Organizers asked to postpone pro-Palestine rallies this weekend in London

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Organizers of Pro-Palestine rallies chose to ignore advice from the Metropolitan Police to postpone any demonstrations taking place on Saturday.

"Senior officers are concerned at criminal acts by breakaway groups intent on fueling disorder who are attracted by these regular events," the police said Monday on X, citing the weekend, when Armistice Day will be marked.

It added that the organizers declined to postpone any demonstrations during a meeting with senior Met officers.

"Our message to organizers is clear: Please, we ask you to urgently reconsider. It is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend," said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, noting the risk of violence and disorder "linked to breakaway groups is growing."

Home Secretary Suella Braverman welcomed the police statement, again defining pro-Palestinian rallies as "hate marches."

"I welcome this statement from the Met Police. The hate marchers need to understand that decent British people have had enough of these displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism," she said.

Meanwhile, organizers of the pro-Palestine rallies issued a joint statement expressing "deep concern" over the police statement.

The groups said these protests have so far brought more than 1 million people to the streets of London marching peacefully, calling for a cease-fire.

Mentioning the meeting with police and advice to postpone the rallies, the statement said the police did not explain why it could be risky.

"They raised concern about the possibility of breakaway groups leaving the marches but were not able to provide any evidence as to why this risk would be increased on Saturday."

Thousands of people are expected to attend a planned march on Saturday from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in London, a route which the organizers said is "well away" from the center of London and Whitehall.

On Friday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the planned Nov. 11 pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London on Armistice Day "provocative and disrespectful."

Braverman said it is "entirely unacceptable to desecrate Armistice Day" with what she defined as "a hate march" through London, as she quoted the prime minister.

Following the remarks by officials, organizers of the pro-Palestine rallies warned that "such statements are encouraging the calls from far-rights activists and commentators who appear to be inciting action on the streets to stop the protests taking place and are deeply irresponsible.”