The protest will be carried out by Palestine Coalition and Stop the Hate”. In a statement, the police said there will be an increased police presence in Westminster on Saturday where the protests are due to take place but that those involved must stay within limit by avoiding hate speech as they protest for and against the Palestinian Action. The police also warn against any support for Palestine Action, which has been proscribed.
“A march organised by the Palestine Coalition will go from Victoria Embankment to Whitehall via Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Strand. Speeches will take place in Whitehall following the march.
“A static protest organised by Stop the Hate, in opposition to the Palestine Coalition march, will take place at the junction of the Strand and Waterloo Bridge. Discussions are ongoing with the organisers of both protests and details of any conditions in place will be published on Friday.
“We are also expecting further protest activity in support of Palestine Action which is a group now proscribed under the Terrorism Act. Similar protests have taken place in Parliament Square for the past two weekends, with 70 arrests made. The location of any such protest has not yet been confirmed”, the police said.
This Saturday’s Palestine Coalition protest is the first large scale event of its kind since the proscription of Palestine Action and I want to make sure the implications of that change in the law are fully understood. Nobody will be committing an offence by simply supporting the Palestinian cause, taking part in the march or carrying flags, banners or other signs providing they don’t stray into hate speech or other offences.“However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested
Speaking of the protests, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is charge of the Met’s policing operation this weekend, said: “Our policing plans for the sort of protest activity we expect on Saturday are tried and tested, with officers working hard to achieve the balance of allowing people to exercise their right to peaceful protest while avoiding serious disruption to the community and ensuring incidents and offences can be swiftly dealt with.
“This Saturday’s Palestine Coalition protest is the first large scale event of its kind since the proscription of Palestine Action and I want to make sure the implications of that change in the law are fully understood.
“Nobody will be committing an offence by simply supporting the Palestinian cause, taking part in the march or carrying flags, banners or other signs providing they don’t stray into hate speech or other offences.
“However, those who see this as an opportunity to test the limits of the law by expressing support for Palestine Action, whether at a standalone protest or as part of the Palestine Coalition protest, will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested.
“I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.
“This is also the first large scale protest on this issue since Glastonbury Festival where offensive chanting led by an artist on one of the stages prompted a police investigation. Investigations are also underway, led by Met officers, following similar uses of the same chant in London.
“Those investigations are ongoing and it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcomes, but I can say a bit more about our approach to similar chanting at this weekend’s protest.
“We have said before that whether chants cross the line from free speech to a potential criminal offence depends on the specific circumstances.
“For example, there will be words that when chanted in the middle of the Palestine Coalition march, and not directed at individuals who might be caused harassment, alarm or distress as a result, might not lead an officer to reasonably suspect an offence has been committed.
“But directing the same words at a group of people for whom the words would very likely cause harassment, alarm or distress, could well give rise to grounds for arrest.
“At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point.
“Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality they will intervene and take appropriate action.
“All participants are responsible for their own behaviour. Avoiding the use of threatening, abusive and insulting language, or language that is supportive of proscribed organisations, is the surest way to stay on the right side of this line”, the police said.z
