The Metropolitan Police have asked for the public’s help in identifying several people at yesterday’s Middle East protests in central London.
In a statement, the force said: “A number of further potential offences have come to light on social media and we’re now appealing for the public’s help to identify those involved.
“The crowds at Saturday’s event were significant in size and density. In those circumstances, what is easy to spot when walking among the crowd with a mobile phone is not always easy for officers to see from their positions along the route,” it said.
“While we will always investigate event[s] after an event, we would urge those who see these incidents and take photos of them to also alert officers – if they are nearby – so we can intervene immediately.”
Officers arrested 17 people during two sets of protests in the capital – one by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups, and a counter-protest organised by a group called Stop the Hate.
The Met said two people were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.
There were eight arrests on suspicion of public order offences, four of which were allegedly racially aggravated.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, three arrested on suspicion of common assault, and one person was arrested on suspicion of breaching a Public Order Act condition.
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The Met said they were “aware” of people displaying placards in support of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah – which is proscribed as a terror organisation in the UK.
Some 20 pro-Palestine protests have taken place in London in the last year. Some have been met with smaller counter-demonstrations from pro-Israel groups.
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Israeli authorities say about 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken to Gaza as hostages on 7 October last year, when Hamas militants stormed parts of southern Israel.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since.
