UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday condemned the “violent, wholly unacceptable” scenes by far-right groups who tried to ambush a pro-Palestine rally in central London.
He said that the “despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully.”
He also slammed the pro-Palestine protesters by calling them “Hamas sympathisers”.
“Remembrance weekend is a time for us to come together as a nation and remember those who fought and died for our freedoms. What we have seen today does not defend the honour of our Armed Forces, but utterly disrespects them,” Sunak said in a statement.
He added, “That is true for EDL thugs attacking police officers and trespassing on the Cenotaph, and it is true for those singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest. The fear and intimidation in the Jewish Community have experienced over the weekend is deplorable.”
“…All the criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law. That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect. I will be meeting the Met Police Commissioner in the coming days,” the statement read.
Tensions were running high in London as more than 300,000 people joined the pro-Palestine rally on the Armistice Day observed on Saturday. According to reports, several of those marchers chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” - a rallying cry viewed by many Jews as antisemitic and a call for Israel's eradication. Other protesters were heard chanting and carrying banners that read: “Free Palestine” and 'Stop Bombing Gaza.
According to Reuters report, far-right groups also gathered to protest against the demonstration taking place by the pro-Palestine protesters. Soon after, skirmishes broke out between the police and the far-right groups, leading to violence.
