UK
Police brace for largest pro-Palestinian protest and impose Cenotaph exclusion zone
The Metropolitan Police is preparing for an unprecedented security operation ahead of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on Saturday.
The force expects the march - which coincides with Armistice Day - to be the largest yet, and has warned there is a risk of clashes.
Pro-Palestinian protesters gathering near the Cenotaph can be arrested under sweeping measures announced by the Met.
Rishi Sunak has repeated his view the timing of the march is "disrespectful".
He urged protesters to be "mindful of the fear and distress in Jewish and Muslim communities" when they gather on Saturday, and said he had been given assurances police had taken all steps to ensure Remembrance services would be "safeguarded".
In a statement on Friday, Mr Sunak said: "It is because of those who fought for this country and for the freedom we cherish that those who wish to protest can do so, but they must do so respectfully and peacefully.
"Remembrance weekend is sacred for us all and should be a moment of unity, of our shared British values and of solemn reflection."
The Met has said it will deploy 1,850 public order officers on duty on Saturday, and another 1,375 on Sunday, as part of a "huge" security operation in order to reassure local communities.
It expects Saturday's demonstration to be the largest since weekly pro-Palestinian marches began in early October, and warned the situation in the capital could be "challenging" and "tense".
An exclusion zone will be in place around the Cenotaph and a large swathe of Whitehall, which the Met says will "in effect" ban pro-Palestinian protesters from these locations and goes further than the security measures usually deployed around the key Remembrance site.
A dedicated 24-hour police presence is already in place around the Cenotaph, which will remain until after Sunday's ceremony.
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Hundreds of thousands are due to take part in the march, while elsewhere commemorations take place for Armistice Day.
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