The statement came ahead of a meeting expected between Khan and a delegation from the Palestine Coalition in Britain to discuss the police rejecting the march. [Amer Sultan/TNA]
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has distanced himself from intervening in a dispute between pro-Palestine organisers and British police over plans for a Nakba Day march after police in London refused to accept a protest letter calling for a reversal of their decision to block the annual demonstration.
A spokesperson for Khan told The New Arab on Thursday, 16 April, that policing of protests is “an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police”.
The statement came ahead of a meeting expected between Khan and a delegation from the Palestine Coalition in Britain to discuss the dispute.
“The policing of protests is an operational decision for the Met. Decisions are made to balance democratic rights, freedoms and safety, and the mayor is clear that the Met must do this without fear or favour,” a spokesperson said.
Khan’s position is based on the view that London police “routinely use provisions of the Public Order Act to determine protest routes, assembly points, and start and end times”, emphasising that the mayor supports the right to protest, but “it must be lawful, peaceful and safe”.
The Metropolitan Police rejected an application by the Palestine Coalition to hold its annual march on 16 May in central London to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, despite the request being submitted around six months in advance.
On the same day, police granted permission for supporters of far-right activist Tommy Robinson to hold a march through key areas of central London, including Whitehall and the parliamentary district.
The Palestine Coalition, comprising six major organisations within the pro-Palestine movement in Britain, described the decision as “favouritism towards the political right at the expense of Palestine”.
The New Arab has learned that a delegation of coalition supporters is preparing to meet the mayor to “request his intervention” to overturn the police decision on the Nakba Day march.
The delegation is expected to be led by Labour MP John McDonnell, alongside several MPs and representatives from organisations including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Stop the War Coalition in London, the Palestinian Forum in Britain and Friends of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
McDonnell told The New Arab he “hopes the mayor will intervene and act in the interests of the community.”
He warned against a repeat of the situation surrounding an 18 January 2025 march, referring to the case involving Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal and Stop the War Coalition deputy general secretary Chris Nineham.
The case followed a dispute between police and organisers and led to criminal proceedings in which Jamal and Nineham were convicted of offences related to inciting breaches of protest conditions. The ruling drew widespread criticism of both the police conduct and the judge involved.
Lindsey German, coordinator of the Stop the War Coalition in London, also called on the mayor to intervene and persuade the police to reverse their position.
She told The New Arab the issue “concerns public safety and the interests of the community, adding that the mayor is responsible for London and should have a role in the matter”.
The office of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley on Wednesday refused to accept a protest letter challenging the decision on the Nakba Day march.
In the letter, dozens of MPs and prominent figures from a range of professional, political and social backgrounds expressed “shock” at the refusal to grant the Palestine Coalition permission for its proposed route while approving what they described as a march organised by the “Central Political London march of hate” linked to the far right.
In justification of their decision, police said they expect “very large crowds” at the far-right march.
“There are only a limited number of routes in central London that can safely accommodate such numbers,” adding that Whitehall would be considered “the most suitable location for the march”, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson, who did not give a name, added “police remain fully prepared” to meet pro-Palestine supporters to “discuss an alternative arrangement that would allow participants to assemble in a location appropriate for their cause”.
The following is the letter in full, as well as the signatures of the organisers:
The Metropolitan Police must not favour the far right over Palestine.
We are appalled to hear that the Metropolitan Police have refused permission for the Palestine movement to march to commemorate Nakba Day on 16 May on its proposed route and instead given over the political centre of London to a hate march called by racist thug ‘Tommy Robinson’ in response.
The far right has targeted the Palestine movement before. They have done so aggressively with verbal and physical violence directed at the movement and the police.
The Palestine movement marches on the nearest Saturday to Nakba Day every year, and they informed the police of their intention to hold the 16 May march in central London on 18 December 2025. While the police have refused their route, Tommy Robinson’s demonstration has been granted Kingsway, the Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Parliament Square.
We call on the police to immediately reverse this shameful decision. We call on everyone of good conscience to join us for Palestine on 16 May. We will march.
Signed by:
Palestine Coalition:
Adnan Hmidan, Chairman, Palestinian Forum in Britain: Ismail Patel, Chairman, Friends of Al-Aqsa: Lindsey German, Convenor, Stop the War Coalition: Louise Regan, Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Raghad Altikriti, Chair, Muslim Association of Britain: Sophie Bolt, General Secretary, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.
