'Flares and bottles' thrown as protesters clash with police at pro-Palestine march in London - as cops arrest seven

Flares and bottles were thrown at police at a pro-Palestinian march in London amid rising tensions in Israel and Gaza.

Police arrested seven people today as up to 50,000 protesters were warned to avoid the Israeli embassy in Kensington High Street.

Police and protesters clash near Trafalgar Square during the March for Palestine in LondonCredit: PA

Seven people were arrestedCredit: PA

Up to 50,000 people joined pro-Palestinian protests in LondonCredit: PA

Protesters in Manchester brought their children with themCredit: PA

Protesters during the March for Palestine in London todayCredit: PA

Police officers in London were out in force to ensure a peaceful marchCredit: Alamy

Many waved flags and held signs in support of PalestineCredit: PA

A protester holds a colored smoke canister in London. Credit: Reuters

A young Palestinian supporter at a rally in the capital Credit: Getty

The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,000 officers to patrol the area during the march.

An estimated 50,000 people marched in London alone in solidarity with Palestine and demanding Israel stop bombing Gaza.

The police officer revealed this evening that seven people had been arrested.

Four are suspected of violating Article 60AA, two of them for misdemeanors against public order and peace, and one of them for the criminal offense of injury.

And the police say that “there were small disturbances” with “torches, bottles and fireworks” being thrown at the officers.

It comes in response to Hamas’ sickening terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of 1,300 people.

In the latest war between Israel and Hamas, at least 3,500 people were killed on both sides.

On October 7, the Palestinian terrorist organization carried out an unprecedented surprise attack.

Protesters met in Portland Place at 12 noon, before marching across London and finishing in Whitehall at 3pm.

Scotland Yard has warned that anyone who deviates from the marked route or is caught supporting Hamas could be arrested.

The Met warned on X, formerly Twitter, that a section 12 had been approved from midday on Saturday in the relevant area.

THREATS OF ARREST

A Met Police statement said: “Any person participating in or associated with the ‘Palestine Solidarity’ protest must not deviate from the route below or face arrest.”

Protesters waved Palestinian flags and placards reading “Free Palestine” as they gathered in the capital, surrounded by hundreds of police.

One woman, wearing a red coat, was seen holding a sign reading “ethnic cleansing is not self-defense.”

While another with a scarf around his face held the container aloft as colored smoke billowed behind them.

Fireworks were set off by members of a pro-Palestinian crowd amid protests in London.

Mounted police watched as a police helicopter circled above the demonstration.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said a “very significant policing operation” was underway with more than a thousand officers dedicated to patrolling vulnerable locations.

RISE OF TENSION

It comes after the former head of the terror group Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, called for a global day of rage against supporters of Israel wherever they are in the world.

Scotland Yard is bracing for unrest in the capital as rising tensions in the Middle East threaten to spark violence in Britain.

The DAC said Britain’s counter-terrorism network was investigating whether there was an “increased likelihood of an attack”.

Mr Taylor added that the threat level in the UK remained “substantial” – meaning an attack was likely.

The officers pointed out that a broader expression of support for the Palestinian people, including displaying the Palestinian flag, does not in itself constitute a crime.

But the spokesman said there are situations where the flag or banner, or the use of certain words or expressions, may be considered intimidating or even intended to harass, alarm or trouble.

It comes as…

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told police officers they have his full support to throw the book at anyone who glorifies terrorism – amid a 400 per cent rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the past week.

Mr Taylor revealed that police had recorded 105 anti-Semitic incidents in London in the past two weeks, more than seven times the 14 in the same period last year.

Protest liaison teams have been working with organizers to determine what will and will not be acceptable to the Met and how events can be carried out safely.

The Nova festival, held on rural farmland near the Gaza-Israel border, was just one of several sites hit on Oct. 7 that sparked the latest war.

Dozens of Hamas militants broke through Israel’s heavily fortified separation fence and crossed into the country from Gaza, opening fire on thousands of Israelis.

After the massacre, the party members kept running for their lives.

Last night, the Israeli military revealed it had carried out “localized strikes” on the bomb-strewn Gaza Strip to “clear the area of terrorists and weapons”.

Sayeret Matkal’s super-elite soldiers yesterday led tanks and infantry into Hamas dens to hunt down terrorist rocket crews and search for hostages.