In London, hundreds of thousands are swarming the streets on Saturday in a pro-Palestine protest following the International Court of Justice’s ruling last week.
Also expected is a forceful show of police brutality as organizers anticipate the Metropolitan police‘s opposition to be harsher this time around compared to previous marches, and accuse the force of yielding to governmental political pressures.
The Met has warned against wearing face covers that could hide a protestor’s identity, as an intimidation tactic that could scare people from participating, thereby suppressing the march, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Ben Jamal, said. However, he noted that large numbers of people are turning up despite the threats and the fear attempts.
Chris Nineham, the vice-chair of Stop the War, said: “This is yet another example of the police attempting to criminalize pro-Palestine and in the process chipping away at civil liberties. They are deliberately trying to raise tensions and create the impression that people marching for peace and an end to genocide are a threat to society. It’s an absolute disgrace.”
The Met has been trying to hurdle Sturday’s protest, first by disallowing the march to reach Whitehall and Trafalgar Square, forcing protestors to map out a U-turn toward Downing Street, and second by dispatching hundreds of officers throughout the march and placing obstacles along the way, making the protests more dangerous for participants.
Read more: Brown University students on hunger strike in support of Palestine
Source: AlMayadeen
