London police arrest over 40 during rival protest operation

Forty-three people were arrested on Saturday during a major public order operation in central London involving more than 4,000 officers, according to the Metropolitan Police, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu.

The operation was aimed at creating a “sterile zone” between two opposing demonstrations: a rally organized by Islamophobic activist Tommy Robinson and a pro-Palestinian protest.

Police said 20 of those arrested were linked to the “Unite the Kingdom” protest, while 12 were connected to the “Nakba” protest. The remaining 11 arrests involved individuals who were either unrelated to the demonstrations or could not be identified.

According to the Metropolitan Police, 11 arrests were related to hate crime offenses. Of those, two were linked to the Nakba protest and nine to Unite the Kingdom. The offenses allegedly involved motivations related to race, religion, sexuality, and disability.

Authorities added that seven additional hate crime-related offenses remain under investigation, with suspects still outstanding. Police said all of those cases are linked to the Nakba protest.

Three arrests were also made using live facial recognition technology. The individuals were wanted for failing to appear in court, and police stated they were not connected to either protest.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev