London police impose conditions on pro-Palestinian student march

The Metropolitan Police has imposed strict conditions on a pro-Palestinian student march in London on Wednesday, warning participants they could be arrested for breaking the rules.

The University of London Coalition march was expected to start at King’s College London on the Strand and finish at University College London in Russell Square, Holborn. Police have instead directed demonstrators to assemble at Lincoln’s Inn Fields at 12:30 p.m. local time before proceeding to Russell Square.

The rally must end in Russell Square by 2 p.m., when protesters will be required to disperse. Participants are also prohibited from wearing face coverings that conceal their identities.

The march is taking place amid heightened sensitivities around the third anniversary of the war in Gaza, and organizers have faced growing pressure to change its date.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Metropolitan Police operations including public order policing, said the force could not ban the protest unless the risk of serious disorder was too high to manage through conditions.

“We hear the calls for this event to be banned. The police cannot ban protests and can only ask the Home Secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can’t be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here,” Harman said in a statement on Tuesday.

Harman also rejected social media claims that the Metropolitan Police had banned other protests, including a UKIP march in Tower Hamlets. He said the event would be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London and acknowledged concerns among Jewish communities.

“We have imposed stringent conditions on those taking part in this march. These will help us manage the event and minimise serious disruption,” he said.

Harman warned that police would act against anyone who breached the conditions or committed offences. He said those chanting or displaying placards calling for intifada, or encouraging unlawful extremism, would be arrested, adding that the force had “zero tolerance for hate crime”.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000 in Gaza, while about 90% of the territory’s infrastructure has been destroyed.

Despite an October 2025 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli attacks have since killed 1,454 Palestinians and wounded another 5,090, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.