A dozen arrests as hundreds attend Al-Quds Day rally in London

Police make 12 arrests as demonstrators defy government restrictions to gather on Thames embankment.Published On 15 Mar 2026Hundreds gathered in central London for the annual Al-Quds Day demonstration, an international show of solidarity with Palestinians that this year took place under sweeping new restrictions and a heavy police presence.Crowds assembled on Sunday along the Albert Embankment of the River Thames, where demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, held banners, and chanted slogans – some carrying images of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier this month during US-Israeli attacks on Iran.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2How Trump’s unchecked power has changed the worldlist 2 of 2France offers to broker Lebanon-Israel talks: What do we know?end of listPolice made 12 arrests during the event, including for showing support for a proscribed organisation and threatening or abusive behaviour.Chants of “from the river to the sea” and “Israel is a terror state” were heard. Al-Quds Day is named after the Arabic name for Jerusalem.More than 1,000 officers were deployed across the area ahead of what police Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan warned would still be “a difficult public order weekend”. Earlier estimates suggested 12,000 people could attend, but only hundreds showed up.The demonstration marked the first time in more than a decade that authorities banned the march through the capital.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood approved Scotland Yard’s request for a month-long prohibition on marches, with the government citing public disorder risks linked to the “volatile situation in the Middle East”, and potential clashes between different groups of demonstrators.Organisers from the Islamic Human Rights Commission proceeded with a “static” rally in defiance, telling supporters the event would go ahead regardless.