Metropolitan Police in London arrests one of organizers of pro-Palestine march
Date
1/21/2025 6:37:19 AM
(MENAFN) The Metropolitan Police in London arrested one of the organizers of the pro-Palestine march on Saturday after restrictions were imposed, preventing protesters from heading towards the BBC headquarters. The organizers refuted claims made by the police that demonstrators attempted to break through barricades to reach the BBC after the protest ended in Whitehall. According to police, 77 individuals were arrested during the demonstration, which organizers claimed attracted 100,000 participants. Among those detained was Chris Nineham, the vice president of the Stop the War coalition and chief organizer of the National Protest for Palestine. Footage from Middle East Eye showed Nineham being surrounded by riot police and forced into a police van after a small group of protesters attempted to lay flowers in Trafalgar Square to honor Palestinian children who had died.
The crowd chanted "Shame on you" and "Liberate Palestine" as police detained Nineham. The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation, accusing organizers of leading a "coordinated effort" to breach the conditions of the protest. Commander Adam Slonecki, overseeing the operation, stated that video footage clearly showed one of the organizers encouraging the crowd to march, and added that a participating organization confirmed this. He also pointed to the suspicious timing of camera crews arriving at Portland Place while the group was trying to breach police lines, suggesting it was not a coincidence.
Tensions ran high on Saturday after police imposed last-minute restrictions on the protest, despite organizers having agreed on the route with authorities months prior. A coalition of human rights groups had announced the original route of the march on November 30, with key restrictions involving a ban on starting the march outside the BBC due to its proximity to a synagogue. Protest organizers stated that leaders, speakers, and members of the Jewish Bloc planned to silently march toward the BBC headquarters.
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