Seven arrested at pro-Palestine rally in London as hundreds gather ahead of Israel-Hamas ceasefire
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The rally comes after police curtailed organisers’ plans for a march past the BBC and near a synagogue. Seven people have been arrested at a pro-Palestine rally in central London, as hundreds gathered amid a heavy police presence. A man was arrested on suspicion of holding a placard suggesting support for banned organisations, while four people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and two others on suspicion of breaching conditions put in place for the protest.
![[Pro-Israel counter protesters hold a flag of Israel]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/18/14/2025-01-18T135637Z_1739262503_RC2DCCAOMF9C_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-BRITAIN-MARCH.jpg)
One of the conditions prevents anyone involved in the protest from entering a specific area around Portland Place. A masked protester wearing a Celtic football tracksuit was seen being handcuffed by police and escorted away from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) rally in Whitehall, with a large group following with megaphones and chanting: “Let him go.”.
![[Hundreds gathered for the event, which comes on the eve of a ceasefire deal]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/18/14/df9fb9b9-02b0-4c8c-a547-988f2cc30aca.jpg)
Also at Saturday’s protest, a woman was laid on the ground as a group of police officers appeared to be detaining her, prompting a large crowd to surround the officers and shout “you’re a disgrace”, “shame on you” and “let her go”. A minor scuffle broke out as police attempted to push protesters away before officers took the woman behind some barriers while people continued to chant “let her go”.
![[Police said more than half a dozen people have been arrested]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/18/14/91d2a8e3-660e-4d89-8964-26c98917af86.jpg)
Protesters held signs that read “Gaza. Stop the massacre” and “Stop arming Israel”, with a large group of people having marched from Trafalgar Square holding a banner that said “Labour, Tories, BBC. You show Russia’s crimes but hide Israel’s. Why?”.
