Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
The Met is preparing for a busy three days of protests and events, with additional officers being brought in from elsewhere in the country to bolster resources in London.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation, said: “This is going to be a particularly busy few days in London with many simultaneous protests and events that will require a significant policing presence. I’m grateful not just to the Met officers who will be working incredibly hard over the coming days but to those colleagues from other forces who have been deployed to London to support us.
“Our role in the context of protest remains as it always has been – to police without fear or favour, to enforce the law, to keep the peace by ensuring groups with opposing views do not come together and to prevent serious disorder and serious disruption to ordinary people going about their lives.
“There is no doubt that the scale of the public order policing operation will put pressure on our resources, but Londoners can be assured that we have plans in place that will allow us continue to police in communities across all 32 boroughs, responding to emergencies and keeping the public safe.”
Friday 8 August
On Friday afternoon, officers will be deployed in the vicinity of hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers in Islington and in Canary Wharf in anticipation of possible protest and counter protest.
Officers will also be policing a number of local protests in opposition to continued Israeli military action in Gaza. These are due to take place in Tower Hamlets, in Putney and in Westminster where, last week, a protest organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) saw 36 arrests after a breakaway group attempted to block the road at Oxford Circus.
Saturday 9 August
On Saturday the latest national demonstration by the Palestine Coalition, made up of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and other groups, will take place with a march from Russell Square to Whitehall followed by an assembly with speeches. We are not aware of an organised counter protest at this event.
Also on Saturday we are anticipating another protest in Parliament Square organised by Defend Our Juries where participants are expected to intentionally break the law by holding up placards expressing support for the proscribed group Palestine Action. Previous such protests have seen more than 100 arrests made in total.
DAC Adelekan said: “What sets this protest apart from others is participants are coming out not just to express a view, but with the aim of being arrested in very large numbers to place a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system.
“The Met is very experienced at dealing with large scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.
“Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome. An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.”
Sunday 10 August
On Sunday, the FA Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace will take place at Wembley. We anticipate that a number of Crystal Palace fans will gather in central London ahead of the match and we will have officers deployed in the area to deal with any incidents.
On Sunday afternoon, from 3pm, there will be a ‘National March for the Hostages’ in central London organised by Stop the Hate and a number of Jewish organisations. There will be a policing and security operation in place to ensure the safety of participants.
Officers will again be deployed in Canary Wharf in anticipation of a planned protest and possible counter protest relating to the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.
Public Order Act conditions
The police have a duty to prevent serious disruption and serious disorder and can impose conditions under the Public Order Act to do so. These conditions can include measures like fixed start and finish times, required routes for marches and areas for static assemblies etc.
Conditions can be authorised by the Gold Commander ahead of a protest, or by the senior officer present on the ground during a protest.
At this stage, Public Order Act conditions have only been imposed in relation to the Palestine Coalition protest on Saturday. It is likely that conditions will be imposed on other protests in the coming days. These will be communicated proactively on the Met’s X account.
Section 14(3) Public Order Act 1986
Anyone participating in the Palestine Coalition protest on Saturday, 9 August (also referred to as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest or National March for Palestine) must remain in the shaded area on the map below when forming up.
The form up must not begin before 12 noon and anyone taking part must not arrive before then.
Participants in the procession must not deviate from the route shown on the map below. They must not stop and form static assemblies anywhere along the route.
Participants in the assembly that follows the procession must remain in the area shown on the map below. The stage for the assembly must be placed at the point identified on the map. The assembly must conclude by 17:30hrs.