Eyewitness: October 7 – controversy in abundance but no violent disorder

Chris Hobbs attends the controversial Pro-Palestinian protest and counter protest to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

The decision by students to march on the third anniversary of the 7th of October massacre attracted considerable advance media interest together with controversy as demands were made for the march and rally to be cancelled.

The Met were pilloried for not cancelling the event, but firmly pushed back pointing out that they didn’t have the power due to the fact that the threshold, in terms of potential violent disorder had not been reached. They were to be proved correct. However, strict conditions were imposed on the march and rally.

The starting point was Lincolns Inn Fields at midday and the scrum of camera crews and press photographers must have wondered what all the fuss was about as, by my estimate, just 100 pro-Palestinian activists materialised and a rugby scrum ensued as they left the meeting point at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The poor turnout led to speculation that even those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, felt that protesting on this day was a bridge too far.

The procession, beset by the above-mentioned continued rugby scrum, then walked up  Southampton Row before turning left towards the entrance and intended rally venue within the green spaces of Russell Square. The protesters used umbrellas to shield themselves from the media and officers yet despite their best efforts at concealment, several warning in respect of masks were given. In front of the march, two ‘patriotic allies’ draped in Union flags were visible but were ignored by those marching behind.

Chaos and confusion at Russell Square

At the Southampton Row junction with Russell Square matters took a turn for the worse when the march was effectively blocked by a lady with an Israeli flag accompanied by a male. She refused police requests to move as more pro-Israelis appeared together with additional ‘patriot allies.’ Abuse and insults abounded as it became clear that the pro-Palestinians would be unable to gain access via that entrance to hold their rally.

Amidst growing confusion, the pro-Palestinians turned left hoping to gain entry to Russell Square via another gate, however the pro-Israelis, who appeared mainly from the antisemitic Stop the Hate group together with their allies dogged their footsteps.

 

 

Halfway along the road the media scrum were able to observe an arrest of a pro-Palestine protester apparently for refusing to remove his mask.

As the chaos reached the second gate it became clear that the marchers were again not going to be able to enter due to the visible opposition blocking their route. The result was that both groups were milling about the road as police tried to bring some degree of order to the situation by forming cordons.

In fact, the mingling of both groups led to the pro-Palestine marchers being confronted and subjected to predictable abuse. One individual who displayed a large Palestine flag at the end of a long poll came in for particular attention.

Pro-Palestinians withdraw

As the situation became increasingly hostile towards the pro-Palestinians, many opted to leave the Square. One group, consisting mainly of female students, were accompanied by the individual with the Palestinian flag on the long pole while many of the young students were identifiable due to their wearing of the keffiyeh scarf or hijabs or both. This meant that the group withdrawing were followed by pro-Israelis/patriotic allies and duly subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation. At this stage, police hadn’t spotted the withdrawal and there was no police presence but further along the road the rival groups were joined by two officers who commendably had sensed a volatile situation was now a moving one.

The two-handed push technique

Two more officers arrived; these were evidence gatherers complete with cameras but it would appear that the additional units requested did not materialise. Eventually, a number of the pro-Palestinians were ‘headed off’ by their rivals and looked, frankly, terrified. One of the males who had been hurling abuse suddenly lunged towards a female and was thwarted by a police officer who used the two-handed push technique to send him backwards with considerable velocity.

More officers, who’d heard of the developing situation on their radios, arrived and both groups decided enough was enough and melted away. A return to Russell Square saw a much calmer situation.

Events elsewhere and the future

Earlier that morning, five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred after shouting and chanting slogans calling for “intifada” during a “spontaneous protest” outside the Board of Deputies in Camden. In all, during the day, eleven arrests were made and, despite the issues referred to above, there was not the merest hint of mass violent disorder which would have justified a total ban.

Later that evening in Whitehall, a vigil commemorating the dreadful events of the 7th of October which was organised by several Jewish organisations, passed off without incident.

One interesting debating point arising from the events of the 7th, is, in these days of VAWG concerns, whether females including those in their teens, who hold views that may be abhorrent to the majority, can justifiably be subjected to intimidation, abuse, insults and threats. Perhaps a question more suited to the BBC’s Question Time.

The Met now face their third challenge of the week when this Saturday, they police yet another large Palestinian Solidarity Campaign march and rally in central London, which is likely to be opposed by Jewish groups.

Chris Hobbs is a former Special Branch officer who follows public order events as an observer for Police Oracle. 

Category: Public Order