The Met has lifted some restrictions on a pro-Palestine march in central London after a row with organisers who argued they were being treated unfairly.
Police had limited the time and location of the protest on Saturday but have given way on some issues following the cancellation of another march which Scotland Yard said would ease pressure on them.
The “End the Genocide – Stop Arming Israel” march, starting in Regent Street and ending in Kensington Road, was initially ordered by police not to begin before 2.30pm.
They said it must conclude by 6pm or 30 minutes after the conclusion of speeches, whichever is earlier.
The restriction had riled march organisers who claimed the limit would severely affect the impact of the rally.
One of the leaders of the protest Ben Jamal urged police to re-think.
He said: “As they have publicly acknowledged, the marches have been overwhelmingly peaceful with no threat of major public disorder. To make changes to the start time seems to us to be a tactic designed to deter people from attending.”
The Met on Friday said that it would loosen the restrictions as another event had been cancelled.
The march can now set off at 1.30pm after assembling from noon and end by 5.30pm or the conclusion of speeches at the end of the protest, whichever is earlier. There will also be more freedom of movement than under the previous police rules.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said after the change of plan: “The risk-assessment process in relation to planned events is dynamic and takes into account the constantly changing picture across London.
“Conditions were imposed to mitigate concerns from communities, including in relation to a specific event which would have clashed with the intended route of the march.
“The last-minute decision to cancel one of the other pre-planned events means we have reviewed the conditions imposed on the march - this in line with our legal obligation to balance the lawful right to protest and the risk of serious disruption to the wider community.”
A statement from the protesters described the Met’s revamped plan as a “great victory” and labelled the Met’s handling of the event a “debacle”.
It added: “With less than 24 hours to go, the Metropolitan Police has dropped its attempt to frustrate our national march for Palestine. Tomorrow we will march to the Israeli Embassy as planned.
“Following a week of argument and attempts to bully and intimidate the demonstration organisers, the police have now agreed that protesters will assemble from 12 noon, at Regent Street St James’s as we had originally intended. Previous conditions that were imposed in a wholly unjustified attempt to prevent us from doing so have now been rescinded.
“This debacle has caused serious disruption to our organising efforts. The constant imposition of conditions on our marches are an unacceptable curtailment of our right to demonstrate peacefully and we will continue to challenge them. Nevertheless, this is a major victory in defence of the democratic right to protest.”
There have been a series of protests in central London by pro Palestine groups calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. They started after the Israeli military response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Ceasefire negotiations are ongoing in the Middle East, brokered by Qatar.
