Several people have been arrested in central London as Pro-Palestine marches are going ahead in the capital and Manchester, despite calls for organisers to postpone. Follow the latest below.
Saturday 4 October 2025 13:52, UK
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The organiser of the Palestine Action protest in London estimates around 700 people gathered in Trafalgar Square.
As we have been reporting, several people have already been arrested or taken away from the protest.
Individuals are believed to be being taken to the side of Trafalgar Square, where officers and police vehicles are waiting to process those who have been arrested.
Sir Keir Starmer had urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures have called the action “phenomenally tone deaf” following Thursday’s terror attack.
Away from the protests and demonstrations taking place across the UK today, hopes are growing that the fighting in Gaza could soon finally end.
That’s thanks to Hamas responding to Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan last night, announcing it would return all the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
There was no mention of disarmament or any confirmation that Hamas would not play a role in the future governance of Gaza, but Trump has already hailed it a “special day” and said he believes Hamas is “ready for a lasting peace”.
In response, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “preparing to immediately implement”the first phase of the plan, while Israeli media reports the country’s military has shifted from offensive to defensive manoeuvres in Gaza City.
Police have said they have begun making arrests at a Palestine Action protest in Trafalgar Square.
Shortly after the demonstration began at 1pm, the Metropolitan Police said people displaying placards in support of the proscribed group are being detained.
Two elderly men were seen being carried by each limb by officers as crowds clapped and cheered.
Palestine Action was proscribed by the government in July, making it illegally to show any support or affiliation to them.
In a statement on X, the Met said: “Officers have begun making arrests in Trafalgar Square where people are displaying placards in support of Palestine Action.
“The square is busy, but quite a few people in the crowd appear to be observing/supporting but not carrying placards themselves.”
The demonstration has gone ahead despite calls from the prime minister and police bosses to postpone or cancel the action due to the attack on a Manchester synagogue earlier this week.
In Manchester, around 100 pro-Palestine supporters gathered in the city centre for an organised protest against the war in Gaza.
A handful of counter-protesters were also present, along with a number of police monitoring the situation.
The protest, organised by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, is different to the demonstration in central London, which is calling for the ban in the Palestine Action group to be reversed.
A group of six protesters, who draped banners over Westminster Bridge in London in support of the banned Palestine Action group, have been arrested, the Metropolitan Police have said.
The campaigners from Defend Our Juries managed to hold two banners over the north side of the bridge which read: “I oppose genocide” and “I support Palestine Action”.
The Met said officers removed the banners minutes later, and arrested those involved for supporting a proscribed organisation.
Defend Our Juries, which has organised today’s demonstration, said it expects 1,500 to attend the protest, which is due to begin in around 15 minutes.
As we have been reporting this morning, protests in London and Manchester are taking place, despite calls from the prime minister and police bosses for the events to be called off.
Here is what has been said, and by who:
The prime minister
In a post on X, Sir Keir Starmer urged anyone thinking of protesting “to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews” in light of this week’s synagogue attack in which two people died.
He wrote: “This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.”
Home secretary
Shabana Mahmood said yesterday that the government will make sure any protests that go ahead today “comply with the law”.
She said: “I have made sure the police have all the resources they need to ensure they are able to police these protests.
“Someone that steps outside the law of our land will be arrested.”
Police chiefs
Chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, added that he has two concerns over today’s demonstrations.
He said: “[Firstly] the risk that the timing of that event, sends a message which, whether inadvertently, deliberately, endorses antisemitism. I think that’s a deep risk to community tension, which is my concern.
“Secondly, we’re going to have more than 1,500 officers dealing with the scale of an event where, potentially, north of a thousand people want to get arrested for supporting a terrorist organisation, which I find, bewildering and frustrating.
“So our ability to stretch our resources across London, protect the communities that need it most, is to some degree compromised by that.”
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson, also urged potential attendees to “consider whether this is really the right time”.
Protest organisers
In a letter to Sir Mark Rowley, the group that is organising the London protest, Defend Our Juries, said the event will continue as planned.
“The protection of our democracy and the prevention of countless deaths are critical issues,” the letter said.
“We urge you therefore to choose to prioritise protecting the community, rather than arresting those peacefully holding signs in opposition to the absurd and draconian ban of a domestic direct action group.
“We hope you make the right choice to not arrest those taking part, and correctly deploy counter-terrorism resources this weekend.”
A protest marking nearly two years of war in Gaza is due to begin in Manchester.
The Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine group said the protest will begin at 12pm at the city’s cathedral and end at St Peter’s Square.
Here, an event to “honour the names of Palestinian children brutally killed by Israel in Gaza” will take place.
A protest in central London – which calls for the proscription of the Palestine Action group to be reversed – is due to begin at 1pm in Trafalgar Square.
Under proscription, Palestine Action has been legally banned as a group and labelled as a terrorist organisation.
A family member of a hostage in Gaza has said the Jewish community are fearful there will be “more attacks in the coming days”.
Adam Ma’anit, whose cousin was held by Hamas, told Sky News there is going to be “a lot of grief about and fear” as the anniversary of the 7 October attacks approaches.
“I am a security guard. I volunteer for the Community Security Trust, which safeguards the Jewish community around the country,” he said.
“So when I put on my stab vest and I look after my community here in Brighton, it’s very sobering to think about what we’re actually signing up for.
“But this is precisely what we signed up for. We’re here to protect our community, and we’re going to do that.”
Action is needed to stop antisemitism from flourishing in the UK, the leader of a charity which provides security to the Jewish community has said.
Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, said incitement has been “off the charts” since the 7 October attacks.
He claims social media platforms, regulators and politicians had failed to take action to stop the spread of antisemitic messaging.
“If people knew how much, how many people went online every single day to talk about killing Jews, they’d be absolutely horrified. And social media platforms do less now than they even did in the past to deal with that,” Mr Rich told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“I think more broadly, across civil society and across parts of industry, there is an inability to recognise antisemitism or a reluctance to deal with incitement in ways that have just allowed it to grow.
“I think the anger is directed there and I think a lot of Jewish people will be saying ‘OK, the sympathy is great, but where’s the action?'”
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has said increased patrols remain around the city in the aftermath of the synagogue attack.
The force said it is patrolling places of worship, with a particular focus on Jewish communities in north Manchester, Bury and Salford.
Crumpsall, where Thursday’s attack took place, is around three miles north of Manchester city centre.
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