Far-fight counter-protesters clash with police during pro-Palestine march
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Far-right thugs hijacked Armistice Day to attack police at a pro-Palestinian march in central London on Saturday, leading to violent clashes with officers and dozens of arrests.
The Metropolitan Police condemned the “extreme violence” perpetrated by far-right groups as nine officers were injured preventing an “intoxicated, aggressive and confrontational” crowd from storming the Cenotaph.
Assistant commissioner Matt Twist added that a knife, baton and knuckle duster were among the weapons officers confiscated from groups of football hooligans. The Met confirmed that 126 people were arrested throughout the day.
It comes as Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf accused Suella Braverman of encouraging the far-right groups by “fanning the flames of division” and urged her to resign.
Meanwhile, Husam Zumlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, spoke movingly before hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestine supporters at the march as he remembered those who “lost their lives in the war” and those who are “still falling today”.
“Today is a reminder that it is only once the guns fall silent that peace can be achieved,” he said. “This is why we are here today. To call for ceasefire.”
1699763421Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down NYC’s Grand Central StationThousands of pro-Palestinian protesters briefly shut down New York’s Grand Central Station on Friday night as they called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The demonstrators carrying “Free Palestine” and “End the genocide” banners assembled at Colombus Circle at around 5pm before marching through Manhattan’s Midtown district, bringing traffic to a standstill.
The group then surrounded the New York Times building near Times Square, smearing the entrance with fake red paint to resemble blood, before making their way to Grand Central Station.
Bevan Hurley reports.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 November 2023 04:30
1699761621Israel says it struck ‘terror targets’ in SyriaThe Israeli Defence Force said its fighter jets have carried out strikes on “terror infrastructure sites in Syria”.
The strikes were carried out in response to rockets fired several hours ago from Syria toward the Golan Heights.“
A short while ago, in response to the attack toward the Golan Heights yesterday, IDF fighter jets struck terror infrastructure sites in Syria,” Israel’s military posted on Telegram.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 November 2023 04:00
1699759821WHO says it lost contact with staff in Al Shifa as besieged hospital runs out of powerThe World Health Organisation said it has lost communication with its contacts in Al Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, and expressed “grave concerns” for the safety of everyone.
The spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry said that operations in Al Shifa hospital complex, the largest in the Palestinian enclave, were suspended on Saturday after it ran out of fuel.
Doctors Without Borders said the hospital didn’t have electricity, which put the lives of babies and injured adults at risk.
“We have premature babies who need incubators, we have patients in the ICU who need respirators, we have over 600 patients that need medical care,” it wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar12 November 2023 03:30
1699758000The silence of pro-Palestinian protesters was done to make a pointA cacophony of chants subsided as demonstrators were asked to use Armistice Day to remember the thousands who have died in Gaza over the past five weeks, many of whom are children.
Tom Watling reports:
Tara Cobham12 November 2023 03:00
1699754400Far-right protesters throw missiles at police as dozens arrestedThe Metropolitan Police condemned the “unacceptable violence” faced by its officers as more than 90 counter-protesters were detained in mass arrests to prevent a breach of the peace after they attempted to target the rally.
Nationalist groups and football fans engaged in a series of violent confrontations across the capital, throwing beer cans and vapes and charging at officers, although the two minutes’ silence passed undisturbed at the Cenotaph.
Amy-Clare Martin, Crime Correspondent reports:
Tara Cobham12 November 2023 02:00
1699750800Watch: Pro-Palestine protesters surround Michael Gove shouting ‘shame on you!’A group of pro-Palestine protesters surrounded Michael Gove shouting “shame on you!” as he was heading into Victoria Station after the Cenotaph ceremony on Saturday 11 November.
In footage posted on X, the Levelling up secretary was seen walking through the station entrance as Palestinian flags were waved around him and demonstrators called “free Palestine”.
Tension across the capital was on the rise after far-right groups clashed with police in London on the same day that around 300.000 protesters gathered to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas.
Francesca Casonato reports:
Pro-Palestine protesters surround Michael Gove in Victoria StationA group of pro-Palestine protesters surrounded Michael Gove shouting “shame on you!” as he was heading into Victoria Station after the Cenotaph ceremony on Saturday 11 November. In footage posted on X, the Levelling up secretary was seen walking through the station entrance as Palestinian flags were waved around him and demonstrators called “free Palestine”. Tension across the capital was on the rise after far-right groups clashed with police in London on the same day that around 300.000 protesters gathered to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas.
Tara Cobham12 November 2023 01:00
1699747200Far-right thugs shame Braverman at Cenotaph in violent clashes with policeThe mass rally of around 300,000 people in London passed off without a single arrest while more than 90 far-right thugs who turned up to confront them were detained by police after a series of violent clashes.
The home secretary has been accused of inciting the violence by claiming police were biased against right-wing protesters in their refusal to ban the pro-Palestine march.
Read more here:
Archie Mitchell, Political Correspondent12 November 2023 00:00
1699744231Met Police wants to identify people in series of imagesThe Metropolitan Police has released a series of images of people they are looking to identify following Saturday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration.
The force said it is investigating some of the people in the photos in relation to hate crimes.
Tara Cobham11 November 2023 23:10
1699741835Boris Johnson denounces antisemitism by some on pro-Palestinian marchBoris Johnson has denounced antisemitism displayed by some on the pro-Palestinian march.
Without mentioning cases of far-right violence on Armistice Day, the former prime minister said on social media site X: “Almost 80 years after the end of the Second World War it is shocking to hear nakedly anti-Semitic chants on the streets of London today.
“There are people who plainly want to ignore the Hamas massacre of October 7. They want to wipe Israel off the map. That is what they were chanting for today. They must not and will not succeed.
“I thank the police for all their efforts to keep people safe – but we must all do more, because an ancient hatred is rising again in Europe. It must be stamped out.”
Tara Cobham11 November 2023 22:30
1699740916British Transport Police arrest eight peopleBritish Transport Police arrested eight people amid the pro-Palestine protests and counter-protests held across the UK on Saturday.
In a statement posted on X, it said seven arrests have been made in London and one more in Glasgow.
Tara Cobham11 November 2023 22:15
