Hundreds Gather for Al-Quds Day Rally in London Despite March Ban

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central London on Sunday for the annual Al-Quds Day rally, a static protest in solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel's occupation of Jerusalem, despite a government ban on marching through the city.

The event, held along the Albert Embankment on the south bank of the River Thames, drew participants waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with messages such as "Free Palestine" and "Stop Israeli war crimes." Some carried images of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier in March during U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Chants including "from the river to the sea" and "Israel is a terror state" were heard during the two-hour gathering, which ran from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. between Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges. Organizers from the Islamic Human Rights Commission proceeded with the stationary demonstration in defiance of restrictions, estimating earlier that up to 12,000 might attend, though only hundreds showed up.

Police arrested 12 people during the rally, citing offenses such as showing support for a proscribed organization, affray, and threatening or abusive behavior. Authorities are also...