A pro-Palestinian mob of protesters swarmed the streets of London on Wednesday night following a vote in Parliament against calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Met Police were criticized for standing by while protesters scaled the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner. The memorial was still covered with wreaths of poppies from Remembrance Day.
Protesters climbed to the top of the memorial and waved Palestinian flags.
As protesters planned to scale the memorial, police stood by and watched.
After an outcry over their lack of action, the Metropolitan Police released a statement, saying that it was "a breakaway group of pro-Palestinian protesters" who climbed the memorial. "While officers were on the scene quickly, we regret they were not there quickly enough to prevent the protesters accessing the memorial." The police also said it's not illegal to climb monuments.
However, video captured at the scene shows a number of officers standing by while the protesters plan to climb, and then do climb the memorial. Home Secretary James Cleverly said the mounting of the monument was "deeply disrespectful."
"There is only one memorial of fallen soldiers in London. I will not stand idly by whilst individuals think this is the correct way to treat these memorials," said Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer.
"We know some online have asked why the protesters were not arrested. There is no law explicitly making it illegal to climb on a memorial so officers cannot automatically arrest," Scotland Yard said, weighing in, "but they can intervene and make it clear the behaviour isn't acceptable. The videos shared online show them doing that."
Protesters blocked roads around Westminster. They carried Palestinian flags while flooding the streets in and surrounding Westminster.
Footage shows officers moving to prevent protesters from gathering around the Cenotaph memorial, which was the site of protests over the weekend. Pro-Palestinian activists streamed away from Parliament, chanting and waving Palestinian flags. "Ceasefire now," they chanted, and "free free Palestine."
"Occupation no more! Israel is a terror state!" They chanted. This all comes after Israel was attacked by Palestinian terror group Hamas, which massacred 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped over 200 people on October 7. Those hostages are still being held in Gaza, with 30 children among them. Some of those children have been orphaned after Hamas killed their parents. Israel declared war and retaliated. It is the retaliation that these protesters oppose.
Pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to block a car in the road and police had to intervene to let it pass.
"Palestine will be free," they chanted as they marched with printed signs and flags.
"All roads around Westminster blocked by masked up mobs again this evening as the Met police scratch their heads thinking how to blame the imaginary far right," British right-wing activist Tommy Robinson wrote on X.
"Come on @metpoliceuk get ya batons out, oh sorry that treatment is only for patriots & veterans," Robinson said. Over the weekend, on Remembrance Day, police arrested counter-protesters who were attempting to protect the war monuments and defend Britain's honor, singing nationalist flags.
David Cameron, who returned to the government cabinet Monday, was called on to secure Westminster from the mob.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) called for a ceasefire and was the party that forced the vote in Parliament, saying "It’s time to call a spade a spade. To any neutral observer, war crimes are being committed by Israel in Gaza.
"Israel has a right to defend itself, but the collective punishment of the Palestinian people is beyond that," the SNP went on to say, calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid for the region. They called Israel's actions in its own defense to be "war crimes."
Climate alarmist group "Extinction Rebellion", whose members often say they are too afraid of looming climate disaster to have children, took ownership of a demonstration that took place allegedly inside the House of Commons.
“Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists staged a protest in the House of Commons today to demand that our political leaders call for an immediate ceasefire," they claimed.
“At 14:15 today XR activists stood up in the gallery above the chamber and unfurled banners emblazoned with the message: ‘CEASEFIRE NOW’." They timed the protest to coordinate wiht the Parliamentary debate on the ceasefire vote.
