Police arrest 82 ‘counter-protesters’ in London as thousands march for Palestine – latest

Hundreds of thousand of people are in attendance at the ‘historic’ march in London today on Armistice Day, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict that erupted last month.

‘We are convinced it will be the biggest demonstration so far over Palestine,’ one of the group’s organisers told reporters.

The march- the route of which goes from Hyde Park to the US embassy in Vauxhall – has so far been peaceful.

However,fights between ‘football hooligans’ and police did break out in Whitehall as around 1000 far-right counter protesters marched on the Cenotaph ahead of a two-minute silence for Armistice Day.

A line of police attempted to stop them from reaching Whitehall but the group pushed through, with some shouting ‘let’s have them’ and ‘England till I die’ as officers hit out with batons.

A few dozen of them climbed the barricades waving St George flags. Many were wearing black balaclavas.

Far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, was seen to be in attendance, and over 80 arrests have been made.

The Met Police drafted in 1,000 extra officers to form a ‘ring of steel’ around the event.