Sir Keir Starmer insisted that now is ‘not a time to stoke tension’ after the Home Secretary urged organisers to postpone the rally.
Police remove a protester after a banner was unfurled on Westminster Bridge as part of a demonstration organised by Defend our Juries.
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Police made nearly 200 arrests as pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets of Central London – despite calls from the government to call off the rally.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that as of 3.45pm officers had made 175 arrests for supporting a proscribed organisation, including the six on Westminster Bridge earlier.
The earlier arrests came after a banner was draped on Westminster Bridge in support of banned group Palestine Action on Saturday morning.
The force said: “Officers were quickly on scene, the banner had been removed and the six people involved have been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation.”
Further protesters were arrested – including a Vicar, who was sat with her eyes closed and holding a poster which said “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
Read more: Police arrest three more over Manchester synagogue terror attack
Some campaigners are singing protest song We Shall Not Be Moved and holding Palestine flags.
Protesters unfurl a banner on Westminster Bridge as part of a demonstration organised by Defend our Juries, in support of Palestine Action in Trafalgar Square.
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It follows calls from Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday, echoing the views of Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley and the Home Secretary, who urged for protests to be called-off in the wake of Thursday’s terror attack on a Manchester synagogue.
An organiser for Defend Our Juries, the organisation behind the protest, said she estimates that around 700 people took to Trafalgar Square showing their support for banned Palestine Action.
A member of Clergy is arrested in Trafalgar Square as hundreds gather for continued protests over ‘Palestine Action’ since the group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Organised by the campaign group ‘Defend Our Juries’ .
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Largely peaceful, protesters were seen to sit down, before producing signs and placards showing support for banned group Palestine Action.
Two elderly men were seen being carried by each limb by officers as crowds clapped and cheered.
The arrests made by police in Trafalgar Square relate to the supporting the prescribed terrorist organisation, with Met officers seen carrying away those expressing support for the group.
A blind man carrying a cane and his partner were also arrested in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, with the pair holding signs supporting banned group.
Arrests begin as protesters gather in Trafalgar Square calling for an end to the proscription of Palestine Action. Demonstrators held signs reading “I oppose genocide.
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It comes as a second separate protest got underway in Manchester.
Pro-Palestine supporters began their march through Manchester, banging drums and chanting “Free Palestine!”, a group of counter-protesters got ahead of them, marching in front and holding a flag saying “F*** Hamas” and shouting “release the hostages”.
City of London police officers have arrived to support the Metropolitan Police.
Six arrested in London as pro-Palestine protests get underway despite government calls for rally to be called-off.
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LBC
Police remove protesters taking part in a demonstration organised by Defend our Juries, in support of Palestine Action in Trafalgar Square, London.
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Alamy
It comes as a chairwoman of the Metropolitan Police Federation has claimed “enough is enough” as she said officers policing another protest in London are “emotionally and physically exhausted”.
In a statement released on Saturday, the PM said: “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews.”
“This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.
“We are a country that welcomes all people, no matter…”
Officers have begun making arrests in Trafalgar Square where people are displaying placards in support of Palestine Action.
The square is busy, but quite a few people in the crowd appear to be observing/supporting but not carrying placards themselves. pic.twitter.com/M0pYAZmGh6
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 4, 2025
The rally began in London at just after 1pm on Saturday, with protesters in Trafalgar Square clapping before sitting down.
They chanted “free, free Palestine” and some began writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, while others held pre-written signs.
A woman in blue scrubs stood in the crowds with a sign reading “nurse against genocide”.
It comes as Shadow Home Secretary has suggested that police powers should be strengthened to ban “disgraceful” Pro-Palestine protests in the wake of Thursday’s Manchester synagogue attack.
The protest in London coincides with a separate pro-Palestine rally taking place in Manchester on Saturday.
Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp added police “don’t have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues”.
Six arrested in London as pro-Palestine protests get underway despite government calls for rally to be called-off.
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LBC
Ms Mahmood branded protests at a time of mourning “un-British”.
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LBC
Tory Cabinet minister Chris Philp said he would “go further than saying simply they should step back” during an interview on Saturday, telling LBC that “protests planned for today should not go ahead”.
It comes as organisers of Saturday’s pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for central London insist the rally will go ahead.
Ms Mahmood branded Thursday’s protests “un-British” after more than 40 arrests were made in the wake of the terror attack.
The Prime Minister has urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures have called the action “phenomenally tone deaf”.
It comes as Adam Ma’anit – a British-Israeli whose relative was murdered on October 7 – told LBC: “It’s been a very difficult week for Jews as a whole, after Heaton Park as well, and we’re coming up to the October 7th anniversary.
“A few days ago, we were marking the birthday of Ma’ayan, who was murdered on October 7 – she had just been celebrating her 18th birthday and the balloons from her birthday party were still up in the house when the terrorists came in and shot her dead and died in her father’s arms.
“So it’s been a very difficult week for us as a family, but one of the sort of silver linings, one of the sort of small glimmers of hope we’ve been holding on to, is that we can channel some of whatever energy we have left to fight for the remaining hostages, including our neighbour Omri, who was taken with Tsachi into captivity.”
I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews.
This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.
We are a country that welcomes all people, no matter…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 4, 2025
Defend Our Juries says it will still happen adding police are welcome to distribute their resources elsewhere.
The group claimed: “Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”
They added they “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the fatal attack on a synagogie in Manchester on Thursday.
Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp continued: “Firstly, out of respect for the families of those victims in Manchester of the appalling terrorist attack on Thursday while they’re grieving, I think proceeding with protests of this kind is completely wrong.
Protesters gather in Parliament Square in solidarity with Palestine and the Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying Greta Thunberg among many other activists as well as aid for Gaza.
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Alamy
“And secondly, the police, both in Manchester and London, have said they don’t have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues.
“So for those two reasons, I do call on the organisers to call off these protests.”
A similar event held by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which has taken place regularly in the last two years, is also due to happen.
More than 1,500 people are expected in Trafalgar Square.
Earlier, the Prime Minister urged those attending protests this weekend to “respect the grief of British Jews”.
The former home secretary Amber Rudd’s told LBC she agrees with the current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that pro-Palestine protests at the moment are “un-British”.
A pro Palestine supporter is detained by police officers following a protest in central London on Thursday.
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Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, Sir Keir said: “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week.
“This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.”
Meanwhile Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and urged the Government to “fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests”.
Read more: Manchester synagogue attacker was on bail for alleged rape
Officers have been deployed to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.
Both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have raised concerns about the strain on police resources during the protests and called for organisers to cancel them.
On Friday, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson urged would-be attendees at the protest to “consider whether this is really the right time”.
He added: “You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community.”
The previous two events have seen a total of 1,422 people arrested, the majority for supporting a proscribed organisation.
A supporter of Defend Our Juries is arrested for holding up a sign in support of a banned terrorist organisation.
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Getty
A Defend Our Juries spokesman said: “It couldn’t be clearer that tomorrow’s action, which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue, is about defying the Government’s absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the Government’s complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.
“Yesterday’s attack was actual terrorism and we join others across the country in condemning it unreservedly and we urge the Home Secretary and the police to prioritise protecting the community, instead of arresting entirely peaceful protesters.
“Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.
“It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all.”
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