Despite a government ban and a heavy police presence, thousands flooded the streets of London for the annual Al Quds Day rally, where speakers unleash blistering criticism of the US–Israeli war on Iran and accused Britain of helping perpetuate the turmoil engulfing the Middle East.
Protesters attending today’s demonstration on the South Bank of the River Thames were issued with a strong warning statement by the Metropolitan Police ahead of the day, saying that anyone “showing support for Palestine Action or performing intifada chants” will be arrested.
The Met Police was expecting around 12,000 people to take part in the annual Muslim-led rally, an international event to show support for Palestinian rights.
Police warned officers will “act decisively” on intifada chants and placards “spreading hate.”
In response, Scotland Yard mobilised at least 1,000 officers to manage the crowds.
Despite the heavy police presence and the ban on the original march implemented by the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, large crowds still came out for a static protest instead.
Many protesters were pctured carrying images of the assassinated former leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba, who was recently elected to become the current Leader of the Islamic Revolution – a senior political and religious post in Iran.
Some pictures of the leaders were accompanied with the message: “choose the right side of history.”
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Chants led by the speakers on stage included: “labbaik ya Khamenei (we serve you oh Khamenei), “margh bar America, margh bar Israel (death to America, death to Israel), and “death, death to the IDF.”
Other chants heard by 5Pillars’ correspondent on the ground were “from the river to the sea” and “Israel is a terror state.”
The organisers said their rally was aimed at supporting Palestine, condemning the Gaza genocide and also expressing opposition to the UK’s role in supporting the US and Israel as they conduct yet another war in the Middle East.
A counter-protest was also been planned, co-organised by Stop The Hate and the Lion Guard of Iran dissident group, with police planning to use the River Thames as a barrier to prevent the demonstrations from clashing. The counter demo was considerably smaller in size than the much larger Quds Day protest.
Critics of the Quds Day march have complained that the rally encourages support for proscribed groups and promotes antisemitic views against Israel. Political figures and journalists have referred to the gathering as a “hate march”, organised by Iran supporters.
However, these claims have been rubbished by organisers who say they are an independent NGO based in London and the protest is about opposing war and genocide.
5Pillars can confirm that the event went off with little sign of trouble and the Quds Day march was attended by a vast number of families and members of various religious groups including anti-Zionist Jews and anti-war Christians.
Bobby Vylan, a famous pro-Palestine music artist and rapper, was a surprise speaker on the day.
“A hate march is what they call it – but we do not operate from a place of hatred, we operate from a place of love. Love for the people of Palestine. Love for one another. Love for truth and freedom for all oppressed people around the world.
“We must strive to remain human in a world that is ruled by monsters.”
Vylan ended his speech leading chants of his now famous lyrics: “death, death to the IDF.”
Police “investigating chants made”
After the crowds dispersed at 3pm, Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan told the press: “Our policing plan worked, with both groups kept apart and we saw no attempts from either side to breach conditions by marching. Both sets dispersed as planned from 15:00hrs.
“We saw significantly fewer people attend than we had anticipated. The restrictions and conditions meant many people chose to stay away and not to attend the protest or counter-protest. This shows our decision to apply for the ban was the right one. A static protest meant it was easier for officers to keep the two groups apart and prevent serious public disorder.
“We made 12 arrests including for showing support for a proscribed organisation, affray and for threatening or abusive behaviour. We are also investigating chants made by a speaker at the Al Quds protest. As I said from the outset, the decision to ban the protest march does not set a precedent and we will continue to consider each protest on a case-by-case basis.”
Iran war drags on
The conflict in the Middle East has shown no signs of slowing down, with Israel announcing a barrage of new strikes on western Iran on Sunday, while Iran’s foreign minister said it has not asked for a ceasefire as President Donald Trump has claimed.
On Saturday, the US Defence Department released the names of six service members who died when their military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
In Tehran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) vowed to “pursue” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it would then “kill him,” according to Iran’s state-affiliated Mehr news agency.
Meanwhile President Trump told NBC News he wasn’t sure whether Iran’s new leader Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive, saying “so far no-one’s been able to show him.” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday Khamenei had been wounded.
At least two thousand people have been killed across the Middle East since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Arab Gulf states hosting US military bases and personnel, as well as Lebanon, quickly drawn into the conflict.
