UK Police Urge Cancellation of Pro-Palestinian Protest in London After Manchester Attack

Following a deadly terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, the Metropolitan Police in London have urged organisers of a planned pro-Palestinian protest, Defend Our Juries, to cancel or postpone the demonstration due to concerns about policing resources and community safety. The police highlighted that the upcoming demonstration in Trafalgar Square, expected to draw over 1,000 participants supporting the banned group Palestine Action, would divert officers from protecting communities during a sensitive time. Despite the police and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemning the protest as "dishonourable" and a misuse of resources, Defend Our Juries has insisted that the peaceful protest will proceed, challenging authorities to arrest them if they intervene. The group emphasized their intent to protest against what they describe as UK complicity in genocide, urging a focus on actual terrorism threats instead. This situation underscores tensions between public safety concerns and the right to protest, especially in the context of heightened sensitivities after the Manchester attack.