Protesters attending today’s static Al Quds Day demonstration in London have been warned by the Metropolitan Police that they face arrest if they show support for Palestine Action or perform intifada chants.
The Met Police is expecting around 12,000 people to take part in the annual Muslim-led rally, an international event to show support for Palestinian rights.
Police warn officers will “act decisively” on intifada chants and placards “spreading hate.”
Scotland Yard is bracing for a “difficult public order” environment on Sunday, with at least 1,000 officers drafted in to manage crowds.
Speaking on Tuesday, a Met spokesperson said: “The Home Secretary has consented to the Metropolitan Police banning Sunday’s Al Quds march and any associated counter-protest marches. This will be in place from 16:00hrs on Wednesday, 11 March and last one month.
“The Al Quds march is uniquely contentious having originated in Iran and in London is organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, an organisation supportive of the Iranian regime and was due to take place on Sunday, 15 March. The threshold to ban a protest is high and we do not take this decision lightly; this is the first time we have used this power since 2012.”
Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, is said to have assessed that the risk of serious disorder had reached the threshold that justified such action.
It comes after Home Secretary Shabanna Mahmood took the rare step in allowing the force to ban the protest, amid fears of serious disorder taking place because of its links to Iran.
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Mahmood approved the ban on Tuesday, making it just the second demonstration to be blocked in London since 2012 when marches by the far-right English Defence League were stopped.
Palestine Action are a direct action protest group which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the Labour government in 2025. This means that it is illegal to express any kind of support for or being a member of the group. The decision is being legally challenged amid significant public outcry.
The term intifada is an Arabic world which simply means “shaking off” or “uprising.” It has become controversial in the UK due to pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups who are actively trying to criminalise pro-Palestine language in order to increase the number of arrests at Palestine demonstrations and curb activists free speech on the issue.
A number of Palestinian uprisings, including the first largely non-violent popular uprising in 1987 against Israel’s occupation, have been referred to as the Palestinian intifadas.
Quds Day was originally established in Iran by the former leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini. The annual event is aimed at promoting solidarity for the Palestinian cause across the Islamic world and is held on the last Friday of Ramadan.
The UK’s march is organised by the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission.
A recent statement on their website condemned the governments ban and urged people to still attend the static demo instead.
“The IHRC strongly condemns the decision by the Metropolitan Police to ban the Al Quds Day March. However, a static Al Quds Day protest will still go ahead. We hope to see you on Sunday 15th March at 1pm to 3pm at Albert Embankment (SE1 7TY). We are seeking legal advice and this decision will not go unchallenged.
“If it was not clear already, the police have brazenly abandoned their sworn principle of policing without fear or favour, and have capitulated to the pressure of the Zionist lobby. The Metropolitan Police unashamedly regurgitate Zionist talking points about IHRC without a shred of evidence. They cannot present evidence because there is none – we are an independent NGO. In essence, this is a politically charged decision; not one taken for the security of the people of London.”
A pro-Israel rival protest is expected, however, according to reports the Met intend to widely separate the two sides using the River Thames.
