Counter-protestors target pro-Palestine marches across London on Armistice Day. The Metropolitan Police arrested more than 90 people after it faced 'aggression' from counter-protesters before a pro-Palestine march through London.
Get all the latest news and updates throughout the day onThe Metropolitan Police has said 'intense debate about protest and policing' helped 'increase community tensions' before the chaos at Armistice Day which saw more than 100 arrests.
The Metropolitan Police said it made 126 arrests, the 'vast majority' far-right football hooligans who pelted officers with bottles, cans and metal fences after gathering to 'protect the Cenotaph' in Whitehall. Nine officers were injured. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the ugly scenes on Armistice Day 'utterly disrespects' the spirit of remembrance. He said he would meet Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to hold him 'accountable' for dealing with the disturbances.
Mr Sunak said he would be meeting the Met chief, adding: 'All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law. But her incendiary language on 'pro-Palestinian mobs' has angered many, including within the Tory party, with demands for her to go increasing. But he said blanket calls to cancel the rallies and Government attempts to brand protesters they do not agree with as extremists are 'a sign of ministers' cowardice'.
There were clashes throughout the day after hundreds of far-right thugs gathered in Whitehall to 'protect the Cenotaph'In this photo counter-protesters are seen on the left and pro-Palestinians on the right Tory backbencher Danny Kruger said: 'You know what, with the benefit of hindsight, maybe it would have been best if the march today hadn't been allowed to go ahead.'
The force said the injuries took place on Whitehall after the officers were attacked with 'extreme violence' by counter-demonstrators, who were 'were largely football hooligans from across the UK'. '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.
Meanwhile, the Campaign Against Antisemitism said Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is 'failing' Britain's Jews and has 'serious questions to answer' about why the march was allowed to take place. Reports suggested that some people were detained and prevented from leaving the nearby White Swan pub with a heavy police presence outside, including officers on horseback.
Scuffles broke out as police attempted to stop a crowd of people carrying St George's flags marching along Embankment towards Whitehall, where the Cenotaph is located, shortly after 10am. An Armistice Day service took place at the Cenotaph on Whitehall at 11am, which passed off peacefully with a two-minute silence being observed.
As multiple female passengers attempted to intervene and film the encounter, several of the men began verbally abusing them also, continuing to shout 'paedophile'. Police officers detain a man in the street close to the 'National March For Palestine' in central London He said: 'There are a number of groups within this counter-protest who are split off and seem intent on seeking confrontation with the main Palestinian march and the policing operation at the moment is being effective in preventing that happening.'
Clashes then took place between the protesters and police in Westminster, with images showing one of the men grabbing a riot helmet from an officer and holding it aloft triumphantly. A right-wing protester is seen appearing to assault a pro-Palestine protester as a second attempts of interveneMr Twist said the main march involved tens of thousands of people and added: 'This is the biggest march that we've seen in this phase and at the moment there are no issues with it.
Also spotted in the crowds were signs with the slogan 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' which the Home Secretary said has become 'a staple of antisemitic discourse'. A police officer chases a man through the streets of London as part of the Met's operation on SaturdayRight-wing protesters scuffle with police in London's Chinatown after the two minutes silence
An engineer who attended the pro-Palestinian marches in Park Lane, Westminster, described the protests as being 'no better way' to honour Armistice Day. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that hundreds of counter-protest demonstrators had arrived yesterday and 'seemed intent on confrontation and intent on violence'A right-wing protester is detained by police officers in central London
Shortly before the incident, far-right thug Tommy Robinson left the scene in a taxi after earlier leading hundreds of people as they massed at barriers in Whitehall. Two police officers detain a man in central London close to the pro-Palestine march following clashes with right-wing demonstratorsRiot police officers walk at The Mall as pro-Palestine activists march through London yesterdayDemonstrators clash with police in Chinatown as tensions flare on Armistice DayPeople march in Hyde Park to support Palestine amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza
As a bugler signalled the end of the silence applause followed by chants of 'England' erupted from a section of the crowd. This ended as the wreath laying ceremony began. Former army sergeant James Fillery said: 'I am glad that they didn't disrupt the silence. That would have been so disrespectful.
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