Rishi Sunak says Armistice Day pro-Palestine rally to go ahead after police talks

Rishi Sunak has conceded that a major pro-Palestine march will go ahead on Armistice Day, after he held an emergency meeting with the head of the Metropolitan police.

While describing the plans for Saturday as “disrespectful”, the prime minister said those who wished to take to the streets had a “right to peacefully protest”.

Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, had announced on Tuesday that he could not lawfully justify banning the planned march, in defiance of growing political pressure.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening after his meeting with the police chief, Sunak indicated that he had accepted that the protest would go ahead, despite calls for him to overrule the Met.

He said: “This weekend people around the UK will come together in quiet reflection to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. It is not hyperbole to say that we are the beneficiaries of an inheritance born of their sacrifice.

“It is because that sacrifice is so immense that Saturday’s planned protest is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today.

“But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest. And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Rowley had been summoned to Downing Street, forcing him to cancel an appearance at another event. Sunak had said he would hold Rowley accountable for what happened at the march on Saturday.

The protest is scheduled to start at 12.45pm at Marble Arch and end at the US embassy in south-west London, about two miles from the Cenotaph, where formal remembrance events will be held the next day.

In his statement, Sunak said he had been reassured that events over the weekend would not be disrupted by the protest.

He said: “This afternoon I asked the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to come to Downing Street and provide reassurances that the police are taking every step necessary to safeguard remembrance services, provide reassurance to those who wish to pay their respects across the country and keep the public safe from disorder this weekend.

“It’s welcome that the police have confirmed that the march will be away from the Cenotaph and they will ensure that the timings do not conflict with any remembrance events. There remains the risk of those who seek to divide society using this weekend as a platform to do so.

“That is what I discussed with the Metropolitan police commissioner in our meeting. The commissioner has committed to keep the Met police’s posture under constant review based on the latest intelligence about the nature of the protests.

“And finally, to our veterans and their families, I assure you that we will do everything it takes to protect this special weekend for you and our country, as we come together to reflect on those who protected our freedom.”

People attending pro-Palestine marches in recent weeks have been calling for a ceasefire in the war that broke out last month after Hamas killed 1,400 people, mainly civilians, in Israel and took about 240 hostages.

Thousands of civilians in Gaza have been killed in the Israeli military operation since, according to Gaza’s health authority, which is run by Hamas.