The Metropolitan Police have said they forcibly removed an anti-Hamas protester from a pro-Palestine march ‘because he was trying to provoke’ those taking part in the demonstration by holding a sign calling jihadi group ‘terrorists’.
There was fury yesterday when videos emerged online of the force removing Niyak Ghorbani from Saturday’s march in London after he was attacked.
Mr Ghorbani had bottles, soil and other objects thrown at him by angry protesters after holding up a sign calling Hamas a ‘terrorist organisation’.
In the shocking footage shared online, a pro-Palestine protester even tried to hit him with a plank of wood.
After more footage showed Mr Ghorbani being led away by two police officers, he claimed he was threatened with being arrested if he continued protesting.
Now, the Met Police have said they carried out a review of the incident which found Mr Ghobani ‘was there to provoke a reaction from the passing crowd’.
The protester was seen being led away by police officers a short time later after rolling up his placard
The lone protester was seen holding a sign saying: ‘Please don’t attack me! Do you agree; Hamas is terrorist organisation, yes or yes?’
Mr Ghorbani had bottles, soil and other objects thrown at him by angry protesters
A police officer is seen speaking to the lone protester as the march makes its way past him
Security officers were seen speaking to the crowd in a bid to calm the situation as tensions rose when they saw the sign
Pro-Palestinian protesters attempt to calm down a fellow demonstrator who threw soil at the man
Writing on X afterward, Niyak Ghorbani said he was threatened with arrest if he returned to the area
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘We’ve reviewed all the bodyworn video of this 11 minute incident.
‘While the wording on the man’s sign was an accurate reflection of the law in relation to Hamas, it was also apparent he was there to provoke a reaction from the passing crowd.
‘The priority for officers was to de-escalate the situation to keep everyone safe and the most proportionate way to do that was to ask the man to move away from the protest. Ten minutes passed with officers repeatedly asking him to move further away and eventually minimal force was used to get him to do so.’
The Iranian dissident claimed he was ‘violently grabbed’ by one of the officers and questioned: ‘Is arrest a justifiable threat for speaking the truth?’
Writing on X, formerly twitter, yesterday, he said: ‘While following the police’s advice to collect placards and move away from the area, this individual violently grabbed my hand and threatened that if I returned there, they would arrest me! Is arrest a justifiable threat for speaking the truth?!’
It came moments after Mr Ghorbani held a lone counter-demonstration while holding a placard which read: ‘Please don’t attack me! Do you agree; Hamas is terrorist organisation, yes or yes?’
The placard drew a furious response from some pro-Palestine activists who threw objects thrown towards him, and attempted to hit him and grab the placard from his grasp.
Other were seen shouting ‘w****r’, with chants of ‘Free, Free Palestine’ aimed towards him. Some activists are seen urging those infuriated by the sign to walk away, while two security personnel were seen trying to calm tensions.
Mr Ghorbani later wrote on X: ‘Again and again… If they are not supporters of Hamas, why do they get upset when Hamas is labelled as terrorist?’
A man appears to argue with police as the procession turns unruly at Hyde Park Corner
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn takes part in Saturday’s pro-Palestine march in central London
A woman was arrested after being spotted with a cardboard sign stating ‘Long Live The Intifada’
The woman was apprehended after allegedly waving a banner in support of a banned organisation
In a statement released before the new footage of Mr Ghorbani being led away came to light, the Met said: ‘We’re aware of the video that has been shared online.
‘It has been cut in the middle but it appears officers intervened and spoke to the man who was having items thrown at him.
‘If the man wished to make any allegations the officers will document that and further enquiries will follow.’
It came after thousands of people marched on the Israeli Embassy in London in a gathering on Saturday, with the Metropolitan Police confirming on Saturday night it had arrested 12 people for a string of alleged offences following the protest.
One woman arrested for holding a sign saying ‘Long Live the Intifada’, while there were also arrests on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and assaulting emergency workers.
The force said the ‘overwhelming majority’ of people who took part were peaceful and acted lawfully during the march, which was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in protest at the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Protesters met at the south of Park Lane, holding banners calling for a ‘ceasefire now’ and chanting ‘free, free Palestine’, before leaving for designated place near the Israeli embassy where speeches were made.
Among the speakers was former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot, who both called for ‘justice’ for the Palestinian people.
Organisers had said before the demonstration that they expected between 200,000 and 250,000 people to attend.
Just before 6.30pm on Saturday the Met posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Today’s protest has now fully concluded.
Police arrested a woman on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation, as pro-Palestine marchers gathered in west London
She was led away from the procession by officers and bundled into a police vehicle
Other marchers, some of them children, carried placards declaring ‘I thought Hitler was dead’ and ‘Turns out killing kids is okay, I’m scared for my life’
Police appear to remonstrate with a protester near Hyde Park Corner
‘There were 12 arrests for placard related offences, assaults on officers and refusal to remove face coverings. Thankfully, none of the officers who were assaulted were seriously injured.
‘Despite these arrests, the overwhelming majority who took part were peaceful and acted entirely within the law. We worked closely with the organisers and their stewarding team in the run up to and during the protest and we’re grateful for their cooperation.’
The force had imposed Section 60, 60AA and 35 orders, giving police additional powers, but they have been withdrawn and the Met said the orders are ‘no longer required’.
Police first arrested a woman on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation, after she was allegedly spotted with a signpost which read ‘Long Live The Intifada’.
Later, while arresting a man for carrying an anti-Semitic banner, a punchup broke out in which officers were assaulted – leading to six more arrests.
Two further arrests were made against demonstrators who refused to remove their face coverings.
Other marchers, some of them children, carried placards declaring ‘I thought Hitler was dead’ and ‘Turns out killing kids is okay, I’m scared for my life’.
Besides the familiar chant of ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ another rallying cry was ‘Occupation no more, Israel is a terror state’.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign earlier predicted it expected over 200,000 thousand people to join in the rally, which was supported by the Stop The War Coalition and Socialist Worker newspaper.
‘Despite these arrests, the overwhelming majority who took part were peaceful and acted entirely with the law. We worked closely with the organisers and their stewarding team in the run up to and during the protest and we’re grateful for their cooperation.’
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on February 17, 2024 that at least 28,858 people have been killed in the territory during the war between Palestinian militants and Israel
Police officers inside the cordon at the Israeli embassy in Kensington High Street, London
Police officers stand shoulder to shoulder as the march takes place. Some 1,500 officers have been brought in from across the country to maintain order
‘Stop the bombs’ was scrawled in chalk on the road outside Royal Albert Hall as the demonstration moved through west London
The force had imposed Section 60, 60AA and 35 orders, giving police additional powers, but they have been withdrawn and the Met said the orders are ‘no longer required’.
Police first arrested a woman on suspicion of support for a proscribed organisation, after she was allegedly spotted with a signpost which read ‘Long Live The Intifada’.
Later, while arresting a man for carrying an anti-Semitic banner, a punchup broke out in which officers were assaulted – leading to six more arrests.
Two further arrests were made against demonstrators who refused to remove their face coverings.
Other marchers, some of them children, carried placards declaring ‘I thought Hitler was dead’ and ‘Turns out killing kids is okay, I’m scared for my life’.
Besides the familiar chant of ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ another rallying cry was ‘Occupation no more, Israel is a terror state’.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign earlier predicted it expected over 200,000 thousands people to join in the rally, which was supported by the Stop The War Coalition and Socialist Worker newspaper.
The Met police posted on X that the incident involving a punchup occurred at Hyde Park Corner.
The force wrote: ‘A man was seen in the crowd with an antisemitic placard. He has been arrested for inciting racial hatred.
‘When officers went in to arrest him they were assaulted, resulting in six arrests for assaulting an emergency worker.
‘Two other people were arrested for refusing to remove face coverings when required to do so by officers under Section 60AA of the Public Order Act.
The Metropolitan Police said the start time of 1.30pm allowed time for a synagogue event to finish. The march began at Marble Arch at 1.30pm, before heading down Park Lane, then Knightsbridge and Kensington Road
A spokesman for the force said: ‘This is the first time since a rally on October 9 that protest organisers have decided to hold a demonstration in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy.
‘However, even though protesters will be closer to the embassy than in recent months, the same exclusion zone that has been in place since mid-October will apply.
A mass of slogans and placards could be seen along Park Lane, with demonstrators demanding an end to the siege of Gaza
Tens of thousands of people have turned out for Saturday’s rally, which will pass the Israeli Embassy
People take part in a pro-Palestine march in central London on Saturday, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
A protester bears the sign ‘This did not start with Oct 7’
‘Participants in the protest will be kept more than 100m away from the embassy grounds, behind barriers controlled by officers. They will not be permitted to enter the area marked in red on the map below and anyone doing so faces arrest.’
The Campaign Against Antisemitism complained that organisers advertised a start time of 12.30pm – but police stated this was the meeting time for protesters and they would not be allowed to start marching for another hour.
The CAS said: ‘In previous weeks, the marches have included people supporting Hamas and openly flaunting their anti-Jewish racism, and congregants leaving synagogue had to walk through them.’
Saturday’s protest was only the second to take place near the Israeli Embassy since October 7 last year.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Embassy building on October 9 – just two days after Hamas’ terror attack. Clashes took place between rival groups of pro-Israeli and pro-Palestine demonstrators at nearby High Street Kensington station.
‘A real risk of serious disorder’ sufficient for the Met to request that the Home Secretary ban the protest has not been seen at recent demonstrations and is not expected today, the Met added.
The force said all officers would ‘be briefed to be on the lookout for offensive placards and banners’ and police teams would monitor CCTV of the demonstration as it happens.
Commander Kyle Gordon, who led the policing operation, said before the march: ‘We are there to ensure protests take place lawfully, minimising disruption to the life of the wider public and in a way that gives due consideration to the cumulative impact on London’s communities and those who feel most vulnerable in the current climate.
‘The protests we have seen since October have thankfully been largely peaceful and we must take this into account in our policing approach.
Thousands of demonstrators are took to the streets of London demanding a ceasefire on Saturday
Banners from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign proclaim ‘Free Palestine: End Israeli Occupation’ while another reads ‘Ceasefire Now’
A map released by the Met police shows the route of the march, beginning at Marble Arch at 1.30pm before heading down Park Lane, then Knightsbridge and Kensington Road
Stewards stand outside the Achilles statue in Hyde Park this morning ahead of the demonstration. Over 200,000 protesters had been predicted to attend
‘I hope the same will be true this Saturday.
‘Unfortunately, despite this, we have regularly seen officers having to deal with offences related to placards and other hate speech.
‘We do not underestimate the fear this causes, nor the impact of such criminal and unacceptable behaviour on wider community relations.
‘I would appeal to all those attending the protest on Saturday to act within the law and to consider the impact of their actions on the safety and security of others. We will not hesitate to take action against those who fail to do so.’
At least 28,663 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its military operation in the strip in October in response to the October 7 attacks, where militants killed some 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage.
Israel is being urged not to send ground forces into Rafah on the Egyptian border, where many of the strip’s citizens are now living after areas closer to their homes became engulfed by fighting.
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