Hundreds Attend pro-Iran Al Quds Day Rally in London Under Heavy Police Restrictions

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London on Sunday for the annual Al-Quds Day rally, a pro-Palestinian event organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which this year was restricted after the government banned the march over fears of unrest amid the Iran war.

“Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London on Sunday for the annual Al-Quds Day rally, in a demonstration tightly restricted by British authorities after the government banned the traditional march over fears of unrest amid the Iran war”

Haaretz

The group headlined the march as a protest 'resisting genocide' and opposing the war, with the slogan 'Hands Off Iran'.

Haaretz

The Metropolitan Police deployed around 1,000 officers across the area and used the River Thames as a physical barrier to separate demonstrators from counter-protesters on the opposite bank, a tactic designed to reduce the risk of clashes.

Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said police, 'We saw significantly fewer people attend than we had anticipated.'

Haaretz

The restrictions and conditions meant many people chose to stay away.

Instead of marching through central London as in previous years, protesters were permitted to hold only a stationary rally, after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood approved a request from the Metropolitan Police to ban the procession to prevent 'serious public disorder'.

“Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London on Sunday for the annual Al-Quds Day rally, in a demonstration tightly restricted by British authorities after the government banned the traditional march over fears of unrest amid the Iran war”

Haaretz

There were also people carrying Israeli flags.

The counter-protest, according to Sky News, was planned by Stop The Hate and The Lion Guard of Iran group.

Some participants at Sunday's rally waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-Israel slogans including 'death, death to the IDF'.

Others held pictures of Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with the message 'Choose the right side of history'.

British authorities had warned in advance that tensions surrounding the demonstration were unusually high this year, citing the ongoing Middle East conflict and the likelihood of confrontations between rival groups.

The decision to prohibit the march marked the first time since 2012 that police powers were used to ban a protest procession in London, according to the Metropolitan Police and government officials.

Haaretz

Al-Quds Day demonstrations have been held in London for decades, usually attracting tens of thousands of people, but have repeatedly sparked controversy because of their origins in Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and accusations that some participants express support for groups hostile to Israel.

Organizers condemned the government's decision to ban the march as politically motivated, arguing that the event is a pro-Palestinian demonstration rather than a pro-Iranian rally.