The Metropolitan Police in London arrested 20 people during a Palestine Coalition march on Saturday for offenses, including damaging the Battle of Britain memorial and assaulting police officers, the department stated.
Met Police officers set conditions for the march, restricting the route and time frame, and said they would arrest anyone who refused to remove a face covering when asked.
Of seven people arrested for breaching those conditions, two were arrested “for also refusing to remove their face coverings when asked by police,” the Met said.
Six were arrested for “criminal damage after climbing the Battle of Britain memorial,” the Met stated.
The department also arrested two people for “displaying placards supporting proscribed organization Palestine Action,” one for assault on police, one for breach of the peace, one for “threats to kill in relation to an incident on Oct. 1” and two for Section 5 Public Order offenses.
One of the latter was “racially aggravated, after a woman was seen earlier in the day making a Nazi salute,” the department said.
“The NJA welcomes these arrests,” Steve Winston, managing director of the National Jewish Assembly, told JNS. “These were not merely arrests for holding placards. Police reported alleged criminal damage to the Battle of Britain memorial, assault on police, a Nazi salute and support for a proscribed organization.”
“The Palestine Coalition must confront the hatred and intimidation poisoning its marches,” he said. “Invoking ‘peaceful protest’ cannot sanitize such disgraceful conduct.”
Winston told JNS that “arrests are only the start.”
“Justice requires prosecutions where the evidence warrants them and meaningful consequences for those convicted,” he said. “Britain deserves better.”
