Twelve arrested at Al Quds Day protest in London

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PA Media Protesters take part in the annual protest rally by pro-Palestinian group Al Quds, in central LondonPA Media

Twelve arrests have been made during an Al Quds Day protest and counter-protest in central London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Hundreds attended static protests on Sunday after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood agreed to a police request to ban the annual march over fears of public disorder.

Reasons for the arrests included showing support for a proscribed organisation, affray, dangerous driving and threatening or abusive behaviour, police said. The Met said it was also investigating chants made by a speaker at the Al Quds Day rally.

Lambeth Bridge remained closed on Sunday afternoon and around 1,000 officers were on duty to keep both groups apart.

In a post on X, the Met added: "We are aware of chanting made by a speaker at the Al Quds protest and will be investigating.

"We recognise the concern footage and chanting like this causes, particularly with London's Jewish communities.

"When this language had been used previously we sought advice from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) who determined that there would be insufficient evidence to take a case forward."

The organisers described it as a pro-Palestinian protest but the Met say those behind the demonstration are supportive of the Iranian regime.

At the Al Quds rally, many people waved the Iranian flag and held placards which said "Choose the right side of history".

Some demonstrators chanted "from the river to the sea" and "death, death to the IDF" while others held pictures of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Bobby Vylan of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan was pictured attending the rally. Last year, police decided not to bring criminal charges after their Glastonbury 2025 performance when Vylan led crowds in chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)".

Al-Quds Day, named after the Arabic name for Jerusalem, is often held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

It was first held shortly after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Marches are held around the world, with the largest in Iran.

At the counter-protest on the north bank of the River Thames, a range of different groups gathered, including Stop the Hate, a Jewish-led group set up to campaign against antisemitism, and anti-Iranian regime groups, Lion Guard of Iran and the Free Iran Coalition.

Some people waved Israeli flags, and one sign read "Hamas is terrorist".

PA Media People at a counter-protest against the annual protest rally by pro-Palestinian group Al Quds, in central London.PA Media

A counter-protest also gathered on the north bank of the Thames

The home secretary approved a request by the Met for a month-long ban on the annual march, organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) - a power last used in 2012.

There is no law banning static protests, meaning these could go ahead.

The Met said its assessment was that a static protest would be easier to police and "prevent the two sides from coming together".

Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan earlier said while the decision to ban the marches was not taken lightly, "the risk of public disorder was so severe, we did not have any other choice".

After the protests, he said "our policing plan worked" and significantly fewer people attend than anticipated. "This shows our decision to apply for the ban was the right one."

During 2024's march, 10 people were arrested, the Met said at the time.

Additional reporting by Nick Triggle and Simon Jones

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