Rishi condemns violence on day of protests as King to lead Remembrance Day service- latest

Police faced 'unacceptable violence' from counter-protesters at the Cenotaph.

Nov 12, 2023 - 08:40
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Rishi condemns violence on day of protests as King to lead Remembrance Day service- latest
Police officers detain a man in the street close to the 'National March For Palestine' in central London on November 11, 2023, as counter-protest groups are monitored by police close to the route of the main march. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described a planned march in London on Saturday -- Armistice Day, when Britain honours its war dead -- as
The violence at protests in London yesterday close to the Cenotaph has been condemned by the Prime Minister (Picture: AFP)

Rishi Sunak has condemned ‘violent, wholly unacceptable’ actions by far-right groups and ‘Hamas sympathisers’ after protests and clashes in London.

About 300,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched to call for a ceasefire, in the biggest UK rally since the Israel-Gaza war began.

Counter-protesters made up the ‘vast majority’ of 126 arrests on Saturday, police said. Most were to ‘prevent a breach of the peace’.

At around 11am today the King will lead a Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph, just hours after the protests sparked hundreds of arrests in London.

The Metropolitan Police has been under pressure to prevent disruption at events after tensions surrounding Saturday’s pro-Palestine march and counter-protests.

The number of officers on duty in the capital is double the usual amount, with 1,375 officers expected today, and the Cenotaph has a dedicated 24-hour police presence until the conclusion of Remembrance events.