Central London turned into a scene of simultaneous security and political mobilization on Saturday afternoon, as a massive pro-Palestinian march began from Exhibition Road towards Pall Mall, to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Nakba and to reject the rise of the extreme right, at a time when supporters of the extreme right-winger Tommy Robinson demonstrated under the slogan “Unite the Kingdom.”
The Metropolitan Police deployed around 4,000 officers, supported by helicopters, drones, mounted units, police dogs, and armed vehicles, in addition to live facial recognition technology, as part of a plan aimed at separating the two demonstrations and preventing any clashes.
Police announced via the “X” platform that they had arrested two men in the vicinity of Euston station who were wanted on suspicion of involvement in a case of grievous bodily harm, following a hit-and-run incident in Birmingham, after they arrived in London to participate in the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration.
The march is being organized at the invitation of several organizations, including “Stand Up Against Racism”, “Palestine Solidarity Campaign”, “Stop the War Coalition”, “Friends of Al-Aqsa”, “Palestinian Forum in Britain”, “Muslim Association of Britain”, and “Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament”.
The organizers stressed that the march comes to commemorate the Nakba, during which more than 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes, and to demand the right of return and to stop British complicity in the Israeli war on Gaza, in addition to rejecting the rhetoric of racism and the extreme right.
According to the announced arrangements, the march will proceed through Cromwell Gardens, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly and St. James Street, before ending in the Pall Mall area of central London.
Organizers urged participants to move in groups and avoid Euston, King's Cross, Parliament Square, and Whitehall, where Robinson's supporters were expected to pass. Police also established buffer zones between the two marches, including one around Trafalgar Square.
Leaders, activists, and professional figures from the Arab and Palestinian communities in Britain had sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the march, demanding that equal protection be guaranteed for participants, amid fears of far-right threats.
The signatories said that Britons of Palestinian and Arab origin are living in a state of high anxiety, demanding a clear security plan and recognition of the Nakba commemoration as a legitimate period of mourning for a part of the British fabric, not just a “security problem.”
The Guardian reported that police have been granted expanded powers, including additional search and arrest procedures, amid fears of violence or clashes between protesters, particularly given the expected participation of tens of thousands in the two demonstrations. British reports also indicated that security services fear groups of football fans might join the protests, potentially escalating tensions in central London.
The Nakba and the right to demonstrate
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign confirmed that the march was to commemorate the Nakba, which saw more than 750,000 Palestinians expelled from their homes, and to reaffirm the commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of return for refugees, and to demand an end to what it described as the British government’s complicity in the Israeli war of extermination.
The organizers stressed that the demonstration combines solidarity with Palestine on the anniversary of the Nakba with confronting the rise of the extreme right, calling on unions and anti-racist movements to participate.
Demands for equal protection
The signatories of the letter called for three essential steps: ensuring equal protection for Arabs and Palestinians, developing a clear security plan for the Nakba commemoration in London, and recognizing the Nakba as a legitimate period of mourning for a part of the British fabric, not merely as a “security problem.”
Adnan Hamidan, head of the “Arabs in Britain” platform, told that the letter “is not a request for special privileges,” but rather a demand that Arabs and Palestinians in Britain be treated with the same level of protection and security. For his part, Sabah Al-Mukhtar, head of the “Arab Lawyers Association,” said that protecting Arabs and Palestinians in Britain is “an inherent right that is not subject to negotiation or postponement.”
