SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT Mary Lou McDonald is set to address a rally in London tomorrow which will call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The rally, which is being organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, will take place at 12pm tomorrow in the UK capital.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to take part in the rally as part of a global day of action for Palestine involving 30 countries, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said.
McDonald has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory since the ongoing conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October.
Sinn Féin have also said that the position of Israeli Ambassador to Ireland is “untenable”, and this week called on the Government to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 23,708 people, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The Hamas attack resulted in the death of about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The Metropolitan Police has said a “significant policing presence” will be seen in London this weekend, with about 1,700 officers on duty to police the march tomorrow, including many from forces outside the capital.
A number of conditions will be in place, the force said, including: Any person participating in the procession must not deviate from the route specified; the speeches at the assembly following the procession must end by 4.30pm and the whole event must end by 5pm; no participant in the protest may enter the area around the Israeli Embassy.
The majority of protests and other events held in recent months have taken place without any notable disorder, the Met Police said, but there has been a number of arrests.
There have been repeated examples of placards, banners and other items being carried or worn, or statements being chanted, that have crossed the line into religiously or racially aggravated offences – some have even been so serious as to be dealt with under the Terrorism Act, the force added.
The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command has launched around 30 investigations into suspected offending at protests since 7 October, the majority of which relate to potential terrorism offences.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who will lead the policing operation this weekend, said: “We absolutely recognise the passion and strength of feeling sparked by the ongoing conflict and we respect the right of those who wish to protest and have their voices heard to do so.
“We police without fear or favour and where our policing approach differs it is a response to the intelligence and the nature of the event, not those taking part or the cause they represent,” he said.
“Officers are present primarily to ensure the safety of those involved, but where we see offences taking place, or where we are made aware of them either online or by other means, we will not hesitate to act.
“These protests and the offences connected to them have been widely reported on in the media and have been the subject of extensive discussions online.
“It is really disappointing that despite this, we have continued to see people turning up carrying placards, wearing clothing or chanting slogans that, certainly by this stage, they should know will cause alarm or distress to others.
“I would appeal to those attending any protest event, whether this weekend or in the future, to consider how their actions will impact on the safety and security of others.
“Those who intentionally push the limits of what may cross the line into criminality will face the consequences.
“I would encourage anyone at the protests who feels unsafe, or sees anything they are concerned about, to speak to an officer.”
Additional reporting from Press Association
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