Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell agreed to voluntary police interview after pro-Palestine rally

19 January 2025, 23:50 | Updated: 19 January 2025, 23:57

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP John McDonnell agreed to be interviewed under caution by police following a pro-Palestinian rally in central London on Saturday.

Police said a group of protesters, led by Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos and political activist Lindsey German, 'forced their way through a police line'.

Corbyn, 75, the former Labour leader and current MP for Islington North, and McDonnell, 73, who represents Hayes and Harlington, denied this, and Corbyn described it as "not an accurate description of events at all."

Both men have reportedly agreed to be interviewed by police after arrests were made at a pro-Palestine rally.

The MPs, who were pictured at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protest on Saturday, both sit in Parliament as independents.

The Metropolitan Police said three men, aged 75, 73 and 61, had agreed to attend voluntarily at a police station in central London to be interviewed under caution on Sunday afternoon.

Responding to a claim by the police that the protesters ‘forced their way through’ police lines, Corbyn said: “This is not an accurate description of events at all.

“I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed.

“This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through.”

In the post on X, Corbyn called for the police to release their bodycam footage of the events, and “retract its misleading account of events.”

John McDonnell also responded to the Metropolitan Police’s post, and said: “I spoke at demo & was part of a procession of speakers aiming to go to BBC to lay flowers commemorating the death of Palestinian children.

“We did not force our way through, the police allowed us to go through & when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down & dispersed.

McDonnell said he had a conversation with a police officer where he explained their intention, and called for that police officer to release their bodycam footage.

He added: “Regrettably, soon after I had explained to the police officer our intentions & we awaited the arrangements to lay the flowers, bizarrely the police violently arrested one of the march stewards, who was organising the presentation of the flowers & the dispersal of the crowd.”

Corbyn declined to comment when contacted by the PA news agency. Mr McDonnell has also been approached for comment.

Nine other people have been charged with public order offences following the protest.

The Metropolitan Police arrested 77 people at the protest - the highest number across more than 20 national PSC protests since October 2023.

Some 65 people were detained for a breach of conditions, five for public order offences, two for obstructing police, one for supporting a proscribed organisation, one for inciting racial hatred, one for common assault, one for assault on an emergency worker and one for sexual assault.

The force said on Sunday that 24 people have been bailed and 48 remain in custody.

Mr Corbyn's brother Piers Corbyn, 77, of Elephant and Castle, south-east London, has been charged with a public order offence.

Eight other people have been charged with public order offences.

They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in the coming days, police said.

Commander Adam Slonecki said: "Yesterday we saw a deliberate effort, including by protest organisers, to breach conditions and attempt to march out of Whitehall.

"This was a serious escalation in criminality and one which we are taking incredibly seriously. Officers have worked around the clock to pursue those involved."