Whisper it softly: another successful public order day for the Met

Chris Hobbs follows the latest Gaza war protests through London where police public order tactics were once more under close scrutiny

Although it was billed as a ‘local,’ London protest, this had all the appearance of the national protests seen during previous weeks to the extent that the Met again called on mutual aid from other forces. Football also occupied the Met’s public order planners including Millwall versus Cardiff where there is long standing animosity between rival supporters, as I can remember vividly.

The starting point was again Russell Square and initially it looked that numbers would be well down on the previous national protest which began at that same location however, late arrivals saw numbers swell considerably.

As an aside, while taking a diversion via Lincoln’s Inn Fields, I saw a ‘Boris bike,’ rider in considerable pain having come off the bike in question. An officer posted to the square came running and offered the victim reassurance as others hurried to the scene carrying a ‘green bag,’ first aid kit. It looked as if the victim was a tourist and was suffering from either a fractured or badly sprained wrist plus cuts and shock. This was a relatively minor incident/accident that nevertheless illustrated that caring, compassionate side of the Met so often ignored by its critics.

Sterile area

There were two counter-protests on the day: The first was at the Aldwych where mainly Jewish pro-Israel supporters gathered complete with a plethora of national flags. They were kept behind the familiar steel barriers which bordered a sterile area populated by police and press. Another line of barriers stretched along the edge of the road which would keep the pro-Palestinian marchers at a comfortable distance from their adversaries.

As previously, the march, from a distance presented an intimidating sight and, as it began to pass the rival protesters, both sides erupted into the familiar scenario of trading chants and insults. Stewards attempted to keep the march moving but they were less numerous and less effective than before. Whilst most marchers moved on, several groups were clearly reluctant to do so including one that contained a ‘band,’ with several drummers and a trumpeter.

Counter-protest in Whitehall

The marchers then moved on to the Embankment before entering Parliament Square for their rally. This route meant that they avoided a second counter-protest in Whitehall opposite Downing Street under the banner of;

“Stand up to terrorist sympathisers; Your country needs you.”

This protest however attracted only some forty individuals and a mixture of St. George’s and Union Jack flags. After speeches, they were allowed by police to move into the centre of Whitehall where they invited, politely it must be said, passing pro-Palestinian supporters who were prematurely leaving the rally to debate the issues with them. Officers were in place to ensure there were no altercations.

There has been criticism that the pro-Palestinian rallies have focused purely on Gaza as opposed to other humanitarian crises in the world. On this occasion, there were references to the catastrophic situation in Sudan albeit with adverse comments concerning British ‘imperialism.’

A subsequent Met announcement stated that there were 16 public order arrests during the day; nine were at the protest and six were football related.

Indignant sections of social media also showed two individuals clutching Union Jack flags being escorted out of the midst of the pro-Palestinian protest. It would appear that the Met tactic of keeping rivals apart from each other is unappreciated by many who again claimed two tier policing.

Meanwhile, whilst the major pro-Palestinian rallies remain largely trouble-free, small groups, many under the banner of ‘Palestinian Action,’ are participating in ‘guerilla’ type protests against companies and organisations deemed to have ‘unacceptable’ links with Israel. These are not confined to London and can involve attempting to physically block entrances/exits to the building in question or spraying the building with red paint. This, of course, will only give credence to allegations of ‘mob rule,’ by those on the right of the political spectrum.

These protesters will doubtless take much encouragement from the fact that the UK’s criminal justice system is in meltdown, a consequence of which means that prisons are overcrowded to the extent that the government appears to be discouraging custodial sentencing.

Meanwhile, further imminent public order challenges await the Met.

Chris Hobbs is a former Special Branch officer who has been following public order events as an observer for Police Oracle 

Category: OpsPublic OrderTerrorism and Allied Matters