Woman ‘sexually assaulted’ at pro-Palestinian protest

A woman was sexually assaulted during a pro-Palestine protest in central London earlier this month, it has been alleged.

Scotland Yard is appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened outside a money exchange shop in Coventry Street, Westminster, at around 2.50pm on May 18.

A 69-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault but has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Detectives said the suspect is thought to have been wearing a light blue shirt with a navy zip jacket. He was described as bald, clean-shaven and wearing thick-rimmed black glasses.

The alleged assault occurred while thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through central London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

During the protest, one man led an “intifada revolution” chant and climbed a traffic light, letting off a red smoke bomb, while another carried an imitation coffin bearing offensive language. Both were arrested.

The march took place on the 76th anniversary of the “Nakba” – the word, meaning “catastrophe”, used by Palestinians to describe the events surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel.

Many protesters carried large representations of keys, considered a symbol of properties left behind in 1948.

The authorities allowed the main protest to pass within feet of a hundreds-strong static counter-protest in Piccadilly Circus.

Organised by Enough Is Enough, the counter-demonstration was in part to call attention to what protesters said was inadequate policing of “repeated” hate crimes at the pro-Palestinian protests, which have been taking place weekly since the Oct 7 massacres by Hamas.

Before the protests, the Metropolitan Police said it only had the power to ban demonstrations where there was a risk of serious disorder.