Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets of London on Saturday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
The demonstration coincides with Armistice Day, when a number of large events are already due to take place. Including a two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in Westminster for fallen servicemen and women.
The planned route for the march goes from Hyde Park – about a mile from the war memorial in Whitehall – to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames.
The Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, which will be attended by the King and Queen, as well as other members of the royal family, will also take place on Saturday.
Faith leaders, senior MPs and the Mayor of London joined forces today to issue a plea for calm, respect and unity.
One of the organisers of Saturday’s march, John Rees from The Stop the War coalition, predicted that more than 500,000 people could take part, more than in previous protests, and that many coach companies were reporting full bookings to attend it. But claims about the scale of earlier marches have been disputed, with suggestions that the figures were significantly lower than those stated by organisers.
Nicholas Cecil, our Political Editor, discusses the division of opinions from different sides of the political spectrum, as well as the backlash over the Home Secretary’s public criticism of the police.
In part two, John Dunne, the Standard’s crime reporter, analyses the scale of the task the Met faces when it comes to policing London this weekend.
Listen to the full episode above, find us on Apple, Spotify or wherever you stream your podcasts.
