A group of pro-Palestine protestors blocked traffic London’s Tower Bridge on Saturday evening after thousands attended a rally at Trafalgar Square.
The Metropolitan Police said it responded to the central London bridge “within seconds” and will “move to enforcement” after groups split off from the main protest.
Vast crowds were pictured at the central London meeting point on Saturday afternoon for the event, which was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
The protest began at 2pm and lasted until 4pm but police issued an updated statement at 4.20pm to say that the group had split.
“A group of demonstrators remain in Trafalgar Square whilst a smaller group has dispersed to Whitehall,” this read.
“Traffic is not being impacted and officers are on the ground continuing to engage with attendees.”
A group of demonstrators remain in Trafalgar Square whilst a smaller group has dispersed to Whitehall.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 19, 2024
Traffic is not being impacted and officers are on the ground continuing to engage with attendees. pic.twitter.com/rBQL1fNQKx
The Met tweeted after 5pm: “Crowds have now cleared from both Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
“A police presence remains locally to ensure the continued safety of all of those in the vicinity.”
The tweet about the Tower Bridge blockade was sent at 6.15pm and by 6.33pm the group had been moved on by officers.
Traffic was moving again over the bridge within a few minutes.
The group of protestors moved out of the road following police engagement.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 19, 2024
Officers have cleared the road and traffic is beginning to move down Tower Bridge. pic.twitter.com/CvrQigxViu
The protest comes after Israel's foreign minister confirmed that Israeli troops in Gaza killed Hamas's top leader Yahya Sinwar.
Sir Keir Starmer has said that nobody should mourn his death and that the group’s leader had “the blood of Israelis” as well as “the blood of the Palestinian people.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign held the event for anyone to call for further action from the British government to intervene in the Hamas-Israeli war that has now been fully fledged since October 7 last year.
“Israel is intensifying its genocidal violence in Gaza, bombing Palestinians in hospitals, schools and refugee camps and burning those sheltering alive,” a statement from the campaign read.
“Meanwhile our government refuses to take action to #StopArmingIsrael.
“If you live in London please join the protest for Palestine this Saturday as part of the Day of Action to demand our government institute a two-way arms embargo on Israel.”
Protestors also recently gathered to mark the one year mark of the war.
Another London gathering in September saw eight people arrested.
The Met has come under pressure for the way it has handled Palestine protests.
The force’s assistant commissioner Matt Twist said last month that the force "didn't get everything right" in the way it has dealt with policing large sale rallies.
