Met announces details of policing operation ahead of weekend protests

Londoners will see a significant policing presence this weekend for what is expected to be the first major protest activity of 2024.

On Saturday, a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups will depart from Bank junction in the City of London at or shortly after midday, heading via Fleet Street and Victoria Embankment to Parliament Square where speeches will take place.

On Sunday there will a static rally in support of Israel taking place in Trafalgar Square from 14:30hrs.

Around 1,700 officers will be on duty to police the march on Saturday, including many from forces outside London. There will also be a substantial police presence for the event on Sunday.

Officers are there to ensure the events take place safely and peacefully, that disruption to other members of the public is kept to a minimum and that any offences are seen and dealt with.

We have been in discussions with the organisers of both events as we have been for the majority of protests that have taken place since October 2023. We will continue to liaise with them and with their stewards for the safety and security of all involved.

The majority of protests and other events held in recent months have taken place without any notable disorder, with most people attending to express their views in a lawful and peaceful way.

Regrettably not everyone has acted responsibly and we have seen multiple arrests at a number of protests.

In particular, there have been repeated examples of placards, banners and other items being carried or worn, or statements being chanted, that have crossed the line into religiously or racially aggravated offences. Some have even been so serious as to be dealt with under the Terrorism Act.

The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command has launched around 30 investigations into suspected offending at protests since 7 October, the majority of which relate to potential terrorism offences. Officers will be working again this weekend to identify any further offences.

The UK threat level remains at substantial. As ever, we continue to ask the public to be vigilant and report in confidence anything that doesn’t look or feel right, either online at gov.uk/ACT or by calling 0800 789 321.

Earlier today (Friday, 12 January) a man who wore a headband to a protest on 25 November was charged with wearing an item of clothing or wearing, carrying or displaying an article that arouses suspicion that he is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.

This is one of a number of arrests for this offence during recent protests. Where officers see people engaging in activity that suggests support or membership of a proscribed organisation, such as Hamas or Hezbollah, action will be taken.

More information on proscribed organisations is available online.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who will lead the policing operation this weekend, said: “We absolutely recognise the passion and strength of feeling sparked by the ongoing conflict and we respect the right of those who wish to protest and have their voices heard to do so.

“We police without fear or favour and where our policing approach differs it is a response to the intelligence and the nature of the event, not those taking part or the cause they represent. Officers are present primarily to ensure the safety of those involved, but where we see offences taking place, or where we are made aware of them either online or by other means, we will not hesitate to act.

“These protests and the offences connected to them have been widely reported on in the media and have been the subject of extensive discussions online. It is really disappointing that despite this, we have continued to see people turning up carrying placards, wearing clothing or chanting slogans that, certainly by this stage, they should know will cause alarm or distress to others.

“I would appeal to those attending any protest event, whether this weekend or in the future, to consider how their actions will impact on the safety and security of others. Those who intentionally push the limits of what may cross the line into criminality will face the consequences.

“I would encourage anyone at the protests who feels unsafe, or sees anything they are concerned about, to speak to an officer.”

Policing approach

The approach officers will take this weekend will be similar to that taken at protests seen in the latter part of 2023.

There will be a visible police presence, with road closures in place for the safety of those taking part. Any closures will be lifted as soon as it is safe to do so, minimising the impact on other members of the public.

On Saturday, the following conditions will be in place:

Any person participating in the procession must not deviate from the route specified on the map below.

The speeches at the assembly following the procession must end by 16:30hrs and the whole event must end by 17:00hrs.

No participant in the protest may enter the area in red in the map below (this is the area around the Israeli Embassy).

The use of further police powers, such as dispersal orders or powers relating to searching, will be kept under review. Any decision to use them will be proactively communicated on the Met’s X/Twitter account.

In the event of any criminal activity during protests, the public can expect to see robust intervention.

All officers will be briefed to be on the lookout for offensive placards and banners. In addition we will have teams in our operations room monitoring CCTV to identify other offences or to locate suspects in the crowd.

Where they are identified, we will use trained teams to intervene and remove them so that appropriate action can be taken.

Officers will also have facial recognition technology available, enabling them to compare CCTV stills or images shared on social media against a database of images held on the police custody system, potentially speeding up the investigation.

Despite the best efforts of officers, the volume of people at these larger protests means it may not always be possible to locate and arrest a suspect on the day.

In these circumstances we will use other means at our disposal, including public appeals, to continue investigations and to identify those suspected of committing offences.

Leaflets will once again be distributed at the forming up point of the protest on Saturday, setting out clear guidance to those taking part on the sort of behaviour that is likely to lead to arrest. Digital versions of the leaflets are available below.