Met Police moves to prevent pro-Palestinian and antisemitisim protests clashing

Public order conditions have been imposed on central London to prevent pro-Palestinian protesters clashing with a demonstration by antisemitisim campaigners on Thursday evening.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is set to gather outside Downing Street in Whitehall at 7pm to mark a week since the terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

But the Metropolitan Police said plans by a number of pro-Palestinian groups to assemble in the same area at the same time poses a risk of “serious disorder”.

It comes as police are to be given greater powers to restrict protests by allowing them to consider the “cumulative impact” of repeated demonstrations.

The measures follow frequent pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including in London last Saturday, despite calls for restraint following the synagogue attack.

Almost 500 people were arrested, with the majority for supporting the banned terror organisation Palestine Action.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said repeated large-scale protests had caused “considerable fear” for the Jewish community.

The Government will amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to explicitly allow the police to take account of the cumulative impact of frequent protests on local areas to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies.

The Metropolitan Police vowed to have officers in the vicinity on Thursday to ensure the safety of attendees and to respond to any incidents.

It has imposed Public Order Act conditions to prevent anyone taking part in the pro-Palestinian protests from assembling in a specific area around Whitehall, which covers Downing Street, Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, Whitehall, Victoria, part of Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Bridge.

To prevent the risk of serious disruption to the Jewish community, conditions have also been put in force around Great Portland Street and Portland Place due to the proximity of a nearby synagogue.

The force said anyone breaching the conditions or encouraging others to do so can be arrested.

The Met Police said: “Earlier today, we became aware of plans by a number of pro-Palestinian groups to gather in Whitehall at the time of the CAA protest.

“While there is no indication that they are doing so to directly counter the CAA, it is our judgment that the coming together of large groups with opposing views in the same location poses a risk of serious disorder and/or serious disruption.

“We have therefore imposed Public Order Act conditions preventing anyone taking part in the pro-Palestinian protests from assembling in a specific area around Whitehall.”