Jewish rally marks second anniversary of October 7 attack - hours after Palestine Action protest arrests

The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BDBJ) announced the event taking place in Trafalgar Square on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s anniversary of the October 7 attacks, which triggered Israel's ongoing offensive on Gaza.

A similar event is also taking place in Manchester, with Israeli flags flown as crowds gathered in the city centre.

Speakers include Sharone Lifschitz, a British Israeli academic and filmmaker and daughter of two former hostages, and Adam Ma’anit, a British-Israeli writer and campaigner. Survivor Shaun Lemel and British-Israeli former hostage Emily Damari will also address the event via video.

The BDBJ said there would be an enhanced police presence and security at the event following the Manchester synagogue terror attack which left two dead.

The second anniversary of Oct 7 comes alongside developments in a peace agreement between Hamas and Israel, proposed by US President Donald Trump.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped to announce the release of the remaining hostages from Gaza “in the coming days”, with indirect talks due to start in Egypt on Monday.

The new proposal comes only weeks after Israeli airstrikes on Qatar, targeting Hamas peace negotiators.

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Following Saturday's Palestine protests, the BDBJ have called for those arrested under the Terrorism Act at Saturday’s protests to be investigated for stirring up racial hatred.

“The crass insensitivity shown by the protesters, more than 400 of whom were arrested for supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation, is an affront to public decency," said the BDBJ in a statement on X.

The Metropolitan Police said 488 arrests were made for supporting the proscribed organisation Palestine Action, including six people who were detained for unfurling a banner backing the proscribed group on Westminster Bridge.

Most of the arrests occurred in Trafalgar Square, where protesters held up placards showing their support.

Those arrested were aged between 18 and 89, according to police, with a total of 492 arrests made throughout the day. The additional numbers included arrests over various other offences.

By Saturday night, 297 remained in custody while the rest had been bailed.

Organisers Defend Our Juries said more than a thousand people had gathered at the central London landmark to hold a silent vigil protesting the proscription while the names of Palestinian children killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict are read out.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures have called the action “phenomenally tone deaf” following Thursday’s killing of two people in the terror attack.

The Met had urged the group to call off its plans, with Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley saying: “By deliberately choosing to encourage mass law-breaking on this scale, Defend Our Juries are drawing valuable resources away from the communities of London at a time when they are needed most.

A similar event held by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine also took place on Saturday, leading Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson toattendees at the protest to “consider whether this is really the right time”.

Police forces have deployed extra officers to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.