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Hundreds of people gathered in London on Sunday for a pro-Palestinian demonstration that had been banned by the government after police said it was organised by a group “supportive of the Iranian regime”.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that 12 individuals were arrested, adding that officers were investigating anti-Israeli chants allegedly made during the rally.
Earlier in the week, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she approved the ban in order to “prevent serious public disorder” amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, where Iran has launched strikes in retaliation for a US-Israeli offensive.
It marked the first time a protest march in the British capital had been prohibited since 2012, although a static demonstration was permitted, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Police kept demonstrators and counter-protesters apart by directing them to assemble on opposite sides of the River Thames, close to the Palace of Westminster.
Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on the south side of the river, waving flags and holding placards with slogans such as “Stop Israeli war crimes”, referring to Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
“What has happened to the Palestinians is so unjust,” said pensioner Jean Apps, 81, from Purley in south London.
“And now I am here also because of the illegal attacks on Iran. I know Iran is not perfect, but the Iranian people should be left to sort out their own problems,” she told AFP.
Arrests and chants
Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said police had made 12 arrests “including for showing support for a proscribed organisation, affray and threatening or abusive behaviour”.
“We are also investigating chants made by a speaker” at the protest, which coincided with Al‑Quds Day, an annual pro-Palestinian rally, he added in the police statement.
Videos circulating online showed protesters chanting, “Death to the IDF”, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
“We recognise the concern footage and chanting like this causes, particularly with London’s Jewish communities,” the Metropolitan Police wrote on X.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the NGO that organises the annual Al-Quds Day march, criticised the decision to ban the event, describing the move as “politically charged”.
The march was an “international demonstration… in support of Palestinians and all the oppressed around the world”, the group said after the ban was announced.
Across the river, counter-demonstrators waved American and Israeli flags alongside the Lion and Sun Iranian flag commonly used by Iranian exiles.
They chanted, “Long live the king”, referring to Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last shah, who was overthrown during the Iranian Revolution.
“We are supporting the king of Iran; we are asking America and Israel to help us eliminate the IRGC,” said Shiva, a 37-year-old Iranian chef living in London, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“They don’t care about the people; they are just killing us. It’s a cruel regime.”
