Pro-Palestinian protesters plan nationwide march on Remembrance Day
Organisers have called for another pro-Palestinian march on 11 November
Hundreds of thousands have taken part in protests, with around 100 arrested in the past three weeks
The Met Police has called for greater clarity from the Government on policing extremism
Organisers of pro-Palestinian marches amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas are planning to hold a nationwide march on Remembrance Day.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said on X (formerly known as Twitter) that a national protest in support of Palestine would be held on 11 November following similar events over the past three Saturdays.
The latest demonstrations, which were attended by around 100,000 people last Saturday in London, have sparked controversy with home secretary Suella Braverman branding them “hate marches”.
The PSC has said people should this weekend focus on local gatherings before once again expanding the protest the following weekend.
The Met Police would not comment on the upcoming march on 11 November, but said they would share updates closer to the time.
They added they were currently focusing on local demonstrations this weekend, which are set to take place across the country, including in London’s Trafalgar Square.
The PSC wrote on X: “On Saturday 4 November, join an action in your local area to call for a #CeasefireNOW and build for the next National march on November 11.”
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in central London on Saturday as they continued to call for an immediate ceasefire amid an Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.
It followed a similar protest the previous week, where an estimated 100,000 people marched through the capital demanding an end to Israel's war on Hamas.
Police have faced criticism in recent days for not being tougher over slogans shouted by some protesters, including the chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which has been called antisemitic by Braverman.
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On Tuesday, a group of pro-Palestinian activists also staged a sit-in at Liverpool Street station in London.
More than 500 people joined the protest, organised by direct action group Sisters Uncut, to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to arms exports to Israel.
On Tuesday, two people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after two women were seen with images of paragliders on their tops at the London march on 14 October.
Gaza has faced three weeks of unrelenting air strikes from Israel, which were sparked when more than 1,400 people in southern Israel were killed by gunmen from Hamas - the UK-proscribed terrorist organisation which runs Gaza - during its brutal assault on 7 October.
Since then, the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry has said more than 8,525 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, which have caused destruction to civilian neighbourhoods.
In the occupied West Bank, more than 122 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.
Braverman criticised for 'hate marches' comments
Home secretary Braverman's comments accusing hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators of taking part in “hate marches” have been the subject of criticism.
She urged officers to take a “zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism” after attending an emergency Cobra meeting chaired by prime minister Rishi Sunak on Monday.
Following protests earlier this month, she said the "river to the sea" slogan was "widely understood as a demand for the destruction of Israel."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Braverman's description of the pro-Palestinian protests was "posturing" and could divide communities.
Akiko Hart, interim director of the human rights organisation Liberty, told BBC Newsnight the home secretary’s rhetoric was “inflammatory and dangerous”, with ex-home office adviser Nimco Ali adding the comments were "reckless".
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal has defended the "river to the sea" chant, saying it was “a legitimate slogan of liberation”.
'Clarity' needed over extremism
Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Police Commissioner, has called on the government to provide more clarity on the issue of extremism as he faces scrutiny over the handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
Sir Mark has expressed his concern over the legal definitions that limit his officers and has called for a review of how the definition should be policed.
In the meantime, lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are working alongside the police to identify offences.
The Met Police said last week: “There is absolutely no place in London for hate crime.
“Officers will respond to any criminality where they see it and take decisive action, but there may be things not seen in the moment.
“We’ll also be reviewing CCTV and images/video shared by the public to identify offences.”
The Met Police said they would concentrate on the protests this weekend before they issue any statements on the planned 11 November march.
