A planned pro-Palestine march scheduled to take place tomorrow on the anniversary of the October 7 massacre by Hamas will go ahead, as police place a series of restrictions on the demonstration rather than lobby the Home Secretary to ban the event.
A student march is planned in central London on Wednesday, with attendees expected to march from the King’s College London area in the Strand to University College London in Russell Square, Holborn.
The protest faced calls to be cancelled, citing concerns about serious disruption, the impact of the protest on Jewish communities, and activist group Palestine Action being proscribed.
DAC Harman said the legal threshold for seeking a ban on the march had not been met.
He said: “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.
“Comments on social media that we banned other protests, such as a UKIP march in Tower Hamlets, are incorrect.”
The police also addressed questions over whether the demonstration itself is illegal, as official organisers have not been identified.
Under the conditions, demonstrators must assemble in a designated area of Lincoln’s Inn Fields by 12.30pm, before following a strict route to Russell Square.
The police said official organisers have not been identified and the threshold for seeking a ban had not been met
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GETTYThe rally must conclude by 2pm, when participants will be required to disperse.
The conditions also prohibit participants from wearing face coverings that conceal their identity. Anyone breaching the restrictions can be arrested.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met Operations, including public order policing, said: “This event is being held on the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the start of the ensuing conflict in Gaza.
“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.
“We have imposed stringent conditions on those taking part in this march. These will help us manage the event and minimise serious disruption.
“Anyone who breaches these conditions or commits offences should be under no illusion they will face arrest. We have zero tolerance for hate crime and those who chant or display placards calling for intifada or encourage unlawful extremism will be arrested.
“We have been asked whether the student march is illegal, as under Section 11 of the Public Order Act organisers must provide a name and address to police.
“While we can identify the groups involved in organising the protest from their social media posts, we have not yet identified any specific individual prepared to accept that they are the organiser of this demonstration.
“Under the law, the failure of an organiser to identify themselves does not mean that the specific legal criteria for a ban of a procession is met. Once we have identified the organisers, we can consider offences under Section 11.”
DAC Harman also urged students to reconsider attending the protest, adding: “I would like to take this opportunity – again – to call on anyone intending to join this march to please reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant date, and exercise your right to protest on a different day.”
A separate student protest is also planned at Marble Arch between 1pm and 4pm. The Met said conditions would require that demonstration to take place away from Marble Arch, citing concerns about people attending nearby synagogues.
The established route for the main march is Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Remnant Street, Kingsway, Southampton Row and Russell Square. Participants must remain within designated areas during the assembly and rally and must not deviate from the route.