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A London Assembly member has written to the Home Secretary amid claims the Met Police “lied” about Gaza protests at the weekend.
On Saturday, thousands of protesters in central London gathered to demand a lasting ceasefire and an end to what they have called a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The march had been hit with strict conditions by police over where they could go, and for how long, under the Public Order Act.
It came amid pressure from the Board of Deputies of British Jews that the planned destination – BBC headquarters – was close to a synogogue, and its attendees on the Sabbath. The implication was that Jews would be targeted by pro-Gaza protesters.
But protesters claim the Met Police allowed them to march towards the BBC – and then began arresting people en masse. That includes the chief steward for the protesters, Chris Nineham of Stop the War Coalition, and Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal. MPs John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, who spoke at the demonstration, have also been interviewed under police caution.
In the event, the police made 77 arrests – the vast majority for “breach of conditions”, in other words, marching outside of the Met Police-permitted route.
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Following the arrests, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wrote on X: “Everyone should be able to worship in peace. [The Met Police] have my support in ensuring that synagogues were not disrupted today.” She had shared a Community Security Trust post saying: “Thank you to the [Met Police] for ensuring the community could attend Shabbat services peacefully today. A special thanks to all of our volunteers who played a vital role in today’s security operation.”
Green Party London Assembly member Zack Polanski, who spoke at the demonstration and is Jewish, has now written to the Home Secretary to express frustration over her’s and the police’s public statements. He told Byline Times he believed the police have “lied” by claiming marchers actively broke through police lines. Polanski and organisers say they were allowed through by officers.
And in his letter to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper this Monday, Polanski writes: “It is concerning to see Metropolitan Police tweets falsely stating that people were ‘forcing through’ [police lines]. Such language feeds false and often racist narratives about the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s protests that have been peaceful.”
He added: “I’m also disturbed by your own communications suggesting there was an intention to disrupt a synagogue. Many Jewish participants, including myself, find this accusation offensive. The goal was to protest the BBC’s failure to report the genocide accurately, and this was planned quite some distance from the synagogue and way after services had ended.
“Public trust in our institutions is already fragile. Politicising the police and smearing innocent people only worsens this. I urge you to review the evidence including footage from body worn cameras from the event, retract your comments and clarify the situation with the Metropolitan Police.”
On 20th January, Commander Adam Slonecki, who led the policing operation on Saturday, claimed: “We saw a deliberate effort, including by protest organisers, to breach conditions and attempt to march out of Whitehall.
“This was a serious escalation in criminality and one which we are taking incredibly seriously. Officers have worked around the clock to pursue those involved.
“We will continue to work through CCTV footage, videos from social media and our body worn cameras so we can make further arrests and bring forward charges where we identify criminality.
“I’d like to thank officers for their professional response, including those from other forces across the country who assisted. Thankfully no officers were injured during the protest, however three were spat at and one was physically assaulted. They are receiving appropriate support.”
The same day, the Met Police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, addressed the Board of Deputies, where he was applauded by Jewish representatives for the force’s handling of the Gaza march.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign says there have been no recorded cases of Gaza protesters targeting synagogues on its marches.
Polanski’s fellow Green Party Assembly Member Zoë Garbett said Saturday’s policing was “disgraceful.”
She said in a statement: “I’m outraged at the way the Met handled this weekend’s protest. Policing is about choices, and it was the Met’s choice to arrest peaceful protestors at such unnecessarily high rates.
“The Met cannot have it both ways: repeatedly changing where and how protests can occur, arresting people for breaching overly complex protest restrictions, and posting misleading public statements after the fact is not the way to facilitate protest.
“The Met complains when protest groups don’t engage with them, yet when groups like Palestine Solidarity Campaign do work with them in good faith, it seems the Met can’t do the same.”
She said she plans to confront the Met Police Commissioner directly over the weekend’s events the next time he sits before the Assembly. “Londoners deserve to know exactly who their police officers are protecting and serving,” she added.

Letter from Zack Polanski AM to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP
Dear Home Secretary, I am a London Assembly member who attended and spoke at the peaceful Palestine Solidarity rally this weekend.
The police were informed of our intention to protest against the decision to ban the march to the BBC. It was announced that a small delegation would walk silently and peacefully towards the BBC and lay flowers to commemorate the deceased if and when we were stopped by the police. Among our group were parliamentarians Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, along with many community organisations.
As shown in many videos, police had agreed through negotiation that the delegation could pass through and lay flowers. However, they subsequently allowed a much larger group into Trafalgar Square. It is concerning to see Metropolitan Police tweets falsely stating that people were “forcing through.”
Such language feeds false and often racist narratives about the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s protests that have been peaceful.
I’m also disturbed by your own communications suggesting there was an intention to disrupt a synagogue. Many Jewish participants, including myself, find this accusation offensive. The goal was to protest the BBC’s failure to report the genocide accurately, and this was planned quite some distance from the synagogue and way after services had ended.
Public trust in our institutions is already fragile. Politicising the police and smearing innocent people only worsens this. I urge you to review the evidence including footage from body worn cameras from the event, retract your comments and clarify the situation with the Metropolitan Police.
Thank you for your attention in this matter,
Zack Polanski
Green Party Member of the London Assembly