The Metropolitan Police have denied putting a “ring of steel” around Broadcasting House after a woman was arrested for inciting others to march near a synagogue against the force’s orders.
Protesters targeting the BBC were planning to gather in Portland Place on Saturday before marching to Whitehall but the plans have since changed to a static rally in Whitehall.
The Met blocked the march from gathering there due to Broadcasting House’s close proximity to a synagogue and the risk that the protest could cause “serious disruption” to the Jewish holy day, as congregants attend Shabbat services.
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The force used powers under the Public Order Act to prevent the rally from gathering in the area.
A 61-year-old woman was arrested on Friday on suspicion of inciting others to breach Public Order Act conditions after she was allegedly heard at a rally on January 10 encouraging other protesters to do so, police said.
The Met said further investigations into other allegations of inciting people to breach conditions are ongoing.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) are understood to be confident that none of its supporters will breach the conditions imposed by police.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said more than 1,100 officers are due to be deployed on Saturday, with 200 coming from other forces.
Questioned on whether the Met was putting a ring of steel around Broadcasting House, he said: “I wouldn’t describe it as a ring of steel. What I would describe it as is a visible presence of officers in and around the BBC/Portland Place area and surrounding streets.
“Firstly, their role is to engage with people, make sure people understand the conditions that are around there, and generally do their policing duties as they would do every day.
“If anyone is considering breaching those conditions, we have brought officers in from other forces, eight other forces, to assist – so we have got significant forces to enforce any breaches of conditions.”
On Thursday, senior Conservative MP Bob Blackman said those who defy police orders by deliberately gathering outside a synagogue should face the “full force of the law”.
The PSC described the Met’s conditions as “repressive”, saying: “We reiterate our call for the police to lift the repressive restrictions they have imposed and allow us to march. If they continue to refuse to do so and prevent us from marching, we will rally on Whitehall in protest.”
In a statement, Campaign Against Antisemitism claimed pro-Palestine marches posed a “threat” to synagogues.
A spokesperson said: “It is shameful that the Met has refused to act on that threat all this time, and is mustering a show of strength only now that it appears that the war might be ending.
“The least that it can do is see this tokenistic gesture through and finally limit these marches to static protests, as we have been urging for over a year.”
In its own statement, charity Community Security Trust, which aims to provide safety to Jewish people, said of the planned protest: “We have been working closely with the police and with affected Jewish community locations to put sufficient security in place so that services and other activities can go ahead in safety tomorrow.”
