Teenager among five protesters charged after pro-Palestine march

Five people have been charged after a pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday that saw tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets to urge an end to Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

Protesters gathered near the Golden Jubilee Bridge in Westminster before marching through the capital. The Met said about 70,000 people took part, demanding an end to the bombing, although other estimates put the crowd attendance in the hundreds of thousands.

It follows the recent escalation in the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Israel upscaled its strikes on Gaza three weeks after Hamas launched an attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people and saw 229 people kidnapped as hostages.

Since then, the health ministry in Gaza has reported more than 7,500 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s retaliatory attacks.

More than 1,000 Met officers policed the protest in London. Nine people were arrested for offences including assault on police officers and breaching public order offences.

Five of the people arrested have been charged. 

Kadirul Islam, 33, of no fixed address, has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on December 1. The offence relates to an incident in Waterloo Road, where racist abuse was shouted. 

Emma Turvey, 51, of Clarence Road, Grays, Essex, has been charged with a public order offence and is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on November 13. The offence relates to an incident in Whitehall where a can of beer was thrown at a protester. 

Atif Sharif, 41, of Albert Road, Walthamstow, has been charged with causing actual bodily harm to a police officer. He was remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court today. 

Laura Davis, 22, of Hendon Way, Barnet has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 29. The offence relates to an incident near Piccadilly Circus where a placard that was “threatening and racist in nature” was displayed. 

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with a public order offence and will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on November 15. The offence relates to an incident in Grosvenor Gardens, where verbal abuse was directed at officers escorting protesters.

Ahead of the protest, the Met issued public order powers to prevent protesters from gathering outside the Israeli embassy.

Police also put in place extra powers throughout Saturday, allowing officers to search a person or vehicle for weapons or dangerous instruments and to require people to remove an item they are wearing to conceal their identity.

These powers applied across Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea.

Pictured top: People take part in a pro-Palestine march on Saturday demanding an end to the bombing of Gaza (Picture: PA)