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Police Move In as Rival Protests Clash in Central London
(MENAFN) Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators clashed in central London on Wednesday, forcing police to step between the two sides in Russell Square.
British police detained several people from both camps. They had not released a total by the time of publication.
Students from King’s College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University College London (UCL) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) set out from King’s College London in a show of solidarity with Palestinians. They were protesting what they describe as Israel’s genocide in Gaza, now in its third year.
Carrying Palestinian flags, the marchers chanted along the route toward UCL, among them “End the genocide in Gaza” and “Leave the Palestinian people alone.”
The march met a pro-Israel group when it reached Russell Square. Officers moved between the two sides as chants were traded and put security measures in place. Pro-Israel demonstrators reportedly approached students who wanted to press on with the march and shouted insults at them.
The pro-Palestinian organizers later told participants to disperse. The demonstration had been due to end at 2 pm local time (1300GMT) but wrapped up around 1.15 pm (1215GMT), with activists citing security concerns.
One protester told Anadolu that the Home Office had approved the rally. He said people he identified as Israeli soldiers had trailed and harassed demonstrators on London’s streets.
“While we rallying for Palestine to stop the genocide and stop the lobby, Zionist lobby to fund Israel, we been attacked by a few Israeli army soldiers in the street of London, they are fully free. They move fully freely, following us, harassing us, saying words, using all bad words, and us as as as we all know, we’ve been we’ve been rallying for like three years.”
“We have zero crime committed. We are abiding by the law. We have followed every single instruction the police give to us,” he said.
He also claimed that counter-protesters had gathered ahead of time to provoke confrontations and lead to arrests. Despite the clashes, he said, marchers would continue toward the Home Office and would not abandon their cause. Activists have been demonstrating for roughly three years, he said, and will keep rallying for Palestine.
The Metropolitan Police had placed strict conditions on the march and warned that anyone who breached them could be arrested.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met operations including public order policing, said officers could not ban the protest unless the risk of serious disorder was too high to manage through conditions.
“We hear the calls for this event to be banned. The police cannot ban protests and can only ask the Home Secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can’t be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here,” Harman said in a statement Tuesday.
He also dismissed social media claims that the Met had banned other protests, including a UKIP march in Tower Hamlets.
“This will be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London and we know the serious concerns that this event has caused Jewish communities in particular,” Harman said.
“We have imposed stringent conditions on those taking part in this march. These will help us manage the event and minimise serious disruption.”
Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 have killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000. About 90% of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
An October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has not stopped the violence. Israeli attacks since then have killed 1,454 Palestinians and wounded another 5,090, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
British police detained several people from both camps. They had not released a total by the time of publication.
Students from King’s College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University College London (UCL) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) set out from King’s College London in a show of solidarity with Palestinians. They were protesting what they describe as Israel’s genocide in Gaza, now in its third year.
Carrying Palestinian flags, the marchers chanted along the route toward UCL, among them “End the genocide in Gaza” and “Leave the Palestinian people alone.”
The march met a pro-Israel group when it reached Russell Square. Officers moved between the two sides as chants were traded and put security measures in place. Pro-Israel demonstrators reportedly approached students who wanted to press on with the march and shouted insults at them.
The pro-Palestinian organizers later told participants to disperse. The demonstration had been due to end at 2 pm local time (1300GMT) but wrapped up around 1.15 pm (1215GMT), with activists citing security concerns.
One protester told Anadolu that the Home Office had approved the rally. He said people he identified as Israeli soldiers had trailed and harassed demonstrators on London’s streets.
“While we rallying for Palestine to stop the genocide and stop the lobby, Zionist lobby to fund Israel, we been attacked by a few Israeli army soldiers in the street of London, they are fully free. They move fully freely, following us, harassing us, saying words, using all bad words, and us as as as we all know, we’ve been we’ve been rallying for like three years.”
“We have zero crime committed. We are abiding by the law. We have followed every single instruction the police give to us,” he said.
He also claimed that counter-protesters had gathered ahead of time to provoke confrontations and lead to arrests. Despite the clashes, he said, marchers would continue toward the Home Office and would not abandon their cause. Activists have been demonstrating for roughly three years, he said, and will keep rallying for Palestine.
The Metropolitan Police had placed strict conditions on the march and warned that anyone who breached them could be arrested.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met operations including public order policing, said officers could not ban the protest unless the risk of serious disorder was too high to manage through conditions.
“We hear the calls for this event to be banned. The police cannot ban protests and can only ask the Home Secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can’t be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here,” Harman said in a statement Tuesday.
He also dismissed social media claims that the Met had banned other protests, including a UKIP march in Tower Hamlets.
“This will be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London and we know the serious concerns that this event has caused Jewish communities in particular,” Harman said.
“We have imposed stringent conditions on those taking part in this march. These will help us manage the event and minimise serious disruption.”
Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 have killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000. About 90% of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed.
An October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has not stopped the violence. Israeli attacks since then have killed 1,454 Palestinians and wounded another 5,090, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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