Thousands march for Palestine through central London. Police make at least 20 arrests, six after the Battle of Britain memorial was climbed
The National March for Palestine took place in central London on Saturday 10 October. The Metropolitan Police imposed conditions and listed at least 20 arrests: six for criminal damage after people climbed the Battle of Britain memorial, seven for breaching conditions, two for placards supporting Palestine Action, two under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, one of them racially aggravated, and others for assaulting an officer and a threat to kill linked to an earlier incident. Marchers gathered on the Embankment and walked to Whitehall. The Telegraph reported a clash with a smaller group of Israel supporters. Organisers claim a very large turnout; the Met had estimated 7,000 to 10,000 earlier and had published no final figure. In Edinburgh, thousands marched to the Scottish Parliament.
Protest policing, and the line between legitimate demonstration and support for a banned group, has been a recurring test for the Met and the government since 2023.
If you were in central London on Saturday, roads around Whitehall and the Embankment were closed or busy. Anyone with a photo or video of an offence can pass it to the Met.
Organisers say the march was overwhelmingly peaceful and that large numbers of ordinary people want a ceasefire and an end to arms sales.
Critics say conditions exist to protect public order and memorials, and that displaying symbols of a proscribed group cannot be excused as protest.
The arrest list is more telling than any crowd estimate. Watch for charges against those arrested, any Met review of its conditions and, later this month, whether the next national march is allowed on the same route.
DailyDrop U.K. edition No. 7 · Morning · SUN., OCT. 11, 2026