In a thinly veiled swipe at the Home Secretary, Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said intelligence sources did not justify banning a rally on Armistice Day.
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said intelligence sources did not justify a banScotland Yard last night gave the green light to a pro-Palestine rally on Armistice Day as its top cop claimed it had 'no absolute power' to ban the protest.
They have also defied Rishi Sunak, who said the event was 'disrespectful', and Suella Braverman, who called it a 'hate march'. Sir Mark said he could not ban Saturday's demonstration simply because people felt it should not take place. 'The laws created by Parliament are clear. There is no absolute power to ban protest, therefore there will be a protest this weekend,' he insisted.
READ MORE HERE: DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Weak Met has fuelled this Armistice unrest Advertisement 'Should this change, we've been clear we will use powers and conditions available to us to protect locations and events of national importance at all costs,' Sir Mark said. The Mail can reveal that groups of football hooligans are planning to join forces to 'protect' the Cenotaph from any protesters who veer off their official route.
'It is very likely we will see violence and serious disruption to Armistice Day events, and we have already seen attacks on poppy sellers,' he said. 'I am surprised the police have not already banned the march.' 'I have particular concern toward our elderly veterans for whom travelling to London once a year is an important part of their remembrance and have expressed genuine fears to me around their ability to travel to London, particularly through our rail stations, unmolested,' he said.
Organisers, who have pledged to keep away from Whitehall and the Cenotaph, will not start their demonstration until 12.45pm, almost two hours after the two-minute silence. The route will take them from Hyde Park – about a mile from the Cenotaph – to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames. 'However, we emphasise that they had and have a responsibility to withstand that pressure and act to uphold democratic freedoms including the right to protest,' a spokesman added.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Met Police chief says he’s powerless to stop pro-Palestine rally on Armistice Day...BRITAIN’S top cop threw down the gauntlet to Suella Braverman last night saying he was powerless to ban pro-Palestine Armistice Day marches. Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley says the threshold to c…
Read more »
Pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day not yet reached threshold for ban, says Met Police chiefThe prime minister and home secretary have condemned the march amid fears some protesters could cause trouble in London and deface memorials.
Read more »
Stalemate As Met Police Urges Protesters To Delay Pro-Palestine March On Armistice DayGraeme Demianyk is a news editor at HuffPost UK, and is based in New York. As well as being night new editor, he has written extensively on the Grenfell tower disaster and the UK's housing crisis.
Read more »
'No absolute power' to stop pro-Palestine protests on Armistice Day, Met Police saysSir Mark Rowley resisted pressure heaped on the force by politicians to try to block the gathering in London on Saturday.
Read more »
Met Police consider banning pro-Palestine march on Armistice DayThe Palestine Solidarity Campaign is planning a major pro-Palestine demonstration on Saturday following a number of large-scale protests in the capital.
Read more »
Met asks pro-Palestinian protesters to 'urgently reconsider' Armistice Day marchAhead of a planned demonstration in London on Saturday, Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan says 'the risk of violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups is growing'.
Read more »