London’s pro-Palestine march live: police say 300,000 taking part as dozens of counterprotesters arrested | Israel-Hamas war

Police say they are looking for two individuals who have appeared in a photograph that has been posted on social media.

300,000 have taken place in march, say police

The Metropolitan police have said officers in Whitehall today have “faced unacceptable violence, including people throwing missiles and a metal barrier”.
In a statement posted on social media site X, the force said:

There is a remembrance event under way at the Cenotaph.
Officers have prevented those not involved in getting on to Whitehall so it can take place without disruption, as we committed.
They have faced unacceptable violence, including people throwing missiles and a metal barrier.
Anyone genuinely wishing to observe the event could do so from behind barriers on the pavement which is open along one entire side of Whitehall.
Officers’ efforts are on keeping the road itself clear around the Cenotaph.”

Number of arrests climbs to 92

Here are some more images from our photographer at the scene:

PA Media reports a group of pro-Palestinian protesters climbed on to a raised platform on the corner of Vauxhall Bridge, a firework was set off and one person was clutching a smoke flare.

Police appeared to have stopped a small group of counterprotesters from climbing some stairs on the Pimlico side of the bridge.

Police officers are preventing some people from leaving the White Swan pub on Vauxhall Bridge Road.

An officer at the scene told the PA news agency: “We’re stopping some people from coming out as they might cause some aggro.”

Pro-Palestine protesters on the main march booed at those kettled inside the pub as they walked by.

Police have arrested 82 counterprotesters to prevent a ‘breach of the peace’

A Palestinian flag has been wrapped around a first world war memorial near London’s Wellington Arch, PA reports.

The statue commemorating those in the Machine Gun Corps was seen with the flag hanging from its waist.

Protesters were later seen by PA reporters climbing the statue, with one holding a megaphone and shouting: “Free, free Palestine”.

The crowd is chanting: “In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians”, according to PA.

They are also shouting “Rishi Sunak’s a wasteman” and “Rishi Sunak, shame on you. Keir Starmer, shame on you”, among other chants and rallying cries.

The Met has been posting on social media about the number of arrests made at the march.

So far, it has announced it has made two: one for assaulting a police officer and a second for possession of a controlled substance.

It is reviewing footage of the people involved in the disorder that took place earlier and identifying whether any of the people who have been detained in the group on Bridge Street should be arrested.

The BBC is reporting that 50 counterprotesters have been arrested, but this has not yet been confirmed by the Met.

One protester has made their feelings about Suella Braverman clear.

Police have encircled a group of about 15 people, some clutching beer cans, outside the Duke of York pub on Victoria Street opposite Victoria Station, according to the PA news agency.

This is close to where the pro-Palestine rally is passing.

An officer told the PA news agency they were counterprotesters who had caused “a bit of trouble” so they have been put under a “breach of the peace cordon” to keep them away from the main march.