London protests LIVE: Arrests made as protesters clash with police on pro-Palestine march

Police made 20 arrests as a crowd of thousands marched through central London on Saturday, sparking clashes that saw protesters climb onto the Battle of Britain memorial, defy face‑covering orders and brandish placards supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action, prompting the Metropolitan Police to invoke Public Order powers amid heightened security concerns surrounding the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

Scope and route of the march

The Palestine Coalition organised a “National March for Palestine” that gathered on the Victoria Embankment at midday, with participants wearing keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags. The procession was required to travel via Westminster Bridge, York Road, Waterloo Bridge and The Strand before converging on Whitehall for a rally that was to conclude by 6.30 pm, as stipulated in the Met’s conditions Lbc reported. A parallel counter‑demonstration called “Stop the Hate”, consisting of about 30 people, assembled outside New Scotland Yard under metal barriers.

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Arrests made as protesters clash with police on pro-Palestine march- live updates

Police conditions and enforcement

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carl Galvin warned that the event, taking place close to the third anniversary of the Hamas‑led terror attack on Israel, “has the potential to have a greater impact on communities than the previous national marches” The Independent noted. Under the Public Order Act, officers were authorised to demand the removal of face coverings that they believed were being used to conceal identity and intimidate. Galvin said:

"We will also be using powers under the Public Order Act requiring anyone in the protest area wearing face coverings to deliberately conceal their identity to remove them,"

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carl Galvin, via LBC

Officers repeatedly asked participants to uncover face masks, and two arrests were recorded for “refusing to remove face coverings when asked by police”.

Arrest breakdown

Metropolitan Police updates posted on X detailed the categories of offence for each of the twenty detainees. The figures, reproduced across The Standard, LBC and Yahoo News UK, are summarised below.

The criminal‑damage arrests followed a “small pockets of violence” when activists surged onto the memorial, some bearing Revolutionary Communist Party flags, according to the Daily Mail. One arrested individual claimed he was detained for “punching an officer in the face”, a claim echoed in footage shared online and referenced by The Standard.

Statements from political figures

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed the Whitehall rally, saying recent sanctions on illegal West Bank settlements were the result of “our demonstrations, our marches” Bournemouth Echo reported. Labour MP John McDonnell and Your Party MP Zarah Sultana also spoke, with McDonnell sharing a photograph of a couple who took wedding pictures amid the march The Standard. Both highlighted a two‑minute silence to remember Gaza casualties since October 7 2023.

Attendance figures and competing narratives

Organisers claimed that “250,000 people have been in attendance” The Standard, a figure that cannot be independently verified and that diverges sharply from the Met’s pre‑event estimate of 7,000–10,000 participants. The Independent noted the police have yet to release a final headcount.

Parallel protests and broader context

What to watch next

• Police will publish a final attendance figure for the National March for Palestine in the coming days.
• The Met is expected to release a detailed report on the use of Public Order powers, including any recommendations for future protest policing.
• A national march in Edinburgh, organized by the same coalition, concluded on Saturday; authorities will assess whether similar enforcement challenges arise there.
• Legal proceedings are pending for those charged with criminal damage, Section 5 offences and threats to kill.

The convergence of large‑scale demonstrations, robust policing measures and a volatile geopolitical backdrop suggests that London’s streets will remain a focal point for activist mobilisation throughout the remainder of the anniversary week, with both authorities and organizers poised to respond to any further flashpoints.