Police arrest 492 people at pro-Palestine protest after organisers refused to call it off
Sir Keir Starmer insisted that now is 'not a time to stoke tension' and the Home Secretary urged organisers to postpone the rally following the synagogue terror attack earlier this week.
Police made hundreds of arrests as pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets of Central London - despite calls from the government to call off the rally following the synagogue terror attack earlier this week.
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The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a total of 493 people had been arrested during protests in London in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action.
Earlier on Saturday several people were arrested after a banner was draped on Westminster Bridge in support of banned group Palestine Action.
The force said: “Officers were quickly on scene, the banner had been removed and the six people involved have been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation.”
Further protesters were arrested - including a Vicar, who was sat with her eyes closed and holding a poster which said “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
Some campaigners sang protest song We Shall Not Be Moved and holding Palestine flags.
A different group of protesters gathered in Whitehall and blocked the road before trying to march towards Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, the force said.
It added that officers intervened in the splinter protest group, with images shared by the force showing a crowd of people gathered round the Cenotaph and Women of World War II memorial in Whitehall.
Read more: Police arrest three more over Manchester synagogue terror attack
It follows calls from Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday, echoing the views of Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley and the Home Secretary, who urged for protests to be called-off in the wake of Thursday's terror attack on a Manchester synagogue.
An organiser for Defend Our Juries, the organisation behind the protest, said she estimates that around 700 people took to Trafalgar Square showing their support for banned Palestine Action.
Largely peaceful, protesters were seen to sit down, before producing signs and placards showing support for banned group Palestine Action.
Two elderly men were seen being carried by each limb by officers as crowds clapped and cheered.
The arrests made by police in Trafalgar Square relate to the supporting the prescribed terrorist organisation, with Met officers seen carrying away those expressing support for the group.
A blind man carrying a cane and his partner were also arrested in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, with the pair holding signs supporting banned group.
It comes as a second separate protest got underway in Manchester.
Pro-Palestine supporters began their march through Manchester, banging drums and chanting “Free Palestine!”, a group of counter-protesters got ahead of them, marching in front and holding a flag saying “F*** Hamas” and shouting “release the hostages”.
City of London police officers have arrived to support the Metropolitan Police.
It comes as a chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation has claimed “enough is enough” as she said officers policing another protest in London are “emotionally and physically exhausted”.
In a statement released on Saturday, the PM said: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews."
"This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.
"We are a country that welcomes all people, no matter…"
Officers have begun making arrests in Trafalgar Square where people are displaying placards in support of Palestine Action.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 4, 2025
The square is busy, but quite a few people in the crowd appear to be observing/supporting but not carrying placards themselves. pic.twitter.com/M0pYAZmGh6
The rally began in London at just after 1pm on Saturday, with protesters in Trafalgar Square clapping before sitting down.
They chanted “free, free Palestine” and some began writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, while others held pre-written signs.
A woman in blue scrubs stood in the crowds with a sign reading “nurse against genocide”.
It comes as Shadow Home Secretary has suggested that police powers should be strengthened to ban “disgraceful” Pro-Palestine protests in the wake of Thursday's Manchester synagogue attack.
The protest in London coincides with a separate pro-Palestine rally taking place in Manchester on Saturday.
Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp added that police "don't have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues".
Tory Cabinet minister Chris Philp said he would “go further than saying simply they should step back” during an interview on Saturday, telling LBC that "protests planned for today should not go ahead".
It comes as organisers of Saturday's pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for central London insist the rally will go ahead.
Ms Mahmood branded Thursday's protests "un-British" after more than 40 arrests were made in the wake of the terror attack.
The Prime Minister has urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures have called the action “phenomenally tone deaf”.
It comes as Adam Ma'anit - a British-Israeli whose relative was murdered on October 7 - told LBC: "It's been a very difficult week for Jews as a whole, after Heaton Park as well, and we're coming up to the October 7th anniversary.
"A few days ago, we were marking the birthday of Ma'ayan, who was murdered on October 7 - she had just been celebrating her 18th birthday and the balloons from her birthday party were still up in the house when the terrorists came in and shot her dead and died in her father's arms.
"So it's been a very difficult week for us as a family, but one of the sort of silver linings, one of the sort of small glimmers of hope we've been holding on to, is that we can channel some of whatever energy we have left to fight for the remaining hostages, including our neighbour Omri, who was taken with Tsachi into captivity."
I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 4, 2025
This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.
We are a country that welcomes all people, no matter…
Defend Our Juries says it will still happen adding police are welcome to distribute their resources elsewhere.
The group claimed: "Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win."
They added they "stood in solidarity" with the Jewish community over the fatal attack on a synagogie in Manchester on Thursday.
Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp continued: "Firstly, out of respect for the families of those victims in Manchester of the appalling terrorist attack on Thursday while they're grieving, I think proceeding with protests of this kind is completely wrong.
"And secondly, the police, both in Manchester and London, have said they don't have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues.
"So for those two reasons, I do call on the organisers to call off these protests."
A similar event held by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which has taken place regularly in the last two years, is also due to happen.
More than 1,500 people are expected in Trafalgar Square.
Earlier, the Prime Minister urged those attending protests this weekend to "respect the grief of British Jews".
The former home secretary Amber Rudd's told LBC she agrees with the current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that pro-Palestine protests at the moment are "un-British".
Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, Sir Keir said: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week.
"This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain."
Meanwhile Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and urged the Government to "fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests".
Read more: Manchester synagogue attacker was on bail for alleged rape
Officers have been deployed to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.
Both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have raised concerns about the strain on police resources during the protests and called for organisers to cancel them.
On Friday, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson urged would-be attendees at the protest to "consider whether this is really the right time".
He added: "You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community."
The previous two events have seen a total of 1,422 people arrested, the majority for supporting a proscribed organisation.
A Defend Our Juries spokesman said: "It couldn't be clearer that tomorrow's action, which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue, is about defying the Government's absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the Government's complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.
"Yesterday's attack was actual terrorism and we join others across the country in condemning it unreservedly and we urge the Home Secretary and the police to prioritise protecting the community, instead of arresting entirely peaceful protesters.
"Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.
"It's more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all."
