Police issue warning to protesters before al-Quds Day rally in London

Police have warned demonstrators that they will be arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action or making intifada chants at a protest in London on Sunday.About 12,000 people are expected to take part in the annual al-Quds Day rally, an international demonstration of support for Palestinian rights. The event takes its name from the Arabic version of Jerusalem and was created by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after Iran’s 1979 revolution.This year, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has banned protesters from marching through London. Instead, they are expected to be restricted to a two-hour static demonstration on the south bank of the Thames between 1pm and 3pm.A number of counter-protests have been planned and will take place on the north bank of the river. These demonstrators will also be banned from marching.“Officers on the ground will act decisively and be briefed on placards, flags and chanting that will cross the line into hate crime or support of a proscribed organisation,” said Ade Adelekan, a Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner and lead on public order.“As set out previously, we will also take action where we see chants calling for intifada. We know these words have consequences.”The high court ruled last month that the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action was unlawful. However, it remains banned pending an appeal by the Home Office.Intifada means uprising or resistance in Arabic, but some Jewish groups say it has come to be regarded as a call for violence against those of their faith.Mahmood said this week she was satisfied that banning a full-scale march was “necessary to prevent serious public disorder, due to the scale of the protest and multiple counter-protests, in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”.The march, which organisers argue has taken place peacefully for 40 years, is planned by a committee that includes the Islamic Human Rights Commission. The IHRC recently condemned the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and said he “resisted oppression and stood on the right side of history”.Previous marches have attracted controversy, with some participants waving flags in support of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese group which is classified as a terrorist organisation by the British government. Some have also taken part in chants calling for the death of Israel and the US.The IHRC said it had warned demonstrators they would face arrest for flying flags linked to proscribed groups.The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that this was “a limited and specific ban” applying only to al-Quds Day protests and any counter-demonstrations, and would be in place for a month.The force added that a static protest would be “easier to police” and reduce the risk of opposing demonstrators clashing. It said that anyone “who marches or incites others to march” will face arrest.Adelekan said the decision to ban the marches was not taken lightly: “This is a unique set of circumstances and it was our assessment that the risk of public disorder was so severe, we did not have any other choice.”The force has not requested a ban on an al-Quds Day march for 14 years.“I want to be clear this decision does not set a precedent. We haven’t used this power since 2012 and we will continue to consider each and every protest on a case-by-case basis,” Adelekan said.“I expect we will still face a difficult public order weekend; we have resources from across the country to help officers. We will also continue to have a visible police presence around places of worship, community venues and embassies.”