Police and protesters have clashed in north London after seven people were arrested as part of a counter terrorism investigation.
Five men and two women, aged between 23 and 62, were arrested after an investigation into suspected activity linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK.
The PKK, a militant group founded in southeast Turkey in 1978 with the aim of creating an independent Kurdish state, was banned in Britain in 2001. The group has been involved in a 40-year conflict, leading to more than 40,000 deaths.
British police said they were carrying out searches at eight premises across London, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Harringay, which is likely to be closed to the public for up to two weeks
Members of the Kurdish community and locals light candles arranged to depict the star in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) flag
Reuters
Members of the Kurdish community perform a dance near a Kurdish community centre as a protest earlier today
Reuters
Protesters gathered near the community centre following the first six arrests and additional officers have consequently been deployed to the area, the Met reported.
Four people at the protest were arrested but the arrests were not directly connected to the counter-terrorism probe, it said.
Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “I want to stress that today’s arrests are targeted specifically at those we believe may be involved in suspected terrorist activity We understand these arrests have caused some concern amongst certain local communities – particularly those in the Kurdish community.
“I want to reassure the community that our activity is being carried out to keep everyone safe from potential harm, including those within the Kurdish community itself. I would also ask that people avoid speculating or sharing unverified details online about this activity.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Signs are displayed on a window following a counter terrorism investigation into suspected activity linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party
Reuters
Kurdish people shout as they block barriers from being unloaded and used to stop access to a road leading to a Kurdish community centre
Getty