Over 200 arrested at London pro-Palestinian protest
"We've now arrested 150 people in Parliament Square. While many of those remaining in the Square are media and onlookers, there are still people holding placards supporting Palestine Action," the Metropolitan Police Service said in an update on X.
"Officers are steadily working through the crowd making further arrests," added ahead of an update that confirmed the more-accurate arrest count.
"We're aware of a statement by Defend Our Juries (the organizers of today's protest) claiming we were only to arrest 'a fraction' of those breaking the law in Parliament Square this afternoon," the Met said on X.
"That claim simply isn't true. We estimate there were 500 to 600 people in Parliament Square when the protests began, but many were onlookers, media, or people not holding placards in support of Palestinian Action.
"We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a placard expressing support for Palestinian Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested."
Officials said they are prepared for three days of similar demonstrations in the city, which has a population of around 9 million people.
A majority of the protestors are reportedly members of Palestine Action. The British government in July deemed the pro-Palestinian group a terrorist organization. A conviction for membership in the group can carry a 14-year prison term.
Police from other jurisdictions are being brought in to deal with the expected crowds over the weekend.
"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," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said in a statement.
"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."
The demonstrations come days after Israel's security cabinet this week voted to approve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take over control of Gaza.
Netanyahu later said the Israel Defense Forces would "free Gaza from Hamas" but that the military would not occupy the Palestinian enclave.
The plan has drawn international criticism, with several international leaders voicing their concerns this week.
"The Israeli Government's plan for a complete military takeover of the occupied Gaza Strip must be immediately halted," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement Friday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday his government is suspending further military exports to Israel over the latter's desire to take control of the Gaza Strip.
I wonder where they were on Oct 8th, 2023?
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