Protesters clashed with the police at the pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on the eve of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire

Protesters clashed with police at a pro-Palestinian rally in London, with a large group breaking through police lines to reach Trafalgar Square.

Heavy policing was unfortunately put in place to prevent protesters from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign march heading into the central London landmark and targeting the BBC at its headquarters in Portland Police.

As a result, a sit-in demonstration was organized in Whitehall – but problems arose between the protesters and the police, with some demonstrators marching through Trafalgar Square, breaking the police line in the process.

“The group who forced their way through the police line are now being held in the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X. Everyone in that group should now disperse and leave the area. “Anyone who violates the conditions or incites further violations will be arrested.”

So far, seven people have been arrested in this demonstration. One man was arrested on suspicion of holding placards in support of banned organizations, while four people were arrested on suspicion of violating public order and two others on suspicion of violating the conditions set for the protest.

One of the conditions prevents anyone involved in the protest from entering a certain area around Portland.

Protesters hold banners during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in London (Reuters)

A masked protester wearing a Celtic football kit was handcuffed by police and escorted out of a Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) rally in Whitehall, as a large group followed with megaphones and chanted: “Let him go.”

Also at Saturday’s protest, a woman was laid to the ground while a group of police officers appeared to be detaining her, and a large crowd surrounded the officers, shouting: “You are a disgrace,” “Shame on you.” on you” and “let” him go”.

A minor scuffle broke out as police tried to disperse the protesters, before officers took the woman behind some barricades as people continued to chant “let her go”.

The protesters were holding signs that read “Gaza. Stop the killing’ and ‘Don’t arm Israel’, a large group of people marched through Trafalgar Square holding a banner reading ‘Labour, Tories, BBC’. You show the crimes of Russia but hide the crimes of Israel. Why?”

Pro-Israel protesters hold Israeli flags (Reuters)

The demonstration came after police restricted organizers’ plans to march in front of the BBC and near a synagogue.

The Met denied putting a “ring of steel” around the broadcaster as the force said officers would be stationed nearby after protesters planned to target the BBC for a rally in Portland Place.

The force prevented the march from gathering there because of the proximity of the Radio Television House to the synagogue and the risk that the protest could cause “serious disruption” on the Jewish holy day, as congregants attend Shabbat services.

Instead of this protest, a fixed rally was organized in Whitehall.

Hundreds of people gathered for the event, which is held on the eve of the ceasefire agreement (Jeff Moore/PA Wire)

A 61-year-old woman was arrested Friday on suspicion of inciting others to breach the terms of the Public Order Act after she was allegedly heard encouraging other protesters to do so at a Jan. 10 rally, police said.

Ade Adelekan, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, said before the rally that more than 1100 officers are to be deployed, 200 of which are from other forces.

He denied that the Met had placed a steel ring around the broadcast house, saying instead that it was described as “a clear presence of officers in and around the BBC/Portland Place area and surrounding streets”. .

More than half a dozen people have been arrested, police said (Jeff Moore/PA Wire)

On Thursday, Conservative MP Bob Blackman said those defying police orders by deliberately gathering outside synagogues should face the “full force of the law”.

The PSC described the Met’s conditions as “oppressive” and called for their removal from the force.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism claimed in a statement that the pro-Palestinian marches were a “threat” to synagogues.

A spokesman said: “It is a shame that Mutadeen has refused to act on this threat all this time and is only now showing its strength when it looks like the war may be over.”

“The least he can do is see this symbolic gesture and finally limit these marches to sit-in protests, as we have been insisting for over a year.”