Pro-Palestine protestors slam London police for violent arrests
Three people were arrested outside the BBC’s London offices on April 15th during a protest over the broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Gaza. Middle East Eye reported growing accusations of excessive force by the Metropolitan Police on April 17th .
Rajiv Sinha, director of Hindus for Human Rights UK, said he was repeatedly punched during the arrest. “The way the police acted was so violent. I’ve never seen this level of brutality towards protesters before,” he said.
Sinha added that officers “vastly outnumbered” the demonstrators and described footage online showing protesters being dragged and struck.
The protest was organised by Youth Demand, which said the group was met with “extreme policing” while demonstrating against what it called the “ongoing genocide” in Gaza.
This is not the first time the Metropolitan Police have been accused of heavy-handedness at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
In January, officers imposed restrictions on protests outside the BBC during the National March for Palestine. Several individuals, including National March steward Chris Nineham and Palestine Solidarity Campaign chair Ben Jamal, were arrested or called in for questioning under the Public Order Act. Both pleaded not guilty.
Raghad Altikriti, chair of the Muslim Association of Britain, was also summoned for police questioning after the January protest. She described the experience as “intimidating” and “unjustified.”
“It was not a pleasant experience being called in for standing up for justice and against oppression, especially when you know you have done nothing wrong,” she told Middle East Eye.
“Our strength is driven by the fact that we have been largely peaceful, with even statements by the police confirming that,” Altikriti added.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said one person was arrested for allegedly assaulting an emergency worker, while two others were wanted for conspiracy to commit public nuisance. One of the latter was later de-arrested. Police confirmed no protest restrictions were in place at the time.
The war in Gaza has recently stirred many controversies in the UK. David Lammy, the UK’s foreign secretary, has been condemned by UK politicians for meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in an undeclared meeting, Middle East Eye reported on April 16th.
Independent MP Ayoub Khan called the meeting “utterly disgraceful and profoundly disappointing.” Particularly when considering “Israel is conducting one of the most brutal military campaigns in recent history,” Khan said.
Saar and Lammy reportedly talked about Iran’s nuclear programme and the ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas.
Middle East Eye
