Over 40 legal academics have endorsed a letter demanding an independent investigation into the Metropolitan Police’s management of a pro-Palestine demonstration in London on Saturday, characterizing the response as “a disproportionate, unwarranted, and perilous attack on the right to assemble and protest.”
According to the police, they arrested 77 participants during the protest, having prohibited gatherings outside the BBC’s London headquarters due to its vicinity to a synagogue and the fact that it occurred on the Sabbath. Consequently, the demonstration shifted to a static rally, yet the Met accused demonstrators of orchestrating a breach of police lines to violate the restrictions.
This assertion was contested by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), alongside notable figures such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who were voluntarily interviewed under caution regarding the march and later “released pending further investigations.”
The letter, which features signatures from Prof. Jeff King of University College London—who previously served as a legal adviser to the House of Lords select committee on the constitution—as well as scholars from over 15 additional institutions, states: “The restrictions imposed by the Metropolitan Police on the PSC demonstration on January 18, 2025, were excessive and represent an abuse of police authority.
“Despite a clear history of predominantly peaceful protests for over a year, the police obstructed the demonstration from assembling near, or proceeding towards, the BBC on Saturday, without providing any convincing justification. Their actions appear to have been influenced by political motivations aimed at undermining the effectiveness of the demonstrators and protecting state entities from scrutiny.”
The letter argues that the arrest of key stewards present at national Palestine marches, along with others, indicates “a troubling increase in the attack on the right to protest broadly, particularly against anti-war and pro-Palestine demonstrations,” and calls for the repeal of an array of anti-protest legislation enacted in recent years.
The chief steward and the PSC director were part of 12 individuals charged, with all but two facing public order violations.
The PSC accused the Metropolitan Police of reneging on an earlier commitment to permit a march originating from the BBC on Portland Place to Whitehall, a route previously utilized several times.
Dr. Paul O’Connell, a law reader at Soas University of London, noted that the letter was supported by prominent lawyers and academics “who, in various capacities, have dealt with issues pertaining to human rights and the rule of law for decades.”
He expressed, “This clearly demonstrates that these experts harbor significant concerns regarding the policing of the PSC demonstration… and, more broadly, about the threats to the right to protest in Britain.
“Freedom to assemble and protest is fundamental to a democratic society. If those protesting against alleged genocide in Gaza cannot do so safely, it signals a dire outlook for personal freedom and democratic existence in 21st century Britain.”
O’Connell emphasized that the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, to whom the letter was directed, alongside the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the attorney general, Lord Hermer KC, must “ensure that the laws and police practices in Britain uphold and enable the right to protest, in accordance with the regional and international human rights treaties that the UK is part of.”
Commander Adam Slonecki, the Met officer overseeing the policing operation, remarked: “We observed a deliberate attempt, including by protest organizers, to violate conditions and try to march out of Whitehall.
“This represented a serious escalation in criminal activity that we are addressing with utmost seriousness. Officers have been working tirelessly to identify those involved.
“We will continue to analyze CCTV footage, social media videos, and data from our body-worn cameras to execute further arrests and file charges wherever criminal behavior is identified.”
The Surprising Appearance of Fake Babies in Slings on Statues Across the UK — What’s the Story Behind it