Palestine Coalition rejects Police attempt to block BBC protest march

In a contentious move, the Coalition of pro-Palestine organisations in the UK, including the Palestinian Forum in Britain, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Muslim Association of Britain, and Friends of Al-Aqsa, has rejected the Metropolitan Police’s attempt to prevent a planned protest from starting at the BBC headquarters in London on Saturday, 18 January. This decision comes after the police reneged on a prior agreement allowing the protest to proceed.

🚨 Our Right to Protest is Under Attack 🚨

The Met Police is once again abusing its powers and seeking to prevent us from assembling outside the BBC HQ at Portland Place.

Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/p8Z4Mw71Xh

— Friends of Al Aqsa (@FriendsofAlAqsa) January 8, 2025

Police Justifications

In a letter to the organisers, the Metropolitan Police expressed concerns that the march could cause “serious disruption,” particularly due to its proximity to a synagogue. The police argued that holding the demonstration on a Saturday could exacerbate tensions and disrupt the local Jewish community.

The police acknowledged the fundamental right to protest but emphasised the need to balance this with the rights of other communities. They pointed out that the repeated national pro-Palestine protests have caused ongoing disruptions, particularly for Jewish residents and visitors, especially on the Sabbath.

Coalition’s Response

In response, the Palestine Coalition highlighted that the protest is aimed at condemning the BBC’s pro-Israel bias, which has been underscored in a detailed report by journalist Owen Jones—a report the BBC has yet to address. The Coalition affirmed that the route had been agreed upon with the police nearly two months ago and was publicly announced on 30 November. They condemned the police’s use of restrictive measures to suppress their democratic right to protest.

The Coalition also noted that the closest synagogue is not on the route of the march and that there have been no incidents involving threats to synagogues during previous demonstrations. They emphasised that the marches have included a significant number of Jewish participants who have shown solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Statement from the Palestinian Forum in Britain

In a statement from the Palestinian Forum in Britain, its Acting Chairman, Adnan Hmidan, criticised the police’s capitulation to pressure from the pro-Israel lobby. He said:

“The pro-Palestine Coalition in Britain is fed up with the police bowing to pressure from the Israeli lobby and changing their stance accordingly. It seems that any demonstration for Palestine and Gaza—currently facing annihilation, ethnic cleansing, and collective punishment—requires the approval of Israel’s supporters to proceed. The police appear unable to withstand this pressure, despite the independence they are supposed to uphold. Their concerns are based on false assumptions with no factual basis. It is unacceptable for the police to suppress the legitimate right to protest against such atrocities by giving in to baseless fears and fabricated threats.”

Call for Solidarity

The Coalition has called on all those who are outraged by Israel’s ongoing actions and those who uphold the right to protest to join the march on Saturday, 18 January. The protest seeks to shed light on the complicity of the British government in Israel’s attacks on Gaza and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people who continue to face ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.

READ: UK must act now Israeli officials have confessed to ethnic cleansing Gaza, PFB says