The UK government has banned an annual pro-Palestinian march scheduled for Sunday in London, citing concerns over potential public disorder. London police said the event is organised by a group “supportive of the Iranian regime.”
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood approved the rare police request late Tuesday, stating the ban was necessary to prevent “serious public disorder” if the Al-Quds Day march and counter-protests had proceeded. The move marks the first time a protest march has been banned in the UK since 2012, although a static demonstration will still be allowed, according to Metropolitan Police.
Mahmood said she was “satisfied” the ban was necessary given “the scale of the protest and multiple counter-protests, in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” adding that she expected the full force of the law to apply to anyone spreading “hatred and division.”
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the NGO that organises the march, condemned the decision as “politically charged” and announced it would seek legal advice to challenge the ban. The group accused the Met of abandoning impartial policing and of “regurgitating Zionist talking points … without a shred of evidence.” IHRC described Al-Quds Day as “an international demonstration … in support of Palestinians and all the oppressed around the world.”
Al-Quds Day, named after the Arabic word for Jerusalem, was initiated in Iran in 1979 to support Palestinians and now occurs annually in several countries, particularly in the Muslim world. The event protests Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the march was “uniquely contentious,” noting its Iranian origins and the IHRC’s alleged support for the Iranian regime. He emphasised that banning a protest is a high-threshold decision and is not taken lightly.
Adelekan explained that the assessment considered the likelihood of large numbers of protesters and counter-protesters, extreme tensions among different groups, and the impact of ongoing Middle East conflicts, including recent Iranian attacks on British allies and military bases. He noted the Met’s “proven track record” of allowing free speech and protest rights at similar demonstrations in recent years.
The ban on the march and any associated counter-protest marches will remain in effect for one month from Wednesday.
