Three arrested at Al Quds Day protest in London

Three arrests have been made during an Al Quds Day protest and counter-protest in central London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Hundreds attended static protests on Sunday after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood agreed to a police request to ban the annual march over fears of public disorder.

The arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, dangerous driving and threatening and abusive behaviour, police said. The Met said it was also investigating chanting made at the Al Quds Day rally.

Lambeth Bridge remained closed on Sunday afternoon and around 1,000 officers were on duty to keep both groups apart.

In a post on X, the Met added: "We are aware of chanting made by a speaker at the Al Quds protest and will be investigating.

"We recognise the concern footage and chanting like this causes, particularly with London's Jewish communities.

"When this language had been used previously we sought advice from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) who determined that there would be insufficient evidence to take a case forward."

At the Al Quds rally, many people waved the Iranian flag and held placards which said "Choose the right side of history".

Some demonstrators chanted "from the river to the sea" and held pictures of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The organisers described it as a pro-Palestinian protest but the Met say those behind the demonstration are supportive of the Iranian regime.

At the counter-protest on the north bank of the River Thames, a range of different groups gathered, including Stop the Hate, a Jewish-led group set up to campaign against antisemitism, and anti-Iranian regime groups, Lion Guard of Iran and the Free Iran Coalition.

Some people waved Israeli flags, and one sign read "Hamas is terrorist".

Al-Quds Day, named after the Arabic name for Jerusalem, is often held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

It was first held shortly after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Marches are held around the world, with the largest in Iran.

Mahmood approved a request by the Met for a month-long ban on the annual march, organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) - a power last used in 2012.

There is no law banning static protests, meaning these could go ahead.

The Met said its assessment was that a static protest would be easier to police and "prevent the two sides from coming together".

Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan earlier said while the decision to ban the marches was not taken lightly, "the risk of public disorder was so severe, we did not have any other choice".

During 2024's march, 10 people were arrested, the Met said at the time.

Additional reporting by Nick Triggle and Simon Jones