Pro-Palestine protesters have begun marching towards the Israeli embassy in London to demand a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.
Thousands of activists started marching from Regent Street St James shortly after 1:30pm on Saturday, making their way towards Kensington Road, where a rally with speeches will then take place.
The National March for Palestine, which has been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, is set to conclude by 5pm at the latest, following restrictions imposed by the Met.
The force had originally set out stricter conditions for the rally to begin at 2:30pm instead, which saw organisers accuse Scotland Yard of deliberately trying to ‘deter people from attending’.
However the timings were later changed after another event, which was taking place along the protest route, was cancelled, with the PSC claiming it as a ‘major victory in defence of the democratic right to protest’.
Police stand as people gather to attend a pro-Palestine protest in London on Saturday September 7
Thousands of activists started marching from Regent Street St James shortly after 1:30pm on Saturday
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said after the change of plan on Friday: ‘The risk-assessment process in relation to planned events is dynamic and takes into account the constantly changing picture across London.
‘Conditions were imposed to mitigate concerns from communities, including in relation to a specific event which would have clashed with the intended route of the march.
‘The last-minute decision to cancel one of the other pre-planned events means we have reviewed the conditions imposed on the march – this in line with our legal obligation to balance the lawful right to protest and the risk of serious disruption to the wider community.’
Following the changes, the PSC said in a statement: ‘With less than 24 hours to go, the Metropolitan Police has dropped its attempt to frustrate our national march for Palestine. Tomorrow we will march to the Israeli Embassy as planned.’
It added: ‘Following a week of argument and attempts to bully and intimidate the demonstration organisers, the police have now agreed that protesters will assemble from 12 noon, at Regent Street St James’s as we had originally intended.
The PSC shared this image of Saturday protest route on X. The march will start in Regent Street St James and end along Kensington Road
A woman looks on as people gather to attend a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday
‘Previous conditions that were imposed in a wholly unjustified attempt to prevent us from doing so have now been rescinded.’
The campaign group said the restrictions were an ‘unacceptable curtailment of our right to demonstrate peacefully’.
Saturday’s march is the first to be organised by the PSC in the capital for over two months with the last protest having taken place in July.
Protesters have been prevented from entering the street where the Israel embassy is located.
