A weekend’s public order well done by London’s police

‘PC Rain’ and some quickly adapted public order tactics helped take the sting out of potentially explosive protests around the Israel/Palestinian conflict last weekend writes Chris Hobbs

The usual Monday morning meeting of Scotland Yard’s top brass will probably have been dominated by the shooting of black activist Sasha Johnson, but there would have been much satisfaction that both highly contentious weekend public order events linked to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict passed off without major incident.

Following last week’s protest outside the Israeli embassy where, in addition to attacks of police, there was a danger of crushing, it appears that the organisers and police agreed that a march beginning at the Embankment and concluding in the wide-open spaces of Hyde Park would be a safer prospect.

It was again, a huge turnout with an uneventful march to Hyde Park and massive sound systems greeting the marchers as they entered via several gates. The speeches were well underway as the last of the protesters were passing through Trafalgar Square.

There was inevitable concern that some of the more youthful militant elements would still wish to protest at the Israeli Embassy and indeed a group of individuals roamed the outskirts of the gathering attempting to garner support for precisely that course of action.

This group did suffer an internal falling out as they began to punch and kick one of their number who ran towards two oblivious police officers for safety. The plans of this group seemed to suffer a grievous blow when the heavens opened and there was a mass exodus from the meeting into Marble Arch station, which had to be closed due to sheer weight of numbers. Credit to the hardy souls who remained despite being drenched.

Israeli Embassy protest

Nevertheless, I and an intrepid photo-journalist decided to make our way across the parks to the Israeli Embassy where, as anticipated, a crowd of around 200 Palestinian supporters had gathered chanting the slogans which had become so familiar after the previous week.

Rain showers however dampened their enthusiasm and a number began to drift away over time leading police and journalists to believe it would be an ‘early dismissal.’

Suddenly however at around 6.15pm, the atmosphere changed and it soon became clear why; approaching from the west along Kensington Gore were 200 youthful pro-Palestinian protesters who had clearly endured the inclement weather and remained at the main Hyde Park meeting. They were followed by another group of around 50.

The chanting re-commenced with renewed enthusiasm even though an attempt to burn an Israeli flag proved less than overwhelming. It spluttered, made a hole and then the flame vanished. Attempts to reignite it comprehensively failed.

The march; trouble and termination.

Half an hour after the failed flag burning, it was time for the inevitable march. Around 200 set off along the High Street and within minutes there was an incident as an expensive sports car was suddenly attacked by the crowd that had transformed itself into a mob. Individuals jumped on the pristine bonnet and it seemed that the intention was to drag out the driver.

Unlike last week, when a similar march was unescorted other than for a small number of police liaison officers, happily on this occasion, it was being followed by a serial of ‘fully kitted’ officers who were quick to intervene. It was doubtless a relieved, sports car driver who was able to drive away with both his expensive car and his person intact. It never was established why his vehicle was targeted.

The march resumed in a more animated and problematic manner, at one stage running and being followed at a pace by serials of officers clearly determined to remain in control.

The protesters turned into a side road followed by police serial who, about 20 yards along that road, formed a cordon. TSG officers, following on behind, put in another cordon at the junction thus effectively splitting the protesters in two. I was nearly set sprawling when the crowd panicked as TSG officers made an arrest.

Those protesters remaining at the junction, moved off again along the Hammersmith Road. Additional serials of officers had, by now, managed to get in front of the crowd and suddenly formed a cordon across that main road. The protesters clearly lacked awareness of police tactics shown by those of the previous week. TSG carriers approached from behind the group and officers quickly debussed.

I extricated myself from that which I knew was about to happen, and then watched as the TSG formed another cordon across the road thus effectively ‘kettling’ the protesters. A few were also fortunate in remaining on the ‘free’ side of the cordon and several occupied themselves, at a safe distance, in hurling abuse at those TSG officers.

Suddenly, to use police parlance, PC Rain appeared with a vengeance and an unremitting downpour soaked protesters and fully kitted out police officers. That was effectively the end of the evening and leaving both police and protesters to dry off, I made the long walk back to High Street, Kensington.

Solidarity with Israel rally

Sunday saw the second event which took the form of a ‘supporters for Israel rally’ in front of the Embassy or rather the entrance of the gated road that leads to it. The police created a sterile area in front of the gates with the south footway being kept open to pedestrians. Supporters of Israel were located at the Kensington High Street ‘end’ while it was hoped that any Palestinian supporters would occupy the Kensington Gardens ‘end.’ It didn’t quite work out like that.

The number of pro-Israeli demonstrators was never going to rival that of the previous days pro-Palestinian protest but hundreds attended with the flag seller much in demand. The atmosphere was, predictably, rather more upbeat and instead of speeches, we had songs, albeit in Hebrew, performed by a very capable singer.

It took around three quarters of hour for the first of the pro-Palestinian supporters to appear but inconveniently they stood about 70 yards behind the Israeli supporters watched by a hastily formed police cordon. More counter-protesters came and a few left over the next half an hour as their chanting drew the attention of those on the Israeli side. Steel barriers were placed by contactors in front of the pro-Palestinians while the attentions of the Israeli supporters nearest their own police cordon were now focussed on their rivals rather than the singer. It was a scenario with which those used to policing football matches would be all too familiar.

Police intervene

Events took a sinister turn when a small group of Israeli supporters walking on the north footway, including a couple of young women, attempted to join their own demonstration. They were spotted by the pro-Palestinian faction who surged across the road to attack them throwing eggs as they charged. Fortunately, police were close-by and quickly moved in hustling the Israeli supporters back the way they came while returning the Palestinian supporters to the roadway.

Relative calm ensued for just a few minutes before police officers began running into Kensington Church Street which leads down into the High Street where the Palestinian supporters were gathered. Those supporters, realising something was afoot, ran to the junction to see what was occurring. The reason, soon became clear; a large group of Israeli supporters were being halted by a police cordon. Whether they were trying to outflank the police and confront their rivals or attempting simply to join the solidarity with Israel protest isn’t clear but the situation was again quickly and effectively dealt with by officers.

Police had also, by this time, parked two lines of carriers across the road, each in front of the respective rival groups so they simply couldn’t see each other. A short while later, looking between the gaps in the carriers, it was clear that the Israeli supporters had magically gone, half an hour before the scheduled conclusion of their rally, perhaps at the behest of their organisers and police.

The Palestinian supporters then set off on their inevitable march followed by police. After a short while they were addressed by a male who had earlier urged restraint. Following a short political speech, he urged the protesters to disperse which they did. This left a group of around twenty exceedingly unpleasant individuals, who, after playing hide and seek with Met officers, went chanting, into the High Street Kensington Station Shopping Mall where there received short shrift from the BTP officers stationed there.

Eventually they returned to the Embassy where some more desultory chanting took place.

At some stage, during the rally, social media footage appears to show Tommy Robinson attending. Jewish organisations have confirmed this, in addition to voicing their displeasure.

The day and indeed the weekend were effectively over and despite the abuse of officers that seems now to be a hallmark of many protests, the Met, aided by the City of London Police and BTP, must feel more than satisfied with their efforts and those of London’s officers over the two days.

Chris Hobbs is a former Met officer who worked in Special Branch. He is following all of London’s protests and marches during lockdown restrictions as an observer for Police Oracle

Category: Ops

Tags: British Transport PoliceCity of London PoliceLondonMetropolitan Police ServiceNon-territorialPublic OrderPublic ProtectionRace/Hate Crime