In the south, they’re crowded into shelters with dwindling supplies of food and water as the war enters its second month.
Northern Ireland journalist lambasts Braverman over Palestine ‘hate marches’ comments
04:01 , Andy Gregory
Health workers forced to leave as Al Shifa hospital in Gaza hit in air strike
03:14 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A missile landed in the courtyard of Al Shifa, the enclave’s biggest hospital, in the early hours of Friday, damaging the Indonesian Hospital and reportedly setting fire to the Nasser Rantissi paediatric cancer hospital. Israel’s military said that a misfired projectile launched by Palestinian militants in Gaza had hit Shifa.”Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals,” said Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, director of Al Shifa hospital.
“We are extremely disturbed by reports of airstrikes in the vicinity of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza,” wrote Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation. He continued: “Many health workers we were in contact with have been forced to leave the hospital in search of safety.” Others report being unable to move due to grave insecurity.
Many of the thousands sheltering at the hospital are forced to evacuate due to security risks, while many still remain there.” The UN body documented five attacks on five hospitals in one day in Gaza, he said, adding that in “the past 48 hours alone, four hospitals have been put out of action”.
03:02 , Andy Gregory A former Royal Marines Commando has asked “who cares” if people protest for Palestine on Remembrance weekend so long as the minute’s silence is respected.
Ben McBean, from Plymouth, managed to recover from stepping on a Taliban landmine in 2008.
12 months later he ran the London Marathon despite losing two of his limbs. He did it again the year after. Asked about his Remembrance Day plans, he told The Independent: “I don’t know what I’m going to do.
For me as a veteran, it’s the one time I can meet up with 10,000 people who are in the same boat as me. “I can’t just go there to pay my respects because it always turns into a massive blowout. Lots of s*** goes on after and people let it all out.
I don’t think I can spend the entire week after picking up the pieces.” On the planned pro-Palestinian march on Saturday, he said: “Apparently it’s nowhere near where the Cenotaph is. If protesters start kicking off in the middle of our minute’s silence then, yeh, that is out of order but if they are just stood there then who cares?”
‘The act of remembering has got lost’: Veterans on protest and attending the Cenotaph[20]
Macron demands Israel stops killing women and babies in Gaza
02:44 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Israel must stop bombing Gaza and killing women and babies, says French president Emmanuel Macron. Mr Macron said there was “no justification” for the continued bombing of the enclave, which Palestinian health officials claim has killed more than 11,000 people.
He told the BBC that although France “clearly condemns” the 7 October “terrorist” attacks on Israel by Hamas and recognised Israel’s right to defend itself, “we do urge them to stop this bombing.” Graeme Massie reports.
IDF spokesperson denies firing on hospitals but ‘will do what we need to do’
02:03 , Andy Gregory
Airstrikes hit at or close to four hospitals and a school today, Palestinian officials in Hamas-run Gaza have said. That included hitting the courtyard and the obstetrics department of al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, where tens of thousands of people are sheltering, according to the health ministry. Videos posted online appeared to show screaming and bloodied people, including children, in the grounds of al-Shifa.
Israeli army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht told an evening briefing that the army “does not fire on hospitals”, adding: “If we see Hamas terrorists firing from hospitals we’ll do what we need to do. We’re aware of the sensitivity [of hospitals], but again, if we see Hamas terrorists, we’ll kill them. “We’re not dropping bombs right now on Shifa or Rantisi,” he added.
When asked if there was a plan to deal with patients in the hospitals, including people who can’t walk or are on drips, Lt Col Hecht said: “We’re saying to Hamas to move people south.” Israeli officials have repeatedly said they believe Hamas headquarters is in al-Shifa hospital’s basement. Hospital officials have denied this.
Chris Stevenson has the full report:
Watch: Piers Morgan conducts powerful interview with Palestinian doctor
02:02 , Andy Gregory
Braverman ‘fanning flames of hate’ towards Muslims over march row, cross-party MPs warn
01:01 , Andy Gregory Suella Braverman has been accused of “fanning the flames of hate” towards Muslims after her attacks on pro-Palestine rallies prompted a furious outcry over concerns she is fuelling “hatred and division”.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims, a cross-party committee of MPs, hit out at the home secretary’s rhetoric, which has seen her describe the demonstrations as “hate marches”, warning she is “inspiring far-right” to engage in Islamophobia. Our race correspondent Nadine White has the full report:
Military top brass turn on Suella Braverman over pro-Palestine march ban row
Friday 10 November 2023 23:59 , Andy Gregory
Top military brass have backed the right for pro-Palestine demonstrators to march through London on Saturday after an extraordinary political row erupted over whether the protest should be banned. Military chiefs have insisted those who fought for Britain “did so to protect our freedoms”, warning it would be a mistake to ban the event. The former head of the British Army and a former chief of UK forces were among those urging people to resist attempts to inflame divisions after Suella Braverman described the rallies as “hate marches” and accused the police of favouring left-wing groups over right.
General Sir Richard Barrons, former director of operations for the UK armed forces, called for “calm and cool heads”, telling The Independent it should be possible to “deconflict” Saturday’s events by keeping protests separate from Armistice Day commemorations. Our social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft and crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin have more:
‘Intense violence’ around north Gaza hospitals causing thousands to flee
Friday 10 November 2023 23:11 , Andy Gregory
Thousands of Palestinians sheltering from Israel’s war on Hamas at Gaza City’s largest hospital have fled south as explosions and “intense violence” were reported at or around the compound and other medical facilities. The Israeli military said that 100,000 people have moved from the north to the south of Gaza in the last couple of days, with forces operating “deep in Gaza City”. The World Health Organisation said colleagues had reported “intense violence” at al-Shifa hospital, the territory’s largest, and “significant bombardment” around Nasser Rantissi hospital.
The search for safety across Strip has grown desperate as Israel intensified its assault on the territory’s largest city. Our international editor Chris Stevenson has more in this report:
Are protests putting veterans off attending the Cenotaph this weekend?
Friday 10 November 2023 22:32 , Andy Gregory
Fears over far-right groups and pro-Palestinian protesters clashing this weekend have left some veterans making the decision to stay away from Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in London. Liz McConaghy, now 41, was the longest-serving female crewman on the Royal Air Force Chinook Fleet. She evacuated thousands of soldiers out of Afghanistan in her 17-year career and has now decided to skip the event.
“I think it is still divided with the veterans. Lots of people are going to stand their ground. I think a lot will go just to prove a point but it should be about remembering,” she told The Independent.
“I think people need to go for the right reasons. We can see everything that has been going on in London this week and we just feel a bit abandoned by our country. It’s our one day of the year and it is time to get behind us.
We all feel a bit abandoned and disillusioned this week.” My colleague Barney Davis has the full report:
Braverman claimed to have given ‘full backing’ for police in meeting with Met chief
Friday 10 November 2023 22:01 , Andy Gregory
Suella Braverman expressed her “full backing” for the police in a meeting on Friday with Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley, a source close to the home secretary has claimed. As the home secretary faces widespread calls for Rishi Sunak to sack her over comments she wrote in The Times accusing police of bias, the source said: “The home secretary and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police met this afternoon to discuss the policing of demonstrations to be held tomorrow, on Armistice Day. “The Commissioner outlined plans to continue working to maintain public order, ensure compliance with the law and maintain the safety of participants, police officers and the general public.
“The home secretary emphasised her full backing for the police in what will be a complex and challenging situation and expressed confidence that any criminality will be dealt with robustly.”
Remembrance weekend should be ‘moment of unity’, says Sunak
Friday 10 November 2023 21:28 , Andy Gregory Rishi Sunak has said that Remembrance weekend should be a “moment of unity, of our shared British values and of solemn reflection”. “This weekend people across the United Kingdom will stand together in quiet reflection to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” the PM said in a statement.
“Veterans, loved ones of those who gave their lives for their country and many more of us will want to honour this moment. This act of remembrance is fundamental to who we are as a country and I want to reassure those wishing to pay their respects, attend services and travel that they can and should do so. “Following my meeting with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner earlier this week, and the Government’s engagement with police forces around the country, the police assure us they are taking all steps to ensure Remembrance services are safeguarded from any protests.
“Protests will only be permitted far away from Remembrance events, and the Cenotaph in Whitehall, the abiding symbol of Remembrance, has been placed in an exclusion zone and will be guarded around the clock to protect it for those travelling to pay their respects. “We have also taken steps to ban a number of protests planned for train stations, which were only designed to disrupt and intimidate. It is because of those who fought for this country and for the freedom we cherish that those who wish to protest can do so, but they must do so respectfully and peacefully.
“Remembrance weekend is sacred for us all and should be a moment of unity, of our shared British values and of solemn reflection. Above all, this weekend should be about the selfless bravery of our armed forces. We shall remember them.”
Tory MPs ‘tearing strips off each other’ in leaked WhatsApp row over Suella Braverman
Friday 10 November 2023 21:01 , Andy Gregory
A furious row has erupted among Tory MPs in disagreement over home secretary Suella Braverman’s comments accusing police of bias towards different groups of protesters, WhatsApp messages leaked to Sky News show. The spat began on Wednesday night, when Sir John Hayes wrote in a Tory WhatsApp group that it was “so sad to see protests being allowed on the remembrance weekend”, adding: “Wholly inapproriate (sic)… and we should speak for the law abiding, patriotic majority by saying so.” But Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin received the support of colleagues including Sir Bob Neill, Tim Loughton, William Wragg and others, after writing the following morning: “Am I the only Conservative MP who thinks it is most unfortunate that Chief of Met Police is being placed under public pressure from the government, which threatens to compromise public confidence in his operational independence?”
As the row intensified and multiple MPs involved made public comments expressing their concerns over Ms Braverman’s remarks, Tory MP Karl McCartney wrote to say they would be getting “Christmas cards from Yvette Cooper”, Labour’s shadow home secretary, adding menacingly: “You stretch our patience.” Jill Mortimer later vaguely accused colleagues of being “untrustworthy disgraceful leakers”, after which point, Mr Wragg wrote: “I’ve had enough of this rubbish.” Tory MPs tearing strips off each other over Suella Braverman.
Karl McCartney attacks her critics and says they’ll be getting Xmas cards from Yvette Cooper. Another slams colleagues as ‘disgraceful leakers’ ? https://t.co/2AUvu6jCNT[27] — Tom Larkin (@TomLarkinSky) November 10, 2023[28]
Family reveals heartbreak over son who dived on Hamas grenade to save his fiancee
Friday 10 November 2023 20:25 , Andy Gregory
Netta Epstien was just a month shy of his 22nd birthday when he was killed by Hamas. No-one knows if it was the exploding grenade the young man had thrown himself on to protect his fiance or the bullets Hamas intruders fired at him that ended his life. Earlier that day, on 7 October, roughly 250 Hamas militants had crossed over the seven-metre fence surrounding Gaza and rushed the four miles to the nearby Israeli kibbutz, Kfar Azar.
Netta and his fiance, Irene Shavit, 22, were hiding in their safe room when they heard the first signs of Hamas militants inside their small home at 11.30am. Ms Shavit and Netta’s mother Ayalet Epstein, 50, spoke to The Independent on Friday, a day after their fiance and son would have celebrated his turning 22:
Former top civil servant unable to see how Sunak has confidence in Braverman
Friday 10 November 2023 20:01 , Andy Gregory
The former top civil servant in the Home Office has said he does not understand how Rishi Sunak could continue to have confidence in Suella Braverman after her claims of police bias over pro-Palestine protests. Sir David Normington, who was permanent secretary in the Home Office from 2005 until 2011, told BBC Radio 4: “There are 2,000 ordinary police officers who will be on the streets doing a very difficult job this weekend. “They have the right to expect the Home Secretary to be supporting them.
Instead, she seems to be undermining them and actually making things worse. And that’s just not the job of the home secretary. I hear the prime minister has confidence in her.
I don’t know how he can.” The ex-mandarin said he “despaired” about her piece for The Times, adding: “She’s tried to interfere with the operational independence of the police. She’s accused them of partiality in the way they police demonstrations.
She’s used inflammatory language. She’s even made some absolutely crass comments and comparisons about Northern Ireland. “That’s at least four reasons why she’s unsuitable to be home secretary.”
Scotland Yard doing ‘everything in our power’ to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe
Friday 10 November 2023 19:38 , Andy Gregory
The Metropolitan Police is doing “everything” in its power to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe during Saturday’s pro-Palestine protest. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “We’ve got a policing operation that is double the size of the first weekend. We’ve got nearly 1,850 officers working on Saturday, 1,350 working on Sunday.
“I’ve used all of the powers that are available to me to use over the weekend to limit the impact, to manage the impact, whilst people go about their lawful business and their right to protest. “So for the Jewish communities in particular, we are engaged, we are absolutely aware of the fear and concerns and we are doing everything in our power to ensure that they are safe, and they must feel safe. “But if people are frightened, or see things that they’re frightened of, they must report it to us so we can respond.”
‘Unacceptable’ for Braverman ‘to tamper with police independence’
Friday 10 November 2023 19:20 , Andy Gregory
It is unacceptable for Suella Braverman “to publicly attempt to tamper with the operational independence of policing”, the Police Federation has warned. Steve Hartshorn, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank and file officers, said operational policing decisions must remain independent of political interference. “It is entirely reasonable that the home secretary might raise concerns with senior police leaders in private, it is unacceptable to publicly attempt to tamper with the operational independence of policing,” he said.
“Policing must be free of politics. Operational independence is a key pillar of UK policing and must be respected. Policing does not comment on political manoeuvrings, and we expect to be able to carry out our duties without political interference.”
Counter-protesters will be allowed near Cenotaph, Met says
Friday 10 November 2023 18:58 , Andy Gregory
Counter protesters to the pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday will be allowed into the area around the Cenotaph, the Metropolitan Police has said. Large numbers of counter protesters are expected in the capital in response to the decision to hold the march on Armistice Day. An exclusion zone will be put in place covering Whitehall and the Cenotaph to prevent demonstrators on the march from entering the locations.
Speaking at a media briefing, deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said the Met had information that “large numbers of counter protesters will be coming to London with a view to confronting those taking place in the main march”. Asked why counter protesters would be allowed around the monument, Mr Taylor said the force “don’t anticipate any disorder will come from that group” individually.
Police will likely need to use force that ‘might look messy’ this weekend
Friday 10 November 2023 18:39 , Andy Gregory Metropolitan Police officers will likely have to use force that “might look messy” at the pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday, deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor has said.
Speaking at a media briefing, he said: “The objective of policing is to use the least intrusive force possible to achieve an end. “There will be times this weekend where you see pockets of confrontation, despite the conditions and everything I’ve put in place to manage that. “You will see police intervention, and I hope we don’t but I think it’s likely you will see police having to use force to manage some of the situations that we have to deal with, and at times that might look messy.
“That doesn’t equate to serious disorder or to us losing control, but it does mean that we are taking robust, rapid and agile action to deal with what we are dealing with.” Mr Taylor did confirm the march organisers, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, had changed their original route to avoid the ‘Remembrance footprint’ within Whitehall.
‘Difficult and complex work’: British hostage crisis experts in Israel to help efforts to free Hamas captives
Friday 10 November 2023 18:24 , Andy Gregory Intense international negotiations are taking place involving diplomats, intelligence services and specialist security companies in attempts to free hostages being held in Gaza, with the most ferocious part of Israel’s offensive against Hamas due to unfold.
Highly experienced British hostage crisis experts are part of a team, The Independent has learned, in Israel and the wider region to assist in the mission and help families to be reunited with relations of the 240 people who were abducted in the cross-border raid on 7 October. A British hostage crisis operative, currently in Israel, said: “This is very difficult and complex work, having to take place in the middle of very heavy kinetic activity, with the hostages in close proximity. “They are being held in places which are likely to be affected by military action which is ratcheting up.
So speed is obviously of great essence, but there are geopolitical considerations, which means a lot of factors are at play.” Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports from Tel Aviv:
NHS medics hold Downing Street vigil for colleagues in Gaza
Friday 10 November 2023 17:57 , Andy Gregory
Hundreds of medical professionals are gathering outside Downing Street to hold a vigil for medics killed in Gaza. Demonstrators are holding placards with the names of those killed during Israel’s intense bombardment of the strip since 7 October, and will be holding a minute’s silence. Dr Omar Abdel-Mannan, whose group Gaza Medic Voices publishes firsthand accounts from medical staff in Gaza told the BBC from Downing Street: “We have organised this vigil.
We are a collective of healthcare professionals – nurses, doctors, surgeons, paramedics, physios – from every walk of the NHS and every walk of life within the NHS. “We are congregating today because our unified message is that it is unacceptable for healthcare workers in Gaza to be attacked and be killed. We have lost almost 200 of our colleagues – our brothers, our friends, our sisters – in Gaza who work in the healthcare field.
“It is horrific and it is frankly unimagineable to work in those conditions … Enough is enough. A ceasefire needs to happen now.
This is unacceptable. The situation is catastrophic. The healthcare system has collapsed.”
Senior Met officer refuses to say whether Braverman’s remarks undermined force
Friday 10 November 2023 17:42 , Andy Gregory
The officer in charge of policing London during Saturday’s pro-Palestine protest has refused to comment on whether Suella Braverman’s comments about police bias have undermined the force. Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “We’ve got a really difficult weekend this weekend, I’m not going to comment on politics. It’s not my place to comment on politics.
“We will police what we need to police with a robust policing pattern, recognising all of the concerns in our communities and for people coming to London over the weekend, so that we can keep them safe.”
Met Police treats protesters ‘without fear or favour’, senior officer says
Friday 10 November 2023 17:11 , Andy Gregory The Metropolitan Police treats protesters “without fear or favour”, the officer in charge of policing London during Saturday’s pro-Palestine protest has said. In a piece for The Times, home secretary Suella Braverman claimed there is a perception police “play favourites” towards pro-Palestinian protesters who are “largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law”.
Asked on Friday whether Ms Braverman’s comments were accurate, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “We’ve been really clear on our policing position this week. “Our job is to ensure that we police without fear or favour, that we balance the rights of everybody – be that protesters, counter protesters, or people living or coming into London. And our job this weekend is to ensure that people are kept safe and that is what my focus is on.”
Braverman accused of ‘fanning flames of hate’ towards Muslims over march row, cross-party MPs warn
Friday 10 November 2023 16:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Suella Braverman has been accused of “fanning the flames of hate” towards Muslims after her attacks on pro-Palestine rallies[31] prompted a furious outcry[32] over concerns she is fuelling “hatred and division”. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims[33], a cross-party committee of MPs, hit out at the home secretary’s rhetoric, which has seen her describe the demonstrations as “hate marches”, warning she is “inspiring far-right” to engage in Islamophobia. Ms Braverman’s[34] job is on the line[35] after Downing Street made clear that it had not approved an extraordinary article in which she accused officers of playing favourites by tolerating the[36] Armistice[37] Day march while using stronger tactics against right-wing protests, with senior Tories urging Mr Sunak to sack her.
Braverman ‘fanning flames of hate’ towards Muslims over march row, MPs warn[38]
Three women deny paraglider images indicating Hamas support at pro-Palestinian demo
Friday 10 November 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Three women have pleaded not guilty to displaying images indicating support for banned organisation Hamas at a pro-Palestinian march in central London.[39][40] Heba Alhayek, 29, Pauline Ankunda, 26, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, were all charged under the Terrorism Act as part of the same investigation, for allegedly wearing or displaying images of paragliders during the demonstration in Whitehall[41] on October 14.
Alhayek and Ankunda, both from Crystal Palace, south-east London, were each charged on November 3 with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas, and Taiwo, from Croydon[42], south london, was charged with the same offence on Thursday.
Police form Armistice Day ring of steel as protesters banned from Cenotaph
Friday 10 November 2023 15:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Protesters will be banned from going near the Cenotaph this weekend as the monument is put under a 24/7 ring of steel ahead of hundreds of thousands joining a pro-Palestine march[44].
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed exclusion zones[45] will be imposed on Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, banning those on the march from these locations. The Cenotaph[46] will also be shielded by 24-hour police guard in a raft of measures announced ahead of the march on Saturday. Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin reports:
Police form Armistice Day ring of steel as protesters banned from Cenotaph[47]
‘We live in a state of fear’: Jenin residents ‘terrified’ as IDF bombards West Bank and settler violence grows
Friday 10 November 2023 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain ‘What is this life? Where is the world?’ Anxious Jenin locals speak to Maryam Zakir-Hussain as Israeli raids ramp up in the occupied Palestinian territory
Terrified children and desperate mothers line the corridors of Jenin’s public hospital, taking shelter[48] from Israeli soldiers[49] as they raid a nearby refugee camp[50] in the occupied West Bank. While much of the focus on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has been on the Gaza strip, Palestinians in the West Bank are facing a multitude of threats, from air strikes above to settlers and soldiers on the ground. “The soldiers cross all lines now,” Dr Wisam Bakr, general director of Jenin Governmental Hospital, told The Independent.
“Our staff are in danger. An unarmed Palestinian man was killed in front of the emergency department hospital by Israeli soldiers.” The victim, Yanal Hamran, was shot in the head on his twenty-second birthday.
Dr Bakr said he was not part of any resistance organisation, but was a policeman off-duty working in the hospital cafeteria selling sandwiches to make ends meet.
Palestinian groups ask war crimes court to investigate genocide accusations
Friday 10 November 2023 15:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Three Palestinian human rights groups said they have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel, accusing it of committing war crimes including genocide by bombing and besieging Gaza.
Israel – which is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognise its jurisdiction – did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously said allegations of genocide are deplorable and that its actions target Hamas militants, not civilians. The three rights groups – Al Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestine Human Rights Campaign – said they had asked the ICC to focus on Israeli air strikes on densely populated civilian areas in Gaza, the siege of the territory and the displacement of the population.
“These actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide and incitement to genocide,” they said in a joint press statement. The ICC said on Friday it had received a communication from the three groups and would assess the information, without going into detail on its contents.
Police announce ring of steel and 24-hour protection for the Cenotaph in major operation
Friday 10 November 2023 15:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Protestors will be banned from key parts of central London this Remembrance weekend as police brace for hundreds of thousands to descend on the capital. The Metropolitan Police has said exclusion zones will be imposed on Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, banning those on the pro-Palestine march from these locations. The Cenotaph will also be shielded by 24-hour police guard, which began on Thursday.
Double the number of offices will be on duty, with almost 2,000 expected to be deployed, including 1,000 drafted in from other forces. Protestors must stick to the pre-agreed march route. Anyone believed to be part of or associated with the pro-Palestinian demonstration trying to assemble in the exclusion zones near the Whitehall area can be arrested, police warned.
There will also be metal barriers and officers in place to protect it. In addition, police have said the march and speeches must conclude at 5pm, with dispersal zones in place in Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Police will also have additional powers to search people for weapons amid fears right-wing groups could clash with pro-Palestine protesters.
A Section 60 and 60AA power will be in place covering a significant area of Westminster and parts of Wandsworth and Lambeth between 10:00hrs on Saturday and 01:00hrs on Sunday.
Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital has ‘collapsed’
Friday 10 November 2023 15:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain British Palestinian Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta said Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital, “has collapsed”.
He posted: “Shifa hospital has collapsed. Wounded and staff leaving in droves. Missile attacks this morning on outpatient dept. which housed internally displaced.”
Shifa hospital has collapsed. Wounded and staff leaving in droves. Missile attacks this morning on outpatient dept. which housed internally displaced.
— Ghassan Abu Sitta (@GhassanAbuSitt1) November 10, 2023[52]
Cenotaph: What is the history and significance of the Whitehall monument?
Friday 10 November 2023 14:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Remembrance Sunday[53] takes place on the second Sunday of November every year and provides a moment for the British public to reflect on the supreme sacrifice made by its soldiers in the First World War[54] and in all conflicts since. The centrepiece of the National Service of Remembrance is the Cenotaph[55], the stone war memorial[56] that stands in the heart of Whitehall[57] in central London, at the base of which members of the royal family, the prime minister, the leader of the opposition, their ministers, Commonwealth high commissioners and military personnel all gather to lay wreaths of poppies and pay their respects to the fallen.
The monument takes its name from the Greek word for “empty tomb” and reflects the absence of the dead, many of whom were buried close to the battlefields of France and Flanders where they were killed in the Great War of 1914-18 because the repatriation of dead bodies was forbidden at the time, a policy that meant their grief-stricken loved ones had no local gravesite at which to mourn their loss.
Terror police probe fake video of Sadiq Khan spread online by far-right group
Friday 10 November 2023 14:27 , Andy Gregory Counter terror police are investigating a fake video of Sadiq Khan in which the London mayor appears to suggest Remembrance weekend commemorations be delayed while pro-Palestinian marches go ahead.
The video, which has been shared by far-right accounts on TikTok and X, formerly Twitter, sees a photo of Mr Khan overlaid by what appears to be his voice saying: “What is happening in Gaza is much bigger than this weekend and it is current.” The AI-generated video has been viewed on X more than 100,000 times and is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police’s counter terror experts. Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has more details here:
Terror police probe fake video of Sadiq Khan spread online by far-right group[59]
Gaza health ministry says ‘Israel bombed Shifa hospital five times since Thursday night’
Friday 10 November 2023 14:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra said Israel had bombed Shifa hospital buildings five times since Thursday night. “They shelled the maternity department and the outpatient clinics building.
One Palestinian was killed and several were wounded in the early morning attack,” he said. In the wake of the blasts, witnesses said many people were starting to leave the grounds of the facility fearing further strikes. Israel has warned people to evacuate but Qidra said that was impossible.
“We are talking about 45 babies in incubators, 52 children in intensive care units, hundreds of wounded and patients, and tens of thousands of displaced people,” he said.
Far-right groups and football hooligans ‘to descend on London during Palestinian march’
Friday 10 November 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Far-right groups and football hooligans are preparing to descend on London on Armistice Day as hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march through the capital.[60]
The Palistinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC), said it will march alongside activists for the fourth successive weekend as it calls on Israel to agree to a ceasefire after its bombardment of Gaza.[61] Remembrance events are taking place across the Saturday and Sunday, which has led to home secretary Suella Braverman urging the Met Police to ban the march.[62][63]
South Africa calls in Israeli ambassador to discuss conduct relating to Gaza war
Friday 10 November 2023 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
South Africa has called in the ambassador of Israel to discuss his recent “unfortunate conduct relating to the unfolding, tragic Israel-Palestine war”, South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest amid march row
Friday 10 November 2023 13:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The Royal British Legion[65] has defended pro-Palestinian demonstrators[66]‘ right to protest amid a furious row[67] over whether a rally[68] should be allowed to go ahead on Armistice Day[69].
The RBL has urged protesters to be peaceful and show respect as mourners flock to London this weekend to remember our war dead. In a statement, the armed forces[70] charity said: “The British armed forces play a vital role in protecting the rights and freedoms of everyone in UK society, including the right to protest[71]. “We are not aware of any protests during RBL Remembrance events, and we hope Remembrance events can go ahead over the weekend without disruption.”
Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest[72]
UNWRA chief ‘devastated’ after over 100 colleagues confirmed killed in Gaza
Friday 10 November 2023 13:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNWRA has said he is “devastated” after over 100 UNWRA colleagues have been confirmed killed in one month. He posted: “Parents, teachers, nurses, doctors, support staff. @UNRWA[73] is mourning, Palestinians mourning, Israelis mourning.
Ending this tragedy needs #Humanitarianceasefire[74] now.” Devastated. Over 100 @UNRWA[75] colleagues confirmed killed in 1 month.
Parents, teachers, nurses, doctors, support staff. @UNRWA[76] is mourning, Palestinians mourning, Israelis mourning. Ending this tragedy needs #Humanitarianceasefire[77] now. — Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) November 10, 2023[78]
In pictures: Demonstrators blockade entrance to BAE System’s factory
Friday 10 November 2023 13:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Demonstrators hold Palestinian flags as they blockade the entrance to BAE System’s factory during a protest by ‘Workers for a Free Palestine’, calling for an end to arms sales to Israel.
(AFP via Getty Images)
One killed and several wounded in biggest Gaza hospital, Palestinian officials say
Friday 10 November 2023 12:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Israeli air strikes hit Gaza’s biggest hospital, the Al Shifa, on Friday, killing one person and wounding others sheltering there, Palestinian officials said, one of several hospitals reported struck as Israeli troops battled Hamas in the heart of the enclave. Officials said other strikes had damaged parts of the Indonesian Hospital and reportedly set fire to the Rantissi paediatric and cancer hospital in the northern part of Gaza, where Israel says Hamas militants who attacked it last month are concentrated.
Israeli tanks, which have been advancing through northern Gaza for almost two weeks, have taken up positions around the Rantissi, Al-Quds and Nasser Children’s hospitals, raising concern for patients, doctors and evacuees there, medical staff said. “Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals,” Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, director of Gaza’s main Shifa hospital, told Reuters.
Counter terror police investigating fake Sadiq Khan footage
Friday 10 November 2023 12:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Counter terror police are investigating a faked video of Sadiq Khan in which the London mayor appears to suggest Remembrance weekend be pushed back by a week so pro-Palestinian marches can go ahead. The AI-generated video has been seen on X 138,000 times, where it has been shared by far-right accounts to stoke anger against Mr Khan. A spokesman for the mayor said: “The Met and their counter terror experts are aware of this fake video that is being circulated and amplified on social media by far-right groups, and are actively investigating.”
British Muslims ‘feel betrayed’ as Sunak and Starmer both refuse calls for Gaza ceasefire
Friday 10 November 2023 12:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
British Muslim[79] communities have said they feel “betrayed” by the government and the Labour Party[80] over the UK’s response[81] to the war in Gaza[82]. Despite widespread pleas to demand a ceasefire as the death toll in Gaza reportedly exceeds 10,000[83], Rishi Sunak has not only refused to do so[84] but sacked a Tory MP calling for one[85]. Home secretary Suella Braverman has been accused of stirring up division as she persistently brands pro-Palestine protests “hate marches” and “mobs”.
Sir Keir Starmer[86] has also attracted criticism for refusing to call for a ceasefire, and this week one of his frontbenchers quit[87] over the Labour leader’s stance. Imran Hussain MP, who has been on Labour’s frontbench for almost eight years, said he felt “deeply troubled” by the Labour leader’s much-criticised interview on LBC.
British Muslims ‘feel betrayed’ as Sunak and Starmer refuse calls for Gaza ceasefire[88]
Remembrance Sunday: When is it and how is it being observed across the country?
Friday 10 November 2023 12:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Remembrance Sunday[89] is held on the second Sunday of November every year to honour Britain’s war dead. In 2023, it follows neatly one day after Armistice Day[90] on Saturday 11 November, which specifically honours the signing of the ceasefire agreement that brought the First World War[91] to an end at 11am on 11 November 1918, a prelude to the peace negotiations that would finally be completed with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles[92] the following June.
The two Remembrance dates are marked in the UK by ceremonies across the country in memory of those who have given their lives fighting for their country and its most visible symbol is the poppy, sold by the Royal British Legion[93] (RBL) since 1921 as a means of raising donations to support the servicemen and women of today and worn on the lapel as a gesture of respect.
Police surround the Cenotaph in anticipation of Palestine protest on Saturday
Friday 10 November 2023 11:55 , Tom Watling Roughly a dozen police officers and several vans surround the Cenotaph, Tom Watling reports from the scene.
Traffic is still running past Whitehall but the road will later shut for Remembrance weekend. Despite the heavier police presence, the atmosphere is one of calm. Over the past few weeks, pro-Palestine marches have culminated outside Whitehall but the demonstration planned for Saturday has been redirected over fears the Cenotaph will be desecrated by those marching.
The police surrounding the WW1 memorial declined to comment on whether there had been any disturbances in the past two days. Calls from small far-right factions to surround and protect the memorial against what they perceive as an Islamist threat do not seem to have had any effect on safety concerns. They will not be able to access the road on which the Cenotaph is located.
(Tom Watling)
Third woman charged under Terrorism Act
Friday 10 November 2023 11:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain A third woman has been charged under the Terrorism Act after images of paragliders were displayed at a pro-Palestine march in central London. Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, of south London, was charged on Thursday with carrying or displaying an image displaying a paraglider to arouse reasonable suspicion that she is a supporter of banned organisation Hamas in Whitehall on October 14.
This follows the charging of two other women for the same offence as part of the same investigation. All three are due to appear as “co-defendants” at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, police said. Commander Dominic Murphy, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “On this case and others, officers are working tirelessly to investigate alleged offences linked to protest activity, and take action when there is evidence of criminality.
“We will continue to work with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against people suspected of committing offences that encourage hate, and are harmful to communities.”
Sadiq Khan issues warning to those planning to ‘stoke disorder’
Friday 10 November 2023 11:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Sadiq Khan has issued a warning to those planning to “stoke disorder” at Saturday’s pro-Palestine march, saying “action will be taken”. The mayor of London said this weekend’s Remembrance commemorations are a “hugely important part of our national calendar” and it is “vital they go ahead unaffected”.
And while stressing that the right to protest is “a cornerstone of our democracy” Mr Khan said “it must always be peaceful and lawful”. “The police will move against anyone found breaking the law, including taking strong action against anyone committing hate crime,” he posted on X. He added: “This weekend more than ever we must stand united against hatred and division.”
This weekend’s Remembrance commemorations are a hugely important part of our national calendar, where we remember all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
1/5 — Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) November 10, 2023[95]
WHO: Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital ‘coming under bombardment’
Friday 10 November 2023 11:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday that the Al Shifa hospital had been “coming under bombardment”, adding that 20 hospitals in Gaza were now out of action entirely.
Asked about the Gaza health ministry’s allegation of an Israeli strike on the hospital courtyard, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said: “I haven’t got the detail on Al Shifa but we do know they are coming under bombardment”. Asked to elaborate, she said there was “intense violence” at the site, quoting colleagues on the ground.
In pictures: Trade unions protest outside weapons manufacturer
Friday 10 November 2023 10:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Trade unionists and protesters formed a blockade outside weapons manufacturer BAE Systems in Rochester, Kent, this morning in protest over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Inside police operation to tackle Armistice Day protests as 1,000 extra officers drafted in
Friday 10 November 2023 10:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
More than 1,000 extra officers are being drafted in from across the country this weekend as part of a vast operation to police a pro-Palestine protest[96] on Armistice Day[97]. Exclusion zones, facial recognition technology and reinforcements from other police forces are among the measures likely be deployed as the Metropolitan Police[98] vows to use every power at its disposal to stop Remembrance commemorations from being disrupted. Officers from every region have answered calls to help police during Saturday’s rally, which organisers expect to be one of the “biggest political demonstrations in British history”[99].
Inside police operation for Armistice Day protests as 1,000 extra officers drafted[100]
More than 500,000 people expected at march demanding Gaza ceasefire – organiser
Friday 10 November 2023 09:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain One of the organisers of Saturday’s march demanding a ceasefire in Gaza has predicted that more than half a million people will attend the event. The Stop the War coalition said coach companies across the country are reporting that all their vehicles are fully booked, with waiting lists in some areas.
John Rees, from the group, said the protest in London will be “truly historic”, exceeding the half a million he believes joined a previous protest in the capital. “We are convinced it will be the biggest demonstration so far over Palestine,” he told the PA news agency. “Our local groups up and down the country have reported they’ve sold out of seats on hundreds of coaches.”
Lindsey German, the group’s convenor, said: “Our local groups in towns and cities across the UK, along with coach companies, are telling us that every one of their coaches have been booked to bring people to London. This is comparable only to two million strong protest against the Iraq War in 2003.” Stop the War has insisted that the focus of the march is on stopping the killing in Gaza.
Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest amid march row
Friday 10 November 2023 09:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Royal British Legion[101] has defended pro-Palestinian demonstrators[102]‘ right to protest amid a furious row[103] over whether a rally[104] should be allowed to go ahead on Armistice Day[105]. The RBL has urged protestors to be peaceful and show respect as mourners flock to London this weekend to remember our war dead. In a statement, the armed forces[106] charity said: “The British armed forces play a vital role in protecting the rights and freedoms of everyone in UK society, including the right to protest[107].
“We are not aware of any protests during RBL Remembrance events, and we hope Remembrance events can go ahead over the weekend without disruption.”
Pro-Palestine march route: Saturday’s Armistice Day protest in London mapped
Friday 10 November 2023 09:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The latest pro-Palestine[109] march through London[110] is due to take place on Saturday 11 November, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the deadly Israel-Gaza conflict[111] that erupted last month.
The six organising groups behind the demonstration had faced calls from the Metropolitan Police[112] to postpone their National March for Palestine on the grounds that it could clash with remembrance services over the upcoming Armistice Weekend but the Met’s commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, ultimately decided to give it the greenlight. “The laws created by Parliament are clear. There is no absolute power to ban protest,” Sir Mark said on Wednesday, adding that the marchers had shown a “complete willingness to stay away from the Cenotaph and Whitehall and have no intention of disrupting the nation’s remembrance events”.
Saturday’s pro-Palestine march through London mapped[113]
Far-right groups and football hooligans ‘to descend on London during Palestinian march’
Friday 10 November 2023 09:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Far-right groups and football hooligans are preparing to descend on London on Armistice Day as hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march through the capital.[114] The Palistinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC), said it will march alongside activists for the fourth successive weekend as it calls on Israel to agree to a ceasefire after its bombardment of Gaza.[115]
Remembrance events are taking place across the Saturday and Sunday, which has led to home secretary Suella Braverman urging the Met Police to ban the march.[116][117] The coalition of groups, which includes the PSC, Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain, insisted they will press ahead with the demonstration calling for an immediate ceasefire. The planned route does not go near the Cenotaph on Saturday.
Far-right groups and football hooligans ‘to descend on London during Palestine march’[118]
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- ^ Whitehall (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Croydon (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Three women deny paraglider images indicating Hamas support at pro-Palestinian demo (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ pro-Palestine march (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Metropolitan Police has confirmed exclusion zones (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ The Cenotaph (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Police form Armistice Day ring of steel as protesters banned from Cenotaph (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ taking shelter (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Israeli soldiers (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ refugee camp (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ West Bank residents ‘terrified’ as IDF bombards enclave and settler violence grows (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ November 10, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ Remembrance Sunday (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ First World War (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Cenotaph (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ war memorial (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Whitehall (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ What is the history and significance of the Cenotaph? (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Terror police probe fake video of Sadiq Khan spread online by far-right group (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ pro-Palestine protesters march through the capital. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ agree to a ceasefire after its bombardment of Gaza. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Suella Braverman (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ urging the Met Police to ban the march. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Far-right groups and football hooligans ‘to descend on London during Palestine march’ (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Royal British Legion (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ demonstrators (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ amid a furious row (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ rally (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Armistice Day (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ armed forces (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ right to protest (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ @UNRWA (twitter.com)
- ^ #Humanitarianceasefire (twitter.com)
- ^ @UNRWA (twitter.com)
- ^ @UNRWA (twitter.com)
- ^ #Humanitarianceasefire (twitter.com)
- ^ November 10, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ Muslim (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Labour Party (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ the UK’s response (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Gaza (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ the death toll in Gaza reportedly exceeds 10,000 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ has not only refused to do so (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ sacked a Tory MP calling for one (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Sir Keir Starmer (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ one of his frontbenchers quit (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ British Muslims ‘feel betrayed’ as Sunak and Starmer refuse calls for Gaza ceasefire (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Remembrance Sunday (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Armistice Day (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ First World War (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Treaty of Versailles (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Royal British Legion (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ When is Remembrance Sunday and how is it being observed? (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ November 10, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ pro-Palestine protest (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Armistice Day (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Metropolitan Police (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ “biggest political demonstrations in British history” (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Inside police operation for Armistice Day protests as 1,000 extra officers drafted (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Royal British Legion (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ demonstrators (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ amid a furious row (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ rally (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Armistice Day (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ armed forces (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ right to protest (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Royal British Legion backs pro-Palestine demonstrators’ right to protest (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Palestine (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ London (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ deadly Israel-Gaza conflict (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Metropolitan Police (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Saturday’s pro-Palestine march through London mapped (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ pro-Palestine protesters march through the capital. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ agree to a ceasefire after its bombardment of Gaza. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Suella Braverman (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ urging the Met Police to ban the march. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Far-right groups and football hooligans ‘to descend on London during Palestine march’ (www.independent.co.uk)