Pro-Palestinian protests on Armistice Day would be provocative, warns PM
Any pro-Palestinian protests planned for Armistice Day would be "provocative and disrespectful", the Prime Minister has warned.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets to call for an immediate ceasefire and a halt to Israel's attacks on Gaza on Saturday 11 November.
But Rishi Sunak said there was a "clear and present risk" that the Cenotaph in London and other war memorials could be desecrated if any protests do go ahead.
Mr Sunak said any such desecration "would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for".
He added: "The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected.
"I have asked the Home Secretary to support the Met Police in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday."
Pro-Palestinian protests have taken place across the country since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has already written to the Mayor of London, Westminster Council and the Metropolitan Police "asking them to look very carefully at the powers that they have and to consider what options they have available".
The Met has vowed to use all its powers to stop the disruption of commemorations and said officers will be deployed across the capital that weekend as part of a "significant policing and security operation".
It said protest groups have not indicated plans to march on Remembrance Sunday on 12 November but a significant demonstration is expected on the Saturday - Armistice Day.
Demo organisers have pledged to avoid the Whitehall area where the Cenotaph war memorial – the focus of national remembrance events – is located.
The Met added: "We're absolutely committed to ensuring the safety and security of anyone attending commemorative events."
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said since the initial attack by Hamas on 7 October, successive weekend protests in central London have been policed by thousands of officers.
This year marks the 105th anniversary since the Armistice was signed in 1918, ending the First World War.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was "incredibly important" that demonstrators understood the importance of Remembrance events, adding that the Met Police was speaking to protest organisers to "make sure they stay away from the Cenotaph".
Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) is preparing to bus protesters from Leicester to London on Saturday and said it expects hundreds of thousands of people to take part.
Spokesman Ismail Patel said: "We definitely will not be at the Cenotaph. We understand the sensitivity of the date."
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
