Extra 4,000 officers in London as police brace for far-right and pro-Palestine marches – live | London

British Palestinians feel unable to speak openly about Israel’s war on Gaza, the director of the British Palestinian Committee has said, amid what campaigners believe is a growing climate of hostility around Palestinian identity and activism in the UK.

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Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee.”,”caption”:”Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Some were afraid to wear Palestinian symbols at work or display Arabic jewellery and keffiyehs in public, Sara Husseini said.

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“We have many documented reports of Palestinians and allies being silenced or punished for wearing Palestinian symbols, watermelon pins, or speaking about the genocide,” she said. “Many colleagues across all kinds of sectors feel they are being gaslit while friends and families are being massacred back home.”

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Speaking before Saturday’s national march in London commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Nakba (“catastrophe”) – the displacement of at least 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948 – Husseini said many Palestinians felt they were being treated not as victims of mass suffering, but as suspects whose grief had become politicised.

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“Cruelty is the word I would use, particularly for colleagues who are from Gaza or have family there, knowing these atrocities are being inflicted on their loved ones day in, day out,” Husseini said.

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“And then being effectively told: not only are we not going to acknowledge that this is happening to you, we’re going to disbelieve you, interrogate you, stop you from speaking about it, and if you do speak, we’re going to paint you as the problem.”

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Read more here:

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The Metropolitan police is preparing for what it described as potentially “one of the busiest days for policing in recent years” as tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on central London for two major demonstrations.

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Armoured vehicles, horses, dogs, drones and helicopters will be deployed along with 4,000 officers to police the far-right Unite the Kingdom (UTK) rally organised by Stephen Yaxley Lennon, otherwise known as Tommy Robinson.

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The Guardian understands officers will be granted extra powers to carry out a stop and search without requiring suspicion of an offence, which will also apply to the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally taking place in a separate location to the UTK march.

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in riot gear watch as thousands of people wave England flags and the union jack at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London.”,”caption”:”Clashes erupted between police and protesters as thousands of people marched through central London for the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally last September.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

At the same time, tens of thousands of football fans are expected at Wembley stadium for the FA Cup final.

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For the first time at a demonstration, police will use live recognition cameras and organisers will be held personally responsible for the behaviour of the speakers they invite.

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Deputy assistant commissioner James Harman said the “unprecedented” operation could cost the force £4.5m, adding that today “has the potential to be one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years”.

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Police estimate that about 50,000 people will attend the UTK rally, while the pro-Palestine march is expected to draw between 15,000 and 40,000 peope. The UTK rally last September overwhelmed expectations after more than 150,000 people flooded Parliament Square in Westminster.

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Prime minister Keir Starmer said the rise of the far right represents “a fight for the soul of this country”, adding: “The Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against. Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple.”

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The Guardian’s police and crime correspondent, Vikram Dodd, has the full report here:

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Key events