At least 300,000 individuals marched within the British capital on Saturday demanding an instantaneous ceasefire in Gaza. London Metropolitan Police reported a minimum of 126 arrests amid clashes with counter protesters wherein good officers have been injured.

The largely peaceable crowds have been chanting “free Palestine”, “ceasefire now” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” as they marched by means of the streets of London. The largest thus far demonstration coincided with the annual Armistice Day commemorations.

Ahead of the pro-Palestinian march, a bunch of right-wing protesters, primarily consisting of soccer hooligans from throughout the UK, arrived in central London on a pretense of defending monuments, however “were already intoxicated, aggressive and clearly looking for confrontation,” assistant commissioner Matt Twist mentioned in an announcement.

The violent crowd, chanting “you’re not English any more” hailed abuses on the officers, who have been defending the Cenotaph and stopping them from confronting the pro-Palestinian activists.

“Nine officers were injured during the day, two requiring hospital treatment with a fractured elbow and a suspected dislocated hip. Those officers were injured on Whitehall as they prevented a violent crowd getting to the Cenotaph while a remembrance service was taking place,” police mentioned, including that “the extreme violence from the right wing protestors towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning.”

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march, which the organizers themselves estimated to be a minimum of 500,000 sturdy, “did not see the sort of physical violence carried out by the right wing,” in keeping with police, though a fringe group of some 150 masked individuals was intercepted whereas firing fireworks. Several arrests have been made “after some of the fireworks struck officers in the face,” police mentioned.

The unrest follows the talk earlier this week whether or not the pro-Palenstian protest needs to be permitted on Armistice day, that’s historically noticed within the UK by a two-minute silence in the course of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh marking the top of WWI in 1918.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman was accused of fuelling the tensions by branding pro-Palestinian demonstrations as “hate marches,” whereas accusing the police of bias for letting the rally go forward. 

London Mayor Sadiq Khan mentioned that the clashes have been “encouraged and emboldened” by senior politicians “like the Home Secretary” and have been a “direct result” of her phrases. 

The Prime Minister, Rich Sunak condemned the violence and hatred from each side and known as for the nations “to come together” to recollect “those who fought and died for our freedom.”

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