Yahoo News Israel-Hamas war: Pro-Palestinian protests in central London - in pictures
Thousands of people have marched in solidarity with Palestine.
Thousands of people have marched in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London.
The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,000 officers to the protest, in which people were marching in solidarity with Palestine and demanding Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian land, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign protesters gathered outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House in Portland Place ahead of the march on Saturday.
Palestine flags and supportive placards were waved as people chanted, with Metropolitan Police and community support officers stationed nearby.
Police had warned that anyone showing support for Hamas or deviating from the route could face arrest.
Waving a proscribed flag in support of Hamas or other proscribed organisations at the protest will be an offence.
The war has claimed thousands of lives since Hamas, proscribed by the UK as a terrorist organisation, launched a brutal incursion on Saturday, with Israel placing the 25-mile Gaza Strip under siege and subjecting it to a torrent of retaliatory air strikes.
The gathering comes as Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza after Israel’s military told them to evacuate ahead of an expected ground invasion.
The UN, human rights groups and others have been among those expressing deep concern about the impact of Israeli action on civilians, as the death toll continues to grow amid airstrikes and a siege on the territory.
Tens of thousands of people gathered for pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the UK, with marchers also filling the streets of Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and other parts of the country.
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The route
A Section 12 was in force from midday covering the demonstration route, which started at Portland Place and finished in Whitehall.
This meant those taking part must observe the route from Portland Place to Regent’s Street, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Police said any person participating in or associated with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest must not deviate from this route, or they could be subjected to arrest.
A Section 13 condition was also imposed from midday on Saturday, ahead of a protest expected to take place on Kensington High Street.
The conditions prohibit an assembly within a designated Section 14 area in Kensington High Street which will be clearly marked by barriers.
Any person assembling there in order to participate in or associate with the London Palestine Protest or Palestine Solidarity Campaign may be subject to arrest.
Watch: London protest: Thousands attend pro-Palestinian march amid escalating Israel-Hamas war
What the protestors say
Katy Colley, who is Jewish, told Sky News: "Palestinians have been screaming for decades. No one has listened."
Saira Ahmad called for an "immediate ceasefire", adding: “[Gazans are] already living in the worst conditions as it is, and now are being made to flee.
“The warnings don't help. Nobody has anywhere to go. It's inhumane.”
Mike, from north-west London, said: "The injustice of the situation is just totally outstanding."
Jeremy Corbyn was among those addressing the crowd, with the former Labour leader urging politicians to condemn Israeli actions in Gaza.
He said: “As we wave the Palestinian flag, let’s hear it for the people of the West Bank, for the people of Gaza, for the people of the refugee camps, and say very bluntly to our political leaders in this country: ‘Do not condone war crimes, do not condone the starvation and the denial of medicine to desperate people in Gaza or anywhere else.’
“If you believe in international law, if you believe in human rights, then you must condemn what is happening now in Gaza by the Israeli army.”
What police say
Deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, who’s in charge of policing the capital this weekend, said: “Our role as an independent and impartial service is to balance the right to lawful protest with potential disruption to Londoners.
“People do not have the right to incite violence or hatred. The law is clear that support for proscribed organisations is illegal.
“Anyone with a flag in support of Hamas or any other proscribed terrorist organisation will be arrested.
“We will not tolerate the celebration of terrorism or death, or tolerate anyone inciting violence.”
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told a press briefing on Friday: “Whilst people have the right to protest, they do not have the right to incite violence, they do not have the right to incite hatred and they do not have the right to commit criminal offences and we will robustly police that situation.”
The Crown Prosecution Service said: "We have been working closely with the police ahead of planned protests in relation to recent events in the Middle East.
"The CPS will have additional staff on call this weekend who will provide round-the-clock charging advice if requested by the police.
"Individuals have the right to lawful protest but if any behaviour goes beyond that into an offence which meets our legal test, we will not hesitate to authorise criminal charges."
Palestinian flags
The home secretary also suggested this week that waving Palestinian flags could be seen as illegitimate in some contexts.
Suella Braverman urged officers to use the “full force of the law” against shows of support for Hamas or bids to intimidate the UK’s Jewish community in the wake of the attack on Israel.
The Cabinet minister set out examples of protest that she said could amount to public order offences, including targeting Jewish neighbourhoods, waving pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas symbols and chanting slogans that could be interpreted as anti-Israeli.
The senior Conservative politician said: “I encourage all chief officers to ensure that any protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviours that could be construed as incitement or harassment, have a strong police presence to ensure perpetrators are appropriately dealt with, and that communities feel protected.”
