United Kingdom Stops Al‑Quds Day March in London Over Security Concerns

Authorities in the United Kingdom have banned the planned Al‑Quds Day March in London, citing fears that the demonstration and expected counter-protests could lead to serious disorder.

The decision followed a request by the Metropolitan Police Service, which warned that the event posed significant security risks.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood approved the request on Tuesday night.

She 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.”

Although the march itself has been banned, police said a static protest will still be allowed.

Mahmood warned that authorities would act firmly against anyone inciting hatred.

She said she expected “the full force of the law applied to anyone spreading hatred and division.”

The protest is organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which criticised the government’s decision and vowed to challenge it.

“We are seeking legal advice and this decision will not go unchallenged,” the organisation said.

It also accused the police of repeating “Zionist talking points… without a shred of evidence.”

Origins of Al-Quds Day

The Al‑Quds Day, named after the Arabic word for Jerusalem, began in 1979 in Iran as a show of solidarity with Palestinians.

It is now marked annually in several countries, particularly across the Muslim world, as a protest against Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem.

However, the Metropolitan Police Service said the march raises particular concerns in London.

Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the protest had “unique risks.”

“The threshold to ban a protest is high and we do not take this decision lightly,” he said.

He added that police had to consider the possibility of clashes between demonstrators and counter-protesters amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

“We must consider the likely high numbers of protestors and counter protestors coming together and the extreme tensions between different factions,” Adelekan said.

The ban on the march and related counter-protests will remain in force for one month starting Wednesday.

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