London police arrested 29 pro-Palestinian rioters on various charges that include assaulting police, inciting racial hatred, and other racially motivated crimes. Two of those rioters were arrested on suspicion of breaching the Terrorism Act in connection with the wording of a banner displayed during the protest, according to police.
Out of the 29 people arrested, six of them have been charged and are set to appear in court. Four of them have been referred to local Youth Offending Teams. The names of those charged include: Fintan Owens, 23; Aisha Ennas, 39, of Lyons Place; Omar Abdelbagi, 41, of Wembley Park Drive; Nzar Mohammed Sofi, 22, of Parkfield Crescent; Dashiel Howarth, 25, of Woodgrange Road, and Mohammed Chowdhury, 24, of Sidney Street, according to Metro police.
Commander Karen Findlay, a person responsible for policing in London, said in a statement that four police officers were injured during the demonstration after rioters launched fireworks in their direction.
"It is disappointing that various splinter groups were again responsible for behaviour which has no place in London and we are determined to deal with this robustly," said Findlay. "More than 1,300 officers were on duty on Saturday, intervening where necessary to prevent further disruption. Sadly we saw an increase in violence against them, most significantly when four officers were injured when fireworks were thrown in their direction. All bravely carried on in their duties."
As demonstrations proceed until further notice, Findlay said that police "will continue to be sharper in our response and take action on any placards being carried at protests which are inflammatory and incite racial hatred, or purport to be supporting a proscribed organisation." According to the commander, authorities "received intelligence that a pamphlet purported to support Hamas was on sale at yesterday's protest" which will be "assessed by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command."
Trafalgar Square became occupied by pro-Palestinian demonstrators who shut down the streets and climbed on top of the historic fountains. They chanted Islamic and anti-Israel slogans, waved Palestinian flags, and deployed green smoke bombs, according to video footage captured by senior editor of The Post Millennial Andy Ngo.
The demonstrators demanded a "ceasefire" in relation to the Israel-Hamas war and referred to Israel as a "fascist terror state."
London police issued an order to disperse from the historic London location, and according to Ngo, the demonstrators moved throughout London and attempted to shut down other parts of the city which led to acts of violence carried out within the group.
The Palestinian demonstrators attempted to shut down Whitehall but were thwarted by a large group of responding police officers. A standoff between police and pro-Palestinian militants occurred as more demonstrators made their way to the area, according to Ngo.
Multiple arrests were made and as the violent riot suspects were taken away by police demonstrators broke out into "allahu akbar" chants and screams to antagonize authorities.
Earlier in the day, British patriots stood in protection of the war memorial The Cenotaph, as protesters gathered to begin demonstrations that have been ongoing since Israel declared war on Palestine's Hamas. Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1400 men, women, and children in the most heinous act of terror carried out against Israel since the 1970s.
Findlay said that while the majority of demonstrators remained peaceful, police "will continue to take positive action at every opportunity and particularly where allegations of hate crime are made."
