London police arrested six people who showed support for a banned pro-Palestinian group on Saturday and removed demonstrators who gathered despite calls to cancel the protest following a deadly terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester.
Two people were killed in Thursday’s terror attack in the northwestern city. Police shot dead the assailant, Jihad al-Shamie, a British man of Syrian descent, whom counterterrorism officials said may have been inspired by extremist Islamist ideology.
Organizers of Saturday’s protest refused requests from police and the government to cancel the event, which had been planned before the attack, to oppose the banning of the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws.
Starmer calls for calm
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged restraint in a post on X, saying, “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognize and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.”
Police said six people were arrested after unfurling a banner on Westminster Bridge outside Parliament in support of Palestine Action, which was proscribed in July after members broke into an airbase and damaged military planes.
Hundreds gathered for the main protest in Trafalgar Square, where police carried away seated demonstrators who wrote slogans on placards backing Palestine Action. Onlookers shouted “Shame on you” at officers.
The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests, during which hundreds have been arrested for defying the government ban that makes it a criminal offense to show support for Palestine Action.
Police said Saturday’s protests diverted resources from security operations that have been increased around synagogues and mosques following Thursday’s attack.
Defend Our Juries, which organized Saturday’s protest, condemned the attack on Manchester’s Jewish community and urged police to focus on that investigation rather than the demonstration.
Rising hate incidents
Thursday’s attack followed a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain this summer. Pro-Palestinian marches have drawn criticism from Jewish groups, which say some protests have crossed the line into hate speech.
Both Jewish and Muslim communities in Britain have expressed growing fears for their safety.
Israel has been waging war on Hamas in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group carried out a deadly attack on southern Israeli communities two years ago. Israeli strikes killed several people in Gaza on Saturday, even after U.S. President Donald Trump urged a halt to the bombardment following Hamas’ statement that it was ready to release hostages and accept parts of a U.S. cease-fire plan.
Hours after Thursday’s attack, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police outside Starmer’s office, drawing sharp condemnation from Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood, who called their actions “dishonorable and un-British.”